tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post116826553426961291..comments2023-10-24T03:48:17.089-04:00Comments on Does Every Woman Have an Eating Disorder?: No Jokedrstaceynyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11698974154886393241noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-57100168708161497932010-11-04T02:04:43.669-04:002010-11-04T02:04:43.669-04:00When I was a teenager (I am turning the big 40 in ...When I was a teenager (I am turning the big 40 in a few weeks)I used to binge and purge. My Italian grandmother would make large meals on Sundays and holidays and I would go straight to the bathroom and throw them up. I would make myself throw up regularly at home, I took laxatives (never one of favorites). I can remember loving the feeling of being hungry and going for extended periods of time not eating...I guess I freaked my parents out because I then couldn't put food in my mouth and they force fed me. One held my arms and the other shoved food in my mouth. They don't remember this...my sister was constantly running away and on drugs at the time, my younger brother was hyperactive and I was in the middle and always the "good child". I am not sure how I got past my eating disorder or if I really did at all. I think I traded not eating/purging with eating for comfort. I know it is not right, but I do wish sometimes that I could go back to that time where food was the enemy...logically I know that I have never dealt with the issues that brought on the eating disorder and therefore still struggle with it and I know the health risks associated with bulimia. I am not one of those people that says it as a joke "I wish I had an eating disorder" I believe I never got over my eating disorder.Keeper of the Loonies!https://www.blogger.com/profile/05456835953868381316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-78632191601973962592009-04-04T23:37:00.000-04:002009-04-04T23:37:00.000-04:00I have had Anorexia for 7 years. I am currently in...I have had Anorexia for 7 years. I am currently in recovery from it and am applying to grad schools to study the subject further. I'm interested in social work on both a micro and macro level and Clinical Psychology. I have many resources that may be of assistance to you in your book, if you're interested. I was in treatment for months and met many people both inpatient, residential, and in outpatient. Like you have said, this is not just an issue that is affecting those who have DSM-IV eating disorders. This issue affects every woman, man, child, ethnicity, race, etc. Our SOCIETY is disordered.<BR/><BR/>Let me know if you need anything. I am very excited to read anything you come up with, especially your finished product.<BR/><BR/>My email is ashleydr@umich.edu<BR/><BR/>Thank you,<BR/><BR/>AshleyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-36543121602548578082008-04-11T17:06:00.000-04:002008-04-11T17:06:00.000-04:00Not really sure why im saying this but i just want...Not really sure why im saying this but i just wanted to say how i feel about Eating Disorders as i also suffer with an Eating Disorder, the hardest thing when people sya 'i wish i had an eating disorder id be well thin!' (or something like that is for me being an average UK size of 14 is starving myself down a size then binging back up again and no one noticing, people assume that people with eating disorders are skeletons this is not in every case trueAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-73854009837823395462008-01-16T16:23:00.000-05:002008-01-16T16:23:00.000-05:00interesting also is when people treat the question...interesting also is when people treat the question of an ed as a compliment. as in, I ask my very close friend if everything is okay... she doesn't eat (when I'm around anyway) and has lost enough weight to make her size 0 clothing baggy - <BR/><BR/>"Do you think you may have an eating disorder? I'm worried about you..."<BR/><BR/>she responds, "oh ya right! That's really nice of you to say though!"<BR/><BR/>... and I can't judge her too harshly, because if I'm honest with myself, I felt that same pleasure when my family worried I had anorexia. (I broke off a 2 year relationship with my boyfriend and lost my appetite for a good 3 weeks. but don't worry, it returned with a vengence!)<BR/><BR/>I have to admit also to fantasizing about being nothing but skin and bones - it seems like it would feel so pure. Even though I think women do NOT look beautiful this way, there is some nagging "hunger" inside me that wishes to experience it.<BR/><BR/>sick really.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-91736222251739571122007-10-29T09:48:00.000-04:002007-10-29T09:48:00.000-04:00If you opened a magazine, and saw a joke about sch...If you opened a magazine, and saw a joke about schizophrenia (sp) or depression, would you find it funny? Of course not. The majority of people are intelligent enough to know that psychological disorders aren't funny, yet it's deemed acceptable to make jokes about EDs. It's the crass ignorange that gets me. Like when Now1 magazine advises Nicole Richie, Victoria Beckam et al to 'get a sandwich down them.' If these people had a brain cell between them they would surely know that advising someone with anorexia to chow down is about as useful as saying to someone suffereing from depression, 'smile-it might never happen.'