Eating Disorders: Dying To Be Thin

February 9, 2008

Photo by Pluotsyum’s
thin-models.jpgHow thin is too thin? 

My teenage daughter wears a size 0.  She doesn’t have an eating disorder.  She’s always been skinny, yet she satisfies a big appetite.  I recall her as a toddler and doctors wanting to run tests because she was below the average.  The test results always showed her to be a healthy girl.  My daughter is just small for her age.  Yes, I know.  That’s a common excuse among the anorexic.  But as long as she is healthy and happy, the doctors told me, I shouldn’t worry about her.  And I don’t. 

But the last time I went clothes shopping with her, I was blown away by the new sizes they now have for young girls.  While size 0 used to be the smallest size in young women’s clothing, they now carry -0, -1, and -2.  Who could possibly wear these, I thought.  I believe these negative sizes are giving girls negative thoughts.  With so many wafer-thin supermodels already impressing upon young girls that it is important to look like them, our stores are now in a sense confirming that fact by providing the negative sized clothing.  Keep on reading. 

The new holocaust eating disorder.

We’ve all heard of anorexia and bulimia.  But the popular eating disorder now is called “pro ana” and “thinspo” (short for thin inspiration).  I say popular because it is in fact just that.  “Pro ana” stands for pro anorexia.  It is a movement consisting of mostly young women who starve themselves to the point that one can see the definition of their ribs.   They flaunt their disorder by sharing pictures of themselves on the Internet.  And they strongly encourage others to do the same.  They make comments such as, “I’d rather die than be fat,” and, “Size zero equals perfection.”  They completely disregard the risks they are facing.   

But severe weight loss results in severe health problems.

For anyone reading this whose goal is to achieve extreme weight loss, imagine living with:

  • brain and nerve damage
  • seizures and loss of feeling
  • heart disease (a common cause of death among anorexics)
  • constipation and bloating
  • type 2 diabetes
  • gallbladder disease
  • teeth and gum problems

So much for the “perfection” status.

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Posted by Julie Alexander | Filed Under Blog, Weight Loss 

Comments

2 Responses to “Eating Disorders: Dying To Be Thin”

  1. Debo Hobo on February 10th, 2008 9:06 pm

    I have been reading you blog for the last 30 minutes or so and I am so please to see all the valuable information you have made available.

    In response to this post in particular, I too was a size zero up until I was about 27. Since then I have slowing graduated to a whopping size 16. Mostly in part to age and a slowing metabolisms, lack of exercise and I quit smoking which from what I understand was giving my body a false metabolism.

    At any rate I have wised up at the age of 43 and have embarked on a personal call to action to take my healthy life back and kick start my metabolism. I have signed up for your feed via email and will add your information to my arsenal to fight back against age and excessive weight gain.

    So, thank you very much for stopping by my blog and leaving a comment, for through that I was able to find you and this wealth of information.

    :)

  2. Julie on February 11th, 2008 3:32 am

    Debo Hobo,

    Thank you for your very kind comments. Reading them was a great way to start the day.

    I am so glad to hear that you gave up smoking. That alone probably added years to your life. From reading your blog, it sounds like you are definitely on the right track to good health.

    Thank you also for subscribing to my blog. I have subscribed to yours as well and look forward to more great reading. To your health!

    Julie

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