Thin is NOT in
"I wish I could have a little anorexia".
I hear that phrase often. Before my ED developed, I was one of those people who said it. I mean, come on! People with anorexia are thin and happy, right? They are gorgeous, look like models, and they are thin and happy. They are successful, and they are thin and happy. (Did I mention that they are thin and happy?!)
That is what the media tells us. That is what society tells us - that thin is beautiful. As if being thin will make you a happy and successful person. So, is it any wonder that young girls (and boys) grow up thinking that they must be thin?!
Look at TV commercials. How many times do you see an average-sized person in them? Heck, even ads for no-fat products are endorsed by the tiniest people I've seen on TV. Or what about men? The actors are all muscular and bulky. What message is that sending to viewers?
The truth is...THIN IS NOT IN. I used to think it was. I used to think that being skinny would change everything - would make me happier. But it didn't. I mean, I was happy that I became thin. But I was not COMPLETELY happy - I suffered under the torments of the disease. Imagine this: night and day battling a voice in your head that is denying you the right to enjoy food. That is screaming in your head, telling you that you are going to gain weight and be fat. A feeling of anxiety and discomfort every time you are faced with food - or even the thought of food.
Still wish you 'had a little anorexia'? I don't think so.
So, what's my point? We need to get the message across that the media is wrong. That thin is not perfect. That being thin does not guarantee that you will have a happy and successful life forever. That being muscular will not grant you everlasting happiness.
How can we do this? Get the point across! Start by loving yourself for who you are - whether you are male or female. Because you 'are created in His own image and likeness' (Genesis 1:27). With that mind, you can be sure that you are worthy of being loved - inside and outside.
I hear that phrase often. Before my ED developed, I was one of those people who said it. I mean, come on! People with anorexia are thin and happy, right? They are gorgeous, look like models, and they are thin and happy. They are successful, and they are thin and happy. (Did I mention that they are thin and happy?!)
That is what the media tells us. That is what society tells us - that thin is beautiful. As if being thin will make you a happy and successful person. So, is it any wonder that young girls (and boys) grow up thinking that they must be thin?!
Look at TV commercials. