|
|
|
|
|
|
This page is dedicated entirely to getting our view point heard. The following contains two personal accounts of the media
and eating distress. Please send us an account of your perception of the media and how it has affect you.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EATING DISTRESS AND THE MEDIA: A personal view
Those suffering from eating distress (labelled by society as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive eating etc) are
distressed by and obsessed with food. They can think of nothing else. The food that they eat, or do not eat, becomes a monster,
turning on them to suck all the joy and love from their lives, until, if given the chance, it devours the very life itself.
I know – for despite the fact that I am a rational, sensible and, in many people’s eyes, successful 37 year old woman, for
the past 19 years this monster has been my constant companion, guardian, tormentor. Why it is so I do not know. Statistics
and myths (indeed statistical myths) abound – it’s a mother-daughter issue, it’s a teenage girl disorder, sufferers are hypersensitive,
immature, over-achievers, etc – some apply, some don’t.
I used to think that if I could find the reason why I was the way I was it would be the key to my unlocking the door to recovery.
I’ve spent countless hours in therapy and a horrifying amount of money searching for it but in the past year I’ve come to
realise that I don’t need to know why – I just need to know what to do in order to recover. After all, when one’s lost in
a forest it’s more important to find the way out than to know why one got lost in the first place.
While a degree of understanding of the causes of the condition is necessary, the perfectionist nature of sufferers can lead
them to over-focus on finding the one, true cause for their suffering in the hope that this will transform them overnight
into a fully recovered individual. Alas, I’ve found to my cost that this is a fruitless search in pursuit of an elusive and
perhaps non-existent grail. Better at this stage to spend my time and energy walking only the road of recovery.
Of course there are those (even among the medical profession) who believe that full recovery from eating distress is not possible
– that even if the self-destructive habits have gone for a time the condition is lurking in the shadows, ready to manifest
itself again in all its former glory during stressful periods of one’s life; or that recovery is not possible if the condition
persists for a number of years. One dietician whom I’d been attending for years told me that it was an established fact that
if the condition lasted for over 15 years, recovery was impossible – such “encouragement” is just what one needs as one struggles
to recover, don’t you think? I’ve often wondered since if some malevolent fairy watches out for those with eating distress
for 14 years 364 days and whisks away all hope of recovery with her magic wand on the stroke of midnight!
I’m not claiming that this is the definitive article on the subject or to have the medical knowledge of the professionals.
However, over and above all of the articles and books which I’ve read on the topic, I’ve experienced so much more – let’s
just say that I know the nature of my particular beast.
I know the voice that sets itself up as Accuser, Judge and Executioner all in one – I’ve fallen beneath its sword many times.
This voice is fuelled from within – by my low (non-existent actually) self-esteem, my insecurities, fears etc – and from without
– by the ignorance and/or high-handedness of some sections of the medical profession and the ignorance and sometimes down
right offensiveness of some sections of the media.
I’m dealing with my personal issues in therapy, I’ve enough experience at this stage to know which members of the medical
profession to avoid but avoiding the media’s influence (directly through newspapers, magazine articles, television and radio
programmes, advertising etc and indirectly through the views of generations reared on such fodder) isn’t so easy.
Open any best-selling magazine and you can read an article on dieting and weight-loss followed by recipes for “sinful” chocolate
fudge cake, followed by 10 steps for healthy eating followed by an advertisement for low fat crisps followed by a fashion
spread portraying ultra slim models followed by an article definitively declaring that people prefer curvy lovers followed
by an advertisement for the “must-have” perfume showing two scantily clad ultra slim bodies erotically entwined and all this
topped off by an up-to-the-minute “news” article sensationalising the “inexplicable” rise in eating distress! I am well aware
that my view of food and body shape is distorted but, is society’s view any less distorted? And is it any wonder given the
constant bombardment of such dangerously conflicting messages. However what I find most frightening of all is that so many
are blind to this distortion and willing to sacrifice themselves on the media-created altar of an image-obsessed God.
However, I am one of a group of concerned individuals who have formed a Media Awareness Group whose aim is to combat ill-informed
or intolerant views on appearance, weight, eating distress, etc in the media and to promote a greater awareness and understanding
of the condition. All members of this group have either had direct personal experience of the condition or have seen a loved
one suffer so we are aware of the damage that inappropriate reporting can cause to sufferers by increasing their sense of
disgust about themselves and their bodies and sending them into a downward spiral of self-abuse and secrecy from which many
can see no way out but death.
Such reporting debases society in general by promoting a culture of criticism, ridicule and condemnation of those who do not
conform to the criterions set down by an image obsessed multi-media. This in turn leads to a rise in the numbers succumbing
to eating distress as young and old, male and female alike are constantly bombarded by words and images of how they should
look and behave in order to be successful, acceptable, loveable. Children and teenagers can be particularly vulnerable, yielding
to peer pressure in order to be ‘one of the gang’, but no one remains uninfluenced by the media. There is no ideal weight/size/image
but by promoting such a concept the media is adding fuel to the fire of society’s futile (and in the case of those suffering
from eating distress – self-destructive) attainment of such an illusionary goal.
