Craig Hill
KC Hill
Paladin
Oracle of DelphiRegulating the Pro-Anorexia Movement
July 16th 2006 07:44
www.morguefile.com
What do Gemma Ward, Keira Knightley and Nicole Richie all have in common?
It seems these three celebrities have all featured as pin-up girls on websites that encourage anorexia. Believe it or not there is a pro-anorexia movement out there persuading people that extreme dieting is a lifestyle choice rather than a disorder. There are internet sites that are actually publishing memorable photographs of celebrities (such as Keira Knightley’s recent “skinny” shot at the Pirates of the Carribean II premier) and using them as “thinspiration” for their readers.
And you know what I think? I think that we, the people of this world, have officially lost the plot.
What the HELL has happened to us? Are we really living in a world where starving ourselves is an acceptable part of everyday life? Have we completely forgotten that Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric disorder and that as a matter of fact, 1 in 5 anorexics will DIE?
I’m outraged that there are people out there who are ok with that. We need to put a stop to this and often I turn to the law for some glimmer of hope in restoring sense into society. But even the law can’t save us this time.
You see, a number of Australian Internet Service Providers are blocking access to Australian versions of the Internet sites. But the Internet is a powerful creature that provides us with a wealth of knowledge from all over the world. That means that our girls (and boys) can still access overseas sites.
At this point in time, it appears too difficult to regulate. And that’s a scary thing. When something as dangerous as a pro-anorexia movement is beyond the reach of the law, then it’s up to each individual to have enough common sense and self-control to stop him/herself from being sucked in to this web of lies.
Anorexia Nervosa is NOT a lifestyle choice. If you think it is, then please, talk to someone about it. The following phone numbers can assist you in finding help in your area:
Lifeline 131 114
Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800
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Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
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Comment by Legally Brunette
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Won't it be interesting when all these super skinny girls decide to have children and realise they have stuffed up their bodies so much that they are infertile? I don't think they realise what the consequences of this supposed "lifestyle choice" may be.
Comment by Cibbuano
Hunt Famous
Orble Post of the Day
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for example, Lindsay Lohan used to have a curvy, healthy body. Between the coke and the anorexia, she's gone from 19 to 45 in months...
Comment by Legally Brunette
My Wedding
It's funny, because like you Cibbo, I reckon most guys don't even like stick thin girls!
Comment by Anonymous
Personally I think gemma ward is stunning, But I must say this "Thinspiration" lark is making me sick to me stomach.
Comment by Ana
The pro-ana sites have prevented me from suicide and from actual health hazards linked to Ana.
Don't be so quick to judge!
Anorexic documentaries focus on the negative things! I think thats good to scare people off Ana. At the same time though they are promoting Ana to younger girls who watch this and become interested in Ana.
A good "healthy" workout doesn't work for everyone! Either way they won't feel that they are doing enough if eating ca. 1500cals pr. day with exercise. We feel guilty if we eat more than 200cals and less exercise than 2 hours.
Comment by Anonymous
And I'm not here to gush and be like "ohemgeee! I'm Lyke sooo Ana!!" Because I hate when this disease is given such pet names... it really just pisses me off. I, myself, suffer from EDNOS which means I don't fit the medical criteria for anorexia or bulimia but still have episodes with either of them. It really is a tragedy to see what this can do to those it affects. Not only can it take a toll on your body, but also friendships, schoolwork, and family life.
I don't believe that thin models and actresses are entirely to blame for the eating disorder epidemic. I know when I first started experiencing my food issues it had absolutely nothing to do with celebrities. It was comments my friends made and mostly it was feeling that in my parent's eyes nothing I did was satisfactory and I could always do better. Although I was always the "skinny kid" in everyone's eyes and I've never been close to overweight.
Though I won't deny that looking at pictures of skinny celebrities gives me an incentive to want to look like them.
Comment by Anonymous
For someone to say that whether or not a model starves herself is none of our business, is very sadly mistaken. They're considered "role models", and are out there for the world to see. In the U.S., we have two extremes; obesity and anorexia. What is wrong with today's society?
Comment by Anonymous
It's the media that is portraying them as diseased girls, if you have a problem with it then complain to the media. Though it really isn’t the media’s job to make sure everyone shown is a role model.
I was bulimic for four years, and it had nothing to do with the 'skinny celebrities'. It was the obese people that scared me; I didn't want to be like them. And it was also about control. I couldn't control my environment; I lived in a very isolated region. So I found something I could control. I'm glad I did. I'm skinny and I like being this way, it's a more constructive means of control than cutting. Not only do I get to fit into just about anything, but I don't have scars on my arms like the rest of the people who grew up here. Sure, skinny is not for everyone, but it's the reaction to the obesity.
You ask what is wrong with today's society. It's that we set up an environment in which kids have access to food all the time, and have to learn to starve themselves to not become obese. If we want to lower the obesity rate, which in turn will likely lower the anorexia/bulimia/etc. rate, than we need to create a structured eating routine. Meaning, not eating too much and eating the right things.
Comment by Anonymous
and I am a member of one pro-ana community, but it is not the way you described it.
there girls/boys as myself gather and talk about their ed, and I am telling you, if those guys weren't there for me, I would've been dead long time ago.
they encourage recovery, they DO NOT give tips, everytime I say I am fat and disguisting and do not deserve to live, there they are, telling me the most amazing things on earth, how I should love myself the way I AM and how I am beautiful THE WAY I AM.
do not think that people with an eating disorder wish the same for others.
true, we hate the way we look, and we see ourself as fat and worthless, but ourselves and only ourselves.
we do not encourage others to be super skinny, to starve themselves and so on.
you got the wrong idea.
it is called pro-ana, but it has nothing to do with making people became ana/mia/ednos and so on.
it is a place where i can say what happened to me, where no one will blame me for what i suffer from, and where people WILL understand ...
I would honestly be lost without those guys/girls and I still breathing because of their love and support and amazing words..
Comment by Anonymous
Besides, eating disorders are diseases. Even if the media doesn't make them out to be, scientifically and medically they are. They are disorders. Illnesses. Just like how depression is also a clinical condition. There is nothing correct and right about that. (Though I'm definitely not saying it's okay to be obese either.)
However I do agree with you that having a balanced diet would be the best option out. It is only detrimental either way, obese or anorexic. In the first place neither was meant for us to become. Though being obese is definitely unhealthy, it doesn't make one any healthier by being anorexic/bulimic.
As for the people who seek/yearn control in their lives, I think society is screwed up to a point that people need to do that............ I've heard/seen many people express that their reasons for getting an ED is that they want to control an aspect of their lives. But there are other things you can control in life too. At the end of the day, it is just not worth it.