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| Image taken from http://www.weheartit.com/ |
How many of you have heard the term “thinspiration” or "thinspo?" I had never heard of this concept until I was smack dab in the middle of my eating disorder, searching online for sites that would validate my uncontrollable need to starve myself. It should come as no surprise that most of what’s on the web regarding eating disorders is damaging to those struggling with one. Sure, there are thousands of sites that talk about the symptoms, the risks, the importance of recovery, etc., but there are so many more that promote the disease, as if it’s something to aspire to. These sites, forums, and blogs are usually created by those in the midst of their disorder, looking for others with whom they can identify. They create a space in which they won’t be judged and can talk freely about their particular process of destroying their bodies by sharing “tips and tricks.” I admit – I used to frequent several of these sites.
Enter: “Thinspiration.”
For those of you not familiar with the concept – I'm talking about pictures of thin girls/women (sometimes guys) that individuals use as “inspiration” to lose more weight. Some of the websites I’d visit had a picture section in which people would post pictures of themselves (sometimes before and after shots), or pictures of people they wish to look like (such as models and celebrities). Sadly, this was my favorite part of those sites.
The problem is – these pictures are not inspiring, they are downright destructive. They cause already-vulnerable individuals suffering from a life-threatening disorder to COMPARE themselves to someone else and decide that they are not good enough; that they are not perfect enough; that they must lose more weight; that they must take drastic measures to achieve such results; that risking their physical health is better than weighing more than the person in the picture. Been there, done that. Sometimes, the people posting their own pictures would list their weight in the caption. This did twice the amount of damage. Not only would I see pictures of girls that I thought had perfect bodies, I’d see that they weighed 10, 20, or even 30 pounds less than me, and I’d freak out! What never occurred to me is that most of those girls were also a foot or so shorter than me. This meant I was looking at girls whose proportions matched mine (although, my distorted perception of my own body didn’t allow me to see this), but all I could focus on was the number of pounds they weighed, and I suddenly felt incredibly fat.
“Thinspiration” is everywhere. Even if you manage to keep your loved ones away from destructive sites that promote eating disorders, you can’t keep them from seeing what’s portrayed in the media. Television series, movies, the news (especially entertainment/celebrity news), magazines, and tabloids are all FULL of this “thinspiration” crap. I used to have a notebook full of pictures I found online or in magazines to “inspire” me – but they weren’t inspiring me, they were taunting me. They made me feel bad about myself, it was like punishment. I kept looking at them because my frame of mind had me believing I needed that sort of discipline to attain the “thin and beautiful” status.
Inspiration should be about positive influence and positive actions, not forcing you to destroy yourself further by torturing you.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on the subject.
_Quixotic_
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