Five News | Anorexia Part 5: Ali and Alison

[kinderschokobon]

I wish that health system all over the world would start helping people to recovery from their addictions, before they are almost dying - I don't get why health insurance first think wheather they make profit, and then think on "saving" sb's life. I hope, Ali and the others are doing well.

off topic: I liked the camera work.

[misstiggykins]

I find it difficult to accept that the images of skinny bodies in trashy magazines actually cause anorexia nervosa (AN). These images may be unhelpful for women with established AN however, because it is difficult to comprehend what is normal and healthy. In my long history of AN I never found that images of the 'ideal' body affected me; my problems were much deeper. However, these celebrity gossip magazines should be banned because they are cruel, tasteless and hardly educational.

[MonaMayfair123]

Because the disease mostly starts with bad body image and the thought "i should loose some weight" - completely innocent. Skinny magazine bodies cause bad body image, because most normal ppl are not photoshopped/airbrushed and cannot be that perfect, and they promote skinny = beautiful. hence you get girls who want to be like the mags, then the dieting becomes an addiction and perfection never seems to be reached, and you have anorexia. I hope this explained it to you.

[misstiggykins]

Thanks. Yes, I know this is the purported 'logic' behind the assumed relationship between media images and anorexia nervosa. However, whether this actually happens in practice has yet to be proven. I agree that some girls/women who already have anorexia find these images 'triggering', and many healthy women feel 'fat' when viewing these images. However, it is very unlikely that these images actually caused, or possibly even triggered the eating disorder.

[janetukuk]

Gives me a deeper insight into my problems. The doctor's comments were helpful, but I wish other doctors understood as much!

[misstiggykins]

From my personal experience, Doctors who are specifically trained to manage patients with EDs do understand, but GPs are far less vigilant, especially with older patients (e.g. > 30 yrs). These illnesses encompass far more than body image disturbances and 'wanting to be thin'. They are more about emotional regulation and broader issues relating to identity and self perception.

[feowsh]

nothing new or groundbreaking exposed, but interesting nonetheless.