English Journal Entry on Anorexia

Thinspiration? With all that’s being blasted by the media and health talks I doubt anyone can stay in ignorance to these fads. But this is the first time I’ve heard the phrase. It’s quite horrible what some people do to themselves and when they get friends who are equally sedulous, the results are horrifying to the doctors and most of us.

I’ve listened to a mock debate about the ethics in force-feeding anorexia and one side proposed anorexia as a way of life which we should condone if not support. When you think of it, is it just because they are a minority with strong opposition that they can not explain themselves decently enough to the public? Personally, I’ve had problems with weight but it could be because of all the bad media on it that makes me think that dietary “abnormalities” are heinous destructions to the sanctity of life.

Okay, I’ve just found the supposed “Get Thin or Die Trying” facebook page but this one is made by American women in the aim of “ending discrimination against thin people”. Their introduction seems really enticing for women of size 0-4. I’m now reading their health-cum-dietary page. It seems like they care a lot about health and they are exceedingly knowledgeable when it comes to carb contents and daily activities. One post is nearly dictating a possible diet to one of the users, added with a long string of very healthy fruits and vegetables in the never-before-touched category in my records.

I looked in another category in this forum and the language used here is a bit more offensive. The users are angry with facebook for closing down their account. The members section is locked so I can’t read the posts about their personal accounts unless I become a member (which they won’t accept since I’m considered… fat)

I’ve found the Fauzi Rassull site. The language here is more noticeably pro anorexic. Skinny and healthy are used as reasons in the forums and walls. Quite a lot of oaths are being sprouted on the wall.

In today’s' fashion, we see that everyone is obsessed with losing weight/thinspirationing. Skinny is the new lean. Skinny is perfection. Skinny is beautiful. THINSPIRATION rules.

That was still okay as a catchphrase. I could do an equivalent for art anytime. But the newspapers failed to touch on the personalities of the blogger. At first I thought that he could be a rational man who likes fashion and poses but takes it as that’s-that. On his blog though, it’s a different matter. He boasts and proudly proclaims himself a “kween” of b-ing. Most of the members of the group hold fashion as the epitome of life. Some of the things are simply weird and outrageous to me.

It reminds me of the fable about the miser who had many servants and a huge mansion but refused to eat anything but rice and a small amount of soya-sauce. One day, a fly fell into his sauce and flew away. The man obstinately went around trying to catch the fly while all his servants offered to catch it or get some more soya sauce for him. Eventually, he caught it with his chopsticks and proceeded to eat the fly, as though he was savoring the soya-sauce he though the fly contained.

Okay: It started with the fashion world because of models wanting to stay in shape. Now, the world is strongly against it because models have fainted, collapsed and died on the walkways. Now there’s the want for acceptance in the “perfection/ideal” club. I guess everyone wants to have a reference point of a goal; it’s so hard to find it when people constantly say “don’t let your dreams restrain you”. People don’t want to feel average sometimes or mediocre.

Hundreds and thousands of people have this problem of understanding these disorders, so I ought to set my sights a little lower.

I checked my t-shirt. I’m a size 14. By GAP standards, it’s XXL. But I like the comfort of hand-me- downs. Men’s jeans are surprisingly comfy.