Eating Disorders: It's Complicated

tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21594194.post-18146428515723359972008-07-01T21:46:00.005-05:002008-07-04T09:39:57.263-05:00Eating Disorders: It's ComplicatedI highly recommend <a href="http://buildingbeautybeyondbody.blogspot.com/2008/07/im-boy-anorexic.html">Building Beauty Beyond Body's post on "I'm A Boy Anorexic."</a> Come to think of it, I recommend the whole blog--insightful, well-written, candid. Definitely worth a look. I worry about the sensationalism of the BBC America special described in BBB's post. However, I'm all for exploding the assumption that men & boys are not subject to eating disorders. If "I'm A Boy Anorexic" does that, so much the better. Now, if we could have similar programs like "I'm An Anorexic Over the Age of Thirty," "I'm A Non-White Anorexic," etc., etc. What are some of the other popular stereotypes about eating disorder sufferers that our culture needs to be disabused of? What do the uninformed masses in our society assume about eating disorders? In addition to the above-suggested triad of gender, age, and ethnicity/race, consider how people often assume that someone does not have an eating disorder if someone is a normal (or above normal) weight, is not fashion-obsessed, "vain," or concerned with conventional beauty, was not raised in a controlling family, is athletic, can be witnessed eating, talks positively about food while with others, is not overtly depressed, etc. Indeed, eating disorders are much more complicated than that. Now, I do understand the convenience and utility of profiles of pathology. I understand that certain characteristics correlate more strongly with eating disorders. So, it's not ridiculous to let that information guide us. However, over-emphasizing those data about what the average eating disorder sufferer looks (or thinks) like is dangerous.T.S.T.http://www.blogger.com/profile/01085803075843600111noreply@blogger.com