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Love Your Body and Help Raise Awareness about Eating Disorders
Nearly every woman at some point in her life has hated or wanted to change her body for one reason or another. Reports indicate that 80 percent of women are dissatisfied with their appearance, and seven million women and girls struggle with an eating disorder in the U.S. My time came during my freshman year at college. I had always been on the thin side, because I was active in sports. In college, I stopped playing sports and instead engaged in partying, unhealthy cafeteria food, and just being plain lazy. I attended class and did my homework but made no time for the gym. I quickly found out what they mean by the "freshman 15."
While I never developed an eating disorder, I did develop a dislike for my body -- the same body I loved in high school for allowing me to play sports. I felt that my body had betrayed me: It gained weight. It gained flab. I was hurt, angry, and embarrassed. During my time at college, I got active in a sorority. It was here that I first learned about National Eating Disorder Awareness Week and End Fat Talk Week.
Speakers came to talk to us about being healthy and, more importantly, happy. It was then that I realized my body had not betrayed me, but I had let my body down. In that moment I realized I wasn't mad for putting on weight but because I had stopped doing what I loved -- playing basketball and being active.
This week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, nearly half of all Americans personally know someone with an eating disorder; therefore, it is only appropriate that this year's theme is "Everybody Knows Somebody."
Eating disorders are prevalent and dangerous. Studies show that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. The good news is that eating disorders are treatable; unfortunately, most cases go unreported. Help spread awareness by tweeting with us all week and participating in our tweet chat on Feb. 29 at 4:00 pm ET. Let your friends and family know how beautiful they are, and let's redefine what beauty really is. #LoveYourBody
So, people with eating disorders are "Mentally Ill" huh? Interesting...
Like I said, my BS alarm always goes off when statistics are used to prove a point. What I do is remove every reference to them and see if the article holds up. What I was left with in this article was touching and (seemed) true. With the statistics, an advocate with an agenda. Without the statistics, an article I could stand behind and support. Perhaps this is why N.O.W. has shrunken so dramatically over the last decade (see what I did there?).
N.O.W. is fighting a loosing battle it can never win. It’s pretty simple, they refuse to nip the problem at the source. In fact, they completely ignore and some might even say, refuse to acknowledge there is a source besides men. Let’s take a look at the real problem… women themselves (http://gizmo.do/wRQDKT).
Well, OK, it isn’t only women, but it really does begin and end with women. It begins at home and home is typically not a subject N.O.W. advocates or supports. At least not the traditional home.
The U.S. is arguably the laziest and fattest nation on Earth? We jail the highest percent of our citizens and of those jailed, a high percentage of them come from single parent homes. Did you know that single parent homes also have a far higher rate of health problems than two parent homes (traditional or otherwise). Organizations like N.O.W. would likely use this as propaganda to fuel their abortion goals with the real issue being ignored. The problem begins at the youngest ages, when people are at their most vulnerable, as children. That means early home life.
It is also well known that girls with depression are far harder to treat than men. Men are pretty simple creatures really. Food, sex and being treated like ‘men’ is often more than enough to make us pleased. Not so for women. Their problems are usually a maze of issues ranging from daddy issues to bombardment of mixed messages. No wonder women are miserable.
Organizations like N.O.W. have become antiquated and transparent with agendas that are alien to the majority. Even the word Feminist, which used to stand for equality for all, has been perverted by N.O.W. to become a voice box for abortion, lesbianism and man bashing.
If N.O.W. actually cared about getting to the root of the problem they would start supporting family’s instead of focusing on how to prevent them, focus on how women treat women (badly), support men and women equally, advocate celibacy as well as protection.
Otherwise, N.O.W. will continue to shrink and become little more than a bad punch line.
So? Everybody's wanted to do that! -I once wanted to change my body so i could be a professional baseball player, Does that mean i hate my body & want to do unhealthy & damaging things to it? No. Also, Is there really anything wrong with changing your body? I mean, I don't want to change my body because i find it pointless & don't really care how i look, But if getting liposuction or going on extreme exercising techniques will make you happy, Go For It! I don't want to get in the way of making you happy.
-It's no skin off my ass.
I'm a feminist married at-home mom, and I am proud to be a leader in NOW, an organization that supports the self-determination of ALL women. No matter what.
In general, methinks the trolls doth protest too much. If NOW is so ineffective and outdated, why bother coming here and typing up comments that are longer than the original blog post?
That page you linked didn't say eating disorders have the highest mortality rate.
I like to highlight bullshit that's why.
If stating the obvious is trolling, Call me king of the trolls!
In addition, the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders says: "Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness" and sources it to the American Journal of Psychiatry.
I can only assume you are speaking of me as well, since you said trolls, with an S. I do not see how that might be, since to the best of my knowledge I am pointing out pure facts with a little personal opinion here an there – something I’m sure most of us aspire to do.
Lisa Bennett
“… trolls doth protest too much.” The flames may now only be embers, but that is when things are most dangerous, or so a firefighter told me once. People and organizations trying to make a dent, seeing their own shrinking influence, tend to try more radical methods to gain the spotlight.
Body image and weight are important issues and I do not want to make light of them, but not at the expense of common sense and proven methodology (and studies). To make a difference you’ll have to begin at the beginning and admit there are fundamental differences between the sexes (psychological and physical). Without that much, women appear opportunistic at best, neurotic at worst.
This isn't an article. It is a blog post meaning it is my opinion; therefore, I do not have to provide statistics. I am talking about my experience not saying others don't have similar experiences. If you want to include yours, that's fine. That is the reason for a comment section.
If you are looking for precisely sourced statistics, this might not be the best place to look. If you don't believe the claims our bloggers make in the course of expressing their opinions, then I can't imagine why you keep reading our blog.
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