I'm a day late, I'm so... sorry, I had to be elsewhere all day, If I could explain then I would. Anyway, trends! Do you ever wonder what things were like in say, 1900? Or in Tudor times? I'm rubbish at history, seriously. But I do wonder if social pressure was similar then as it is today. I know they didn't have access to such media and technology like we do today, which I believe plays a big part in the forever growth of eating disorders, but what did they have? I some cultures, the bigger the person, the richer they are percieved. In some places it is still very much this way, to my knowledge. I had a friend who went to India a few years ago when she was very much in the firm grips of Bulimia, walking through the town a young man walked upto her and stated in shock "Being that thin is'nt attractive, you're far too skinny". Would you imagine anyone in this country to say that? Think it, maybe, but say it? Even thinking it seems like an untouchable thought to me. The notion that really grasped me, is she was at the 'higher end' of her set point when this was said to her. Over here, she would appear as 'usual' size. But..what IS usual size? I struggle with the thought of a usual size because everyone is built differently. Lets say you line up five women. All same weight, all same height. Not every single one of them will look exactly the same shape, one might have wider hips and one might have more prominent shoulder bones, they may not even be the same dress size. So why, now, does a number mean so much to people? Why does it become the only goal? You can never get to a perfect weight, because there simply isn't one. There is no achivable goal, no happy number.. it's one of those lies. One of those lies that we're told by a disorder.
They are literally EVERYWHERE, even without realising. When I was younger (i'm talking about 14) TopShop was seen as the main culprit for promoting this brand new small size. Huge posters in the window of tiny girls with iddy biddy wrists, drawn faces and gapped teeth. Why was this ever allowed in the first place? Who ever said it was okay to place underweight, severly underweight, models on posters? Television adverts have become more diversable these days, to an extent, steriotyping is everywhere we look. Wear black? Goth. Got a lip piercing? Punk. Over a large build? Over-eater. Very slim? Posh (question this). It's all tied into the same thing.. perfectionism. What is it and who determines it? As a society, we are trapped into following trends set by the media, set by other people. This trap is dangerous...how do we get out of it? Question this; how much of what you see and what you're told do you actually believe. Do you think a football team is really good because it's the only team your friends like or because YOU think they're good? Is your favourite shade Pink because it's what the other girls are wearing or because it's what YOU like? This question can open up oh so many doors, not bad ones either. :)
Who were you before? The days before you started the never ending diet, the days before you started obsessing before every thing you placed in your mouth, the times when you stopped saying "Diet Coke only, please"? I remember... the first thing I think about was my weight. No, the first thing I thought about was my weight. I was bubbly, a pretty fun person to be around to be honest. I loved gaming, I kicked ass at any xbox game. I dyed my hair pink and all sorts of exciting colours, saved up for a new piercing a few times a year, spent forever on the computer editing music videos because it was fun. I went to the cinema almost every other week and saw a new film, went to pizza hut and had popcorn, walked through the streets of Newport, picking up all the magazines because I loved fashion. I always experimented with new make up, new colours and everything. I went to the pub and strutted my stuff, I wonder if I really cared about much. I hated buses, loved cats and couldn't walk in heels to save my life. Alright so.. it dosn't sound like much. Oh, I used to go to Church every Sunday..Catholic Church, it was my time, my peace, my praise. I don't go anymore, I don't do much anymore. I'm usually too tired to stay out late so I curl up in bed early with a good episode of 24 and sleep, because I just can't wait for the day to be over. Depression, do you think it plays a part in disorders?
I leave you today with a few recommendations:
Katie - My Beautifil Friends:
Katie meets two young women who have experienced very different forms of disfigurement.Ballet student Adele suffered an epileptic fit in the shower, knocking the tap as she fell, and was left with horrific burns covering half her upper body. Now she's trying to rebuild her confidence to perform again. Twenty-three-year-old Chantelle was born with a rare condition called arteriovenous malformation (AVM), which means that a group of blood vessels are growing out of control deep in her nose, leaving her disfigured and threatening her life. Now treatment could save her life and her face, but the situation is putting a strain on her marriage. Meanwhile, Katie continues her gruelling treatment and, despite setbacks, puts together the building blocks of her new life.
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/katie-my-beautiful-friends/4od#3173454
"Thin" by Grace Bowman
Bright, popular, pretty and successful, Grace Bowman had the world at her feet. So what drove her to starve herself nearly to death at the age of 18? And what, more importantly, made her stop? A grippingly honest account of life with anorexia nervosa, A Shape of My Own is Grace's hearbreaking, shocking and, finally, inspirational memoir. An extraordinary story, it is also a common one - is there a woman in the western world who has a normal relationship with food? A compulsive read, essential for anyone hoping to understand more about eating disorders and overcoming addiction.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Thin-Grace-Bowman/dp/0141022841
Vogue - Anti Pro-Ana Petititon
"On learning that Facebook is considered today the culprit of anorexia, and since I believe it is impossible that a social network alone may be held responsible for the spreading of such phenomenon, I did some research and found that there are countless pro-anorexia websites and blogs that not only support the disorder, but also urge young people to be competitive about their “body shape”. Vogue Italia, the magazine par excellence that deals with and promotes aesthetics and beauty, has decided to make use of its authority and its readers on the web (over one million of contacts per month), to battle against anorexia and collect signatures with the final goal of shutting such sites down. Fashion has been always blamed as one of the culprits of anorexia, and our commitment is the proof that fashion is ready to get on the frontline and struggle against the disorder."
http://www.vogue.it/en/magazine/petition-against-pro-anorexia-websites
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