What are some views on eating disorders?

[Elitza]

In terms of your last question and raising awareness, I'm not sure I agree with it but its a view to consider: everyone is aware of their existence therefore more doesn't need to be done to 'raise awareness' as such. Like the other year when everyone on facebook was changing their status to their bra colour etc to 'raise awareness' for breast cancer. I thought what's the point in that! Do something, sponser someone, give money to charity etc to actually do something useful. But 'raising awareness' seemed like a stupid argument to me because you have to have been living under a rock to have never heard of breast cancer so I don't think that that it achieved anything at all. Similarly, with all the stuff the media write about eating disorders everyone is aware of them. However, perhaps it would help to raise awareness of 'real' eating disorders as opposed to the media's spin on them.

From what I understand, it is more younger people who get them where they can be more easily attributed to a cause e.g. wanting to look thinner, or like a particular role model. This is more the childlike manifestation of the disease, and as far as I can see it is how the media then sees all eating disorders. They say that seeing thin models makes people want to be thin. However, it is obviously much more complicated than that. I believe that in younger people when they're going through puberty etc and everything's changing then it is common to have a role model who you would like to look like. That would be part of the problem. The other part would be that in times when they may have little control over their lives, they are exerting control the way that they can which is by food.

However, I don't think anywhere near all eating disorders can be blamed on actresses, models, or even how the media idealises them. I think, especially in older people, it is the control aspect which is a more key factor. The feeling of having control over your life, and the addictive feeling of losing weight can be very strong.

I have a friend who is anorexic and at no point has she said that she is losing weight to 'look good' like the media would have us think. She can see perfectly well when other people around us are incredibly thin and she can see that they would look better wider and healthier. She is incredibly self-conscious and does not think that she looks better for being thinner. But unfortunately despite this insight, it is still a difficult thing to overcome because it is a mental illness. And unfortunately for her she fell into it because she is a perfectionist, and she wants to create order in her life.