However I am realistic. While I would love to see the day when judgement of individuals on the basis of their appearance,
image, size or weight is just as unacceptable (and illegal) as judging some one on the basis of their race, creed, skin colour
or sexual orientation I know that the media in all its many guises will always be with us and will continue to influence how
we think and act.
Nevertheless if the Media Awareness Group through its actions and correspondence (and each individual member through their
behaviour in every day life) gives even a few people food for thought and widens their perspective then it will be a start.
And, as in recovery, small and slow starts are best – remember the story of the tortoise and the hare!
Bette King
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Click on the dolphin to return to media homepage
|
|
 |
|
THE MEDIA AND ITS’ INFLUENCE: A personal account
Contrary to popular belief, the media DOES NOT cause eating distress. However, it can certainly be counter-productive in
recovery. I believe that people are born with a predisposition on whether or not they have the likelihood of developing eating
distress.
If the media were to blame for causing eating distress, I sincerely believe, that there would be a lot more sufferers walking
the streets. Even though the numbers are probably higher than anyone realises, they would most certainly be a lot higher
if the media were to blame.
I am a sufferer of eating distress, and have suffered in this hell for longer than I would care to admit.
I am not going to tell you about how I used to look at photos in magazines to trigger myself, nor am I going to talk about
how I used to gorge (no pun intended) diet/healthy eating articles, other peoples stories of suffering/recovering from this
hell etc, for the simple reason, that we have heard it all before. As a whole, magazines NEVER did hold any interest for
me, UNLESS they had articles pertaining to the above in them – it really does make you wonder. But it also shows you,
that
the media are feeding into the minds of sufferers, and hence, at the end of the day are making a profit! In my opinion, that
is all they care about, and to hell with the consequences. Now that is hardly beneficial for sufferers!
Speaking from my own experience, I do not blame the media for my eating distress - but it has definitely helped me stay in
this destructive cycle for longer than I would care to admit. On my road to recovery it has definitely been a hindrance.
What I am going to talk about was this one article that appeared in a magazine only a few years back (1999), at a time that
I deemed myself “recovered”, but obviously, by the mere fact that I picked up that magazine on that forsaken day,
that was
far from the case. Although the intentions of this particular article were good, it did have a negative impact on how I took
it. I have also since realised, that I was never really “recovered” – the food issues never really did leave
me.
The intention of this particular article, on the outset, appeared to be good – in that it was highlighting a relatively
“new”
trigger that people who suffer with eating distress use. But, the fact that this particular article was in a teenage magazine
meant that either the editors of the magazine were totally clueless, or they just wanted to sell the magazine, to vulnerable
people like me who would use it as a tool. I honestly do not believe that anyone could be as clueless as that. Now, come
on! The article also claimed that eating distress was seen as “the new cult”. (I have chosen not to mention what
the specifics
of this particular article were as it could be triggering to some, even though I am in recovery I still get triggered ever
so easily). Before picking up this particular article I had absolutely no idea about this “new method” of triggers.
To make
matters worse, this article not only highlighted the fact that it existed, but it even went so far as to get more specific
than that. It was not merely stating the facts. That was definitely a turning point, for the worse, during my suffering
with eating distress. From the point I read that particular article I started using this “new” trigger on a daily
basis.
This “new” trigger became my religion.
When you are being bombarded with articles such as this 24/7, and do honestly want out of this hell it does not make it any
easier. Ok, fair enough, I can choose not to buy a particular magazine on a given day. It is not as easy as that I’m
afraid
– one day I may be strong enough not to buy a given magazine, but on another I just have to have it, despite the consequences.
Also, the media does not stop with just newspapers/magazines. The media takes many forms - these include newspapers, magazines,
television, internet and radio. The list is endless. Personally, I believe that the visual forms have been the most harmful
during my time in this destructive cycle. You turn on the tv, you open a magazine or newspaper, you surf the net, and you
are being bombarded with images. One thing that we the sufferers, and also the general public, tend to forget is that most,
if not all, images of models and/or celebrities that we see in magazines or newspapers have been airbrushed. What we see
is not real! It would be virtually impossible to recreate that image in the real world. At least, without it having some
adverse affect to our health. A philosophy that I have always followed is "if you feel healthy what does anything else matter",
but having gone so long with being out of touch with what that is, it is hard to know what is real, and what is not. Sometimes
it is hard to differentiate between your true self, and the ed.
You turn on the tv, and again, you are being bombarded with adverts - which diet is better. They all go to great lengths
to tell you how great these diets are, and that they are the greatest thing since sliced bread. But do they even tell you
of any of the harmful affects these diets can have on your body and/or health? No, they simply do not! Why is that? Because
they want you to buy the book, the video or whatever their product of choice is. It is imperative that before you buy into
any of these influences to educate yourself. Their goal is to make a profit - and to hell with the consequences.
"An informed consumer is a wise consumer"
"An uninformed consumer is a fool"
The internet, for me, has had a negative influence. For example, only this morning when I checked my e-mail, I had received
yet some more spam mail in my inbox from an internet diet company. Sorry, but this is mockery!
Fact: Over the past twenty years, the average weight of women has increased, whereas the average weight of models over the
same time span has decreased. Now, what kind of message is that sending out? What happened to the times when people like
Marilyn Monroe were seen as being the essence of health/beauty?
"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". Dare you believe it?
irishamethyst41@hotmail.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