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-60411796486693035252007-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:002007-09-23T09:12:00.000-04:00*Big sigh.*People who don't really know me or my s...*Big sigh.*<BR/><BR/>People who don't really know me or my situation often tell me they wish they could look like me, be as thin as me, blah blah blah. <BR/><BR/>I never respond.<BR/><BR/>I really want to ask them if they want the depression, the inability to sit on hard surfaces, the insomnia, the osteoporosis, the hair loss, the mind numbing obsession that comes with being as I am... I'd be really interested as to what they had to say then.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1169906265529472612007-01-27T08:57:00.000-05:002007-01-27T08:57:00.000-05:00I remember when I was in high school and one of ou...I remember when I was in high school and one of our cheerleaders had a brain tumor and consequentally became very thin. One of the other cheerleaders shallowly complemented her and said "I wish I were you." I guess she didn't know what else to say. Or she was a complete idiot. <BR/><BR/>Yesterday, I was sharing with a colleague how I'd had the "stomach flu" over the weekend (I really did have it and actually, I hadn't thrown up involuntarily since 1998)and how unpleasant it was. She concurred and told me, "I just don't know how those girls who throw up to be thin can do it. I just can't throw up." She threw in a shiver of disgust for effect. <BR/><BR/>Both incidents just who how out of touch some people are with the sufferings of others. People who really believe they would like to have an eating disorder for a few months and are even flip about it, (ha, ha, HA!)dont' get it. They probably will never get it. And it is best just to smile, nod and move on.....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1169653276765039962007-01-24T10:41:00.000-05:002007-01-24T10:41:00.000-05:00Kimmy--that's right, they don't understand this pa...Kimmy--that's right, they don't understand this part. Thanks for commenting. . . <BR/><BR/>treena--good point.<BR/><BR/>stella--; ) interesting commentary.<BR/><BR/>dg--if only it were that easy. . .<BR/><BR/>ptc--maybe. . .<BR/><BR/>haley--no, they aren't. <BR/><BR/>lymphopo--true.<BR/><BR/>daran--that's so sad to hear.<BR/><BR/>anon--agreed. Interesting point.<BR/><BR/>lucia--that's right.<BR/><BR/>anon--me either.<BR/><BR/>th--good point.<BR/><BR/>beth--you're right--hopefully, this kind of forum can provide some degree of education.<BR/><BR/>metamorphose--you're welcome.<BR/><BR/>mamavision--you're welcome. I'm glad I found you, too. I wrote abt that t-shirt once.<BR/><BR/>jen--both are equally disturbing--I wrote abt this once, too. <BR/><BR/>neca--sorry to hear abt your family friend. Though I haven't read it, I've heard that Surviving an Eating Disorder<BR/>by Siegel, Brisman et al. is good. <BR/><BR/>elissa--interesting hierarchy of e.d.'s, huh?<BR/><BR/>gina--unfortunately, that seems right.<BR/><BR/>jones--well, not necessarily something to applaud, but it is interesting to see this transcend gender a bit. . .<BR/><BR/>laura--I'm not sure I'd agree to 100% (of anything), either. I'm glad you can offer yourself as exception.<BR/><BR/>"It's because eating disorders are associated primarily with women, and women's issues are not taken seriously, because - and let's be honest here - women still aren't taken seriously. Not as a group."<BR/><BR/>I'd agree. . . .drstaceynyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11698974154886393241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1169441190649683082007-01-21T23:46:00.000-05:002007-01-21T23:46:00.000-05:00It's because eating disorders are associated prima...It's because eating disorders are associated primarily with women, and women's issues are not taken seriously, because - and let's be honest here - women still aren't taken seriously. Not as a group. <BR/><BR/>Because "women's" illnesses are still "in our heads" (with the exception now of maybe breast and ovarian cancer), and it's always our fault if we suffer from them.<BR/><BR/>He can take EDs lightly because it's something that, from his perspective as a male, he thinks he has zero chance of developing. (This of course makes it doubly difficult for males who have EDs, I think, but that's a separate issue.)<BR/><BR/>Interesting blog (just happened to click onto it), though I don't agree with the overall premise in your "about me" section. It's the "all women" part. I can agree with "most." Even 99%. But not all. Perhaps it's presumptuous of me, but I consider myself an exception. Still, excepting that detail, I like the idea of your book. Good luck with it.Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16963995103905491421noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168982831076622802007-01-16T16:27:00.000-05:002007-01-16T16:27:00.000-05:00the men are catching up. ha!the men are catching up. ha!Imaginary Broadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10529492732068927862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168663557822137182007-01-12T23:45:00.000-05:002007-01-12T23:45:00.000-05:00The culture of fat stigmatization is so strong tha...<I>The culture of fat stigmatization is so strong that the insensitivity of these jokes goes beyond people. -- Anon 10.30a</I> <BR/><BR/>Precisely. In a society where it <B> is</B> considered Better to be ANYTHING other than fat, of course people say it! I've said it, even with the full knowledge of what EDs can do to a person's body and psyche. But from someone who has an unhealthy relationship with food <B>whose ends do not coincide with societal values (i.e. being thin)</B>, I see the "allure". <BR/><BR/>People are shamed and humiliated, ostracized for being fat. But thinness, no matter how one got that way, is praised and valued. <BR/><BR/>That's why I always laugh at ads (and people) who cite health as their main reason I should lose weight. I know damned well nobody cares if I have regular blood pressure; what matters is if I'm over an "acceptable" size.Ginahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08382030922676649070noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168613917377229792007-01-12T09:58:00.000-05:002007-01-12T09:58:00.000-05:00I've also it prevalent among people with EDs to wa...I've also it prevalent among people with EDs to want a different one - one that would be more 'effective' or whatnot. I've heard binge eaters claim to be envious of bulimics, bulimics wanting to be anorexics. I've even felt that way on occasion - like "well if I'm going to have an eating disorder it might as well be one that makes me super skinny." It's ridiculous; we've been through it, we know how debilitating it is. And yet...psychologistahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05948664700957147091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168539827198304682007-01-11T13:23:00.000-05:002007-01-11T13:23:00.000-05:00Can you recommend any good books for family dealin...Can you recommend any good books for family dealing with someone with an eating disorder? My mom's best friend (60 year sold) was diagnosed. After getting sick, she has reached a weight where she is being checked into a clinic. As you can imagine, this is devastating for the people that love her. Not one funny thing about it.necahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12979071284874862384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168529801205966322007-01-11T10:36:00.000-05:002007-01-11T10:36:00.000-05:00I just had to back track to this post to comment a...I just had to back track to this post to comment about something I watched last night. As I was working out in front of my TV, I flipped into an E! special on the top 100 celebrity weight loss successes (or something to that effect). Imagine my absolute horror when one of the individuals they highlighted was Christina Ricci who "lost weight" by enduring a battle with anorexia. They went on to include Paula Abdul whom we all know suffered from a 20 year plus battle with bulimia. I'm not sure what disgusted me more...the fact that they included individuals with eating disorders as weight loss success stories, or that they (as they frequently do in such programs) included the comments of TV personalities and comedians interspersed with the stories of these folks. And, yes, you guessed it, they were cracking jokes the whole time about having an ED. I'm so enraged that I'm actually planning to write a letter to the network.Jen C.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13132317156578529143noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168471279190501002007-01-10T18:21:00.000-05:002007-01-10T18:21:00.000-05:00Really interesting post, especially from your pers...Really interesting post, especially from your perspective. I have found myself annoyed with jokes surrounding eating disorders such as the T-shirt overweight people where that says "I beat Anorexia." I think those of us close to this topic have no room for this type of banter...nor should we. Thanks for posting to my blog, it led me to you and I really like your perspective. <BR/>Take Care,<BR/>-mamaVISION<BR/>http://mamavision.wordpress.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168457113147922452007-01-10T14:25:00.000-05:002007-01-10T14:25:00.000-05:00Thanks for this post! I had a roommate once who s...Thanks for this post! I had a roommate once who suffered from anorexia, and it was horrible. I wouldn't wish that on anyone, let alone myself -joking or otherwise.i i eeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11965669520527591687noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168411030613658252007-01-10T01:37:00.000-05:002007-01-10T01:37:00.000-05:00It is so ignorant to wish to have an ED. Some ED's...It is so ignorant to wish to have an ED. Some ED's actually cause weight gain or don't help you lose weight at all. This just shows the general ignorance society has towards them. <BR/><BR/>Maybe so many people claim to "wish" to have anorexia or something for a while is due to all the media messages. No, I'm not talking about skinny models or any personal figure. Just consider tv for instance, probably a third of commercials right now are selling either a diet food, program, pill, vitamin, or exercise regimen, etc. To people with ed's, we may find this annoying and triggering, yet to the rest, they may absorb it as a message to the path of what the SHOULD be, or how they should get there. No wonder people say such things.Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11413985115409945728noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168395459747617462007-01-09T21:17:00.000-05:002007-01-09T21:17:00.000-05:00Would the good Dr. care to have the "other" kind o...Would the good Dr. care to have the "other" kind of eating disorder -- the one that doesn't have its own DSM # yet, but is probably most prevalent of all -- compulsive overeating?<BR/><BR/>Didn't think so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168374769229837992007-01-09T15:32:00.000-05:002007-01-09T15:32:00.000-05:00And this guys is a DOCTOR? Not sure I'd want someo...And this guys is a DOCTOR? Not sure I'd want someone with such poor judgment treating me.<BR/><BR/>I also have heard people semi-jokingly wish for cancer or a wasting disease so they could lose weight. It just sickens me, really. Those people have no idea. (Not that I, either, have personal experience with a diagnosed ED, but I've known others who have had them and it's not a joking matter).<BR/><BR/>This societal obsession with thinness has become so tiresome to me that I'm almost in a backlash- I think next summer I'll take my size 10-12 butt to the beach in a bikini. I'm hoping that it starts to become tiresome to the general populace soon but I'm not holding my breath.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168370860024490462007-01-09T14:27:00.000-05:002007-01-09T14:27:00.000-05:00Something like 70 percent of all American women ar...Something like 70 percent of all American women are on diets at any given moment, and another 28 percent think they should lose weight but aren't trying right now because they find it difficult. We all wish hard things were easy. <BR/><BR/>If caught talking to myself I will sometimes say, "that's the benefit of schizophrenia: always someone to talk to." An actual schizophrenic who overheard me would probably be offended, even though I don't really think there's anything good or fun about mental illness (nor do I really think I'm mentally ill). Similarly, I think a lot of people who joke about EDs don't really wish they had one, nor do they think about how they sound to someone who does have one.Luciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02344151648498823945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168356613395930112007-01-09T10:30:00.000-05:002007-01-09T10:30:00.000-05:00Actually, I have heard of people joking that they'...Actually, I have heard of people joking that they'd like to get cancer to lose weight. Or intestinal worms. Or most anything that can cause weight loss. The culture of fat stigmatization is so strong that the insensitivity of these jokes goes beyond people. I'd certainly agree that disordered eating is far more common than is generally understood. Essentially, or culture literally endorses and encourages disordered eating for people it deems in need of losing weight. This makes for a profound double standard for people our culture decides shouldn't have disordered eating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168355249628050532007-01-09T10:07:00.000-05:002007-01-09T10:07:00.000-05:00Is it because the manifest goal of an eating disor...<I>Is it because the manifest goal of an eating disorder (to lose weight/be thin) is so noble that we’re willing to overlook the process as means to a coveted end?</I><BR/><BR/>Substitute "desirable" for "noble" and you have the correct answer, in my opinion.<BR/><BR/><I>Cancer is also a nice quick way to lose weight. Do these people ever wish they had cancer?</I><BR/><BR/>I've heard someone say that they'd like to have a wasting disease.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168354513958509902007-01-09T09:55:00.000-05:002007-01-09T09:55:00.000-05:00EXCELLENT POINT, Lymphopo.EXCELLENT POINT, Lymphopo.PTChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05377666179155825301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168353665542326452007-01-09T09:41:00.000-05:002007-01-09T09:41:00.000-05:00Cancer is also a nice quick way to lose weight. Do...Cancer is also a nice quick way to lose weight. Do these people ever wish they had cancer?Lymphopohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15554015212661098023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27277534.post-1168310014567275302007-01-08T21:33:00.000-05:002007-01-08T21:33:00.000-05:00Oh, people say that all the time: "I'd love to hav...Oh, people say that all the time: "I'd love to have an eating disorder" -- I've heard it often. ED's are definitely akin to depression and anxiety. Only somehow they're glamorous.... they have to be de-glamorized already. Nicole Ritchie and Kate Bosworth sure aren't helping any....Bloghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07516203764767040649noreply@blogger.com