The pressure to be thin is huge in the world of fashion and dance. Bones protruding, and twenty pounds or more underweight, dancers are told they look great.
The ideal weight for most ballerinas is 15% less than what is considered normal. Frequently this leads to people starving themselves with the psychiatric disorder, Anorexia Nervosa.
Complications from Anorexia Nervosa
- Loss of body fat from being underweight sometimes causes women to stop menstruating so they could have trouble reproducing.
- Other complications from anorexia include low blood pressure, damaged kidneys, liver, osteoporosis, heart failure and death.
Media’s Influence
Karen Carpenter from the group the Carpenters died from anorexia nervosa in 1983 at the age of 32. It was not well known until then. See E! True Hollywood Story – Karen Carpenter Part 1 for more.
Eating disorders have been glamorized on such things as the Friends poster “Cute anorexic chicks”. It was later pulled but it’s an example of damage done by the media.
Italian Photographer, Oliviero Toscani shocked many when he decided to protest by photographing a young naked anorexic woman. It’s to show the result of the weight loss craze in the fashion industry. Some think the billboard campaign will be good for awareness while others worry it will simply create another unhealthy role model.
About Anorexia Nervosa
- 50% patients relapse in the first year.
- Anorexia is both a mental and physical illness so both need to be treated.
- Women aged 15 to 24 are commonly affected and more vulnerable although men have eating disorders as well.
- Three out of every hundred girls develop anorexia during puberty.
Common Personality Traits
- Many people with anorexia nervosa are perfectionists so order and/or control is important.
- Some have also been traumatized in their youth by such things as sexual abuse. Refusing to eat is a form of showing their power over their body even though they’re actually hurting themselves.
- Another common trait is to be a people-pleaser on the outside so the hidden anger and pain are redirected inwards.
- Low self esteem and poor body image are also contributing factors for developing anorexia nervosa.
Dying to be Thin is an hour-long informative program on Nova Online narrated by Susan Sarandon that explores anorexia nervosa and unrealistic size standards further. It is divided into eight sections and addresses media influences, treatment, recovery and includes a segment on Bulimia.
It was educational but it is sad to see how eating disorders have affected people. One woman described how when she was twelve her teacher pinched her and told her to lose weight and another felt once she lost weight she was accepted.
There was some inspiring stories however including how some women recovered. Kate Dillon, a former anorexic initially walked away from starving herself and modeling. She is now a successful plus size model and spokesperson against glamorizing starvation.
