daft

You know, I used to think EDs mostly hit intelligent girls and women because that's been my life experience with it; meeting people while being inpatient, attending partial care, groups, acquaintances or friends with a history of an ED, etc. The interwebs have shown me a much different picture though.

First, who has an eating disorder that can't figure out how to engage in the behaviors that define an eating disorder? I don't even know what the fuck that is. Could it be tabloid glamorization of EDs has led to so many girls wanting one? Like it's a Miu Miu accessory or something, but they can't afford it. So, they go out and get a cheapo knock off. I just don't get it.

How about 200 pound girls that call themselves anorexic? These gals are determined to squash any bit of mental hospital chic achieved by anorexics. I swear! It's as if they want Balenciaga in big girl sizes to be sold at walmart; all the status with none of the work.

Since when is it cool to puke or to be so put off by food that you can't eat anything anymore? And why are they gobbling up these ideas? I've seen so many girls that write that they want to appear to be sick because it's the only way to get attention. Admittedly, western culture embraces illness in odd ways. Almost in the same manner that western culture relishes mediocrity. It's habit.

Perhaps it's time for a shift in the collective conscience. We need to teach ourselves another way to think in order to stop the ridiculous cycle of sick thought. It's time we actively embrace and encourage women and girls with strength and talent, rather than cut them down. Think about that. How often do you hear females tearing other females apart because they're jealous about mundane things? It starts when we're young and we have only ourselves to blame.

Certainly dieting isn't the only common ground women share! Come on. We must demand better for ourselves, for the teenagers caught in their pain, for the little ones yet to come up. There is so much we could do.

Change your conditioning. Support your sisters, because as long as we continue to bring one another down, we'll continue to see the ED crazy making that we witness in chat rooms, forums, websites, blogs, magazines, television, etc. Obviously, this isn't a panacea for eating disorders, but it wouldn't hurt. Besides, it's the intelligent thing to do. ;)