My thoughts on…anoxrexia
December 14th 2006 -
I watched Drop Dead Gorgeous yesterday. That movie’s hella funny. If you never watched it before, it pokes fun at beauty pageants and middle America. It also shows the ridiculous lengths women will go become “princesses.” Mary Johansen, the anorexic girl who won the title the year before, said something that was one of the funniest things I’d heard in a while. “With one week to go before the pageant, I was finishing my outfit, rehearsing my talent, brushing up on current events, and running 18 miles a day on about 400 calories. I was ready.” You should’ve seen the pathetic state she was in. She was wasting away, and spent most of her time in bed. Other times she was in a wheelchair because she was too weak to stand. And at the end of it all, she lost her crown a year later. Seems so futile doesn’t it? To destroy your life for some momentary glory. That painful realization inspired me to post this.
I want to know why? Why would women destroy their bodies like that just to look thin? I mean God! Look at the pic. This girl’s dress is barely hanging on her bony frame. And she probably thinks exposed ribs makes her look more attractive. Well I don’t. I wouldn’t make love to her. In fact, I’d rather do one of those lab skeletons. More meat. Months ago over at Teenage Perfectionist, she brought to my attention a blog by an anorexic, read and commented on by other anorexics. What I read shocked me, the lengths these girls will go to lose weight. And the worst thing is their loved ones don’t even know. And HBO made a documentary about it called “Thin”. It premiered on the 14th of November so I doubt you’ll catch it. I wonder what drives girls to do this. Is it low self-esteem? Do they think society will accept them more if they look like the living dead? Or are they trying to attain the ridiculously high standards of beauty set by society? I think its a combination of both.
I think one of the reasons why anorexia is so widespread is that people don’t view it as a disease. People view it as just a bunch of teenage girls throwin’ up so they can fit in size 10 dresses. That’s probably why many of them don’t realize the danger that they’re in. We need to stop parading stick thin models around and get some plump women on magazine covers. Cover Girl has made the first step by featuring some large ladies like Queen Latifah. But more needs to be done, else more young ladies will be literally dying to be thin.
PoEt Says:
December 14th, 2006 at 9:06 pm
and queen latifah is getting less and less ‘large’
pinkjellybaby Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 7:38 am
how is someone that obviously ill allowed to win? i think the organisers of things like this need to take a hell of a lot more responsiblity.
it makes me angry
tiggerprr Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 10:45 am
It’s so true and sad that girls are dying of this disease. Part of this disease causes them to see someone different in the mirror, where we see a stick thin person, their mind sees a fat one. It’s scary to think that there’s girls congregating on blogs.
Crankyputz Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 11:08 am
I met a real live victim at a party a couple of months ago, and nothing could have prepared me for that sight. It is a serious sickness, and it is beyond me why people are allowed to die from this.
On the other hand it always stikes me as such a rich countires disease…..no one wants to be thinner where starvation is everywhere…
RainStorm1212 Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 2:53 pm
I agree with you, Leon. I feel really bad for these women/girls. I believe a lot of it has to do with very low self-esteem.
cool destiny Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
As you said, it is not viewed as the disease it really it. Hollywood and pop culture are the cause or rather influence of anorexic and bulimic behaviour. The potrayal of skinny is beautiful is taking over the world.
I had a friend who was bulimic and you couldn’t convince her that she was destroying her body and her life. She thought there was nothing wrong with what she was doing. Ironically, she thought I was anorexic and I couldn’t fathom because I weighed more than she did!
Well, di whole a dem lucky. I’m not into bones!!
Margaret Feinberg Says:
December 15th, 2006 at 4:24 pm
That photo is extremely thought provoking.
Tisha! Says:
December 16th, 2006 at 7:07 am
Perturbing.
Like RainStorm said, lack of self-esteem and so much pressure to be “perfect”.
china Says:
December 16th, 2006 at 3:31 pm
china-info.blogspot.com
Buddhamonkeydevil Says:
December 16th, 2006 at 6:59 pm
Someone should remind these girls of the fate of people like Karen Carpenter who died of a heart attack at age 32 as a result of her anorexia… Probably wouldn’t help though. I say bring back the voluptuous starlets of the 1940’s–of course they’re probably all rail thin by now too…
Abeni Says:
December 17th, 2006 at 7:31 am
If only we can learn to love ourselves in the skin we are in!
goccogrrl Says:
December 30th, 2006 at 8:09 pm
Anorexia is about control. People who go that route feel like they have no power, no control of anything else; they feel in control of something at least when they control their food intake and prevent gaining an ounce…not to mention the really fun part:punishing those who love them by literally wasting away…girls, get a life!