On allpointswhole, this is a topic we've discussed before. I've shared my own struggle with eating disorders..mine not as devastating as others but unhealthy nonetheless. It resembled more of a constant cycle of dieting and thus my weight fluctuating. I vividly remember start my first of many diets in the fifth grade. Although, I was only nine years old, I had a very poor self image and the little"baby fat" I carried seemed much more blown up in my mind than it actually appeared.
The older I've gotten, I've realized that most women are plagued with this form of a eating disorder. Society tells us we are only attractive and worthy, if we are, as Sir-Mix-a-lot once sang, 24-36-24. And even though he was just a one hit wonder, we sing along and attempt to live up to a standard that only those born with perfect genetics can live up to.
Recently, I joined the online community of Myfitnesspal. I absolutely love this site and it has aided in my attempts to lose weight that I put on during my multiple injuries from 2010-2011. It helps you stay accountable and offers encouragement through online "friendships." It really is such an eye opener and helps inspire you to make better choices.
Through some recent friend requests, I've noticed a disturbing trend, particularly with younger girls, They seem to be using the site to calorie restrict to very unhealthy numbers. I was shocked to see girls posting about binging, purging, and starving themselves. They don't talk about it as a struggle but rather boast about it! They encourage one another and give suggestions as to how they can deceive their peers and or parents to believe they are eating when they are in fact, not. One suggestion I read today stated "go into the kitchen and fiddle around, closing drawers, etc. Then when dinner time arrives and you tell your parents that you are not hungry, it will be more believable"
Wow.
This has been burdening me for sometime and quite frankly I don't know what the solution is. I am a "fixer" by nature and am racking my brain as to how I can make a difference in this epidemic. Other than looking for new outlets to mentor teen girls, I've decided to shed light onto it by exposing it on this blog. I've also left comments on the girls' pages encouraging them that they are beautiful just the way they are..to please not purge, get help, etc I've received no replies...but I also have not been defriended. I've added a few more that I've seen comment on others in an attempt to try and impact them as much as possible.
This saddens me so much and makes my heart so heavy. Writing about it helps me collect my thoughts and hopefully inspires readers to address this issue on their blogs or with anyone they know suffering from this disease. If you happen to be experiencing or engaging in this behavior yourself, please find someone you can trust and take the leap of being vulnerable. It is so scary and uncomfortable to share your shortcomings, but it is oh so worth it. Ultimately, you are destroying yourself. And once you figure out why you are wanting to inflict that pain on yourself, you will be one step closer to healing and freedom. Sometimes just sharing with someone takes such a burden off of your shoulders and gives you such a release.
I want to continue to bring this issue to light, but for now I want to hear from you. Have you or anyone you know experienced an eating disorder? If you received help, what was it and how did it help you? Any ideas on how we can make a difference?
The older I've gotten, I've realized that most women are plagued with this form of a eating disorder. Society tells us we are only attractive and worthy, if we are, as Sir-Mix-a-lot once sang, 24-36-24. And even though he was just a one hit wonder, we sing along and attempt to live up to a standard that only those born with perfect genetics can live up to.
Recently, I joined the online community of Myfitnesspal. I absolutely love this site and it has aided in my attempts to lose weight that I put on during my multiple injuries from 2010-2011. It helps you stay accountable and offers encouragement through online "friendships." It really is such an eye opener and helps inspire you to make better choices.
Through some recent friend requests, I've noticed a disturbing trend, particularly with younger girls, They seem to be using the site to calorie restrict to very unhealthy numbers. I was shocked to see girls posting about binging, purging, and starving themselves. They don't talk about it as a struggle but rather boast about it! They encourage one another and give suggestions as to how they can deceive their peers and or parents to believe they are eating when they are in fact, not. One suggestion I read today stated "go into the kitchen and fiddle around, closing drawers, etc. Then when dinner time arrives and you tell your parents that you are not hungry, it will be more believable"
Wow.
This has been burdening me for sometime and quite frankly I don't know what the solution is. I am a "fixer" by nature and am racking my brain as to how I can make a difference in this epidemic. Other than looking for new outlets to mentor teen girls, I've decided to shed light onto it by exposing it on this blog. I've also left comments on the girls' pages encouraging them that they are beautiful just the way they are..to please not purge, get help, etc I've received no replies...but I also have not been defriended. I've added a few more that I've seen comment on others in an attempt to try and impact them as much as possible.
This saddens me so much and makes my heart so heavy. Writing about it helps me collect my thoughts and hopefully inspires readers to address this issue on their blogs or with anyone they know suffering from this disease. If you happen to be experiencing or engaging in this behavior yourself, please find someone you can trust and take the leap of being vulnerable. It is so scary and uncomfortable to share your shortcomings, but it is oh so worth it. Ultimately, you are destroying yourself. And once you figure out why you are wanting to inflict that pain on yourself, you will be one step closer to healing and freedom. Sometimes just sharing with someone takes such a burden off of your shoulders and gives you such a release.
I want to continue to bring this issue to light, but for now I want to hear from you. Have you or anyone you know experienced an eating disorder? If you received help, what was it and how did it help you? Any ideas on how we can make a difference?
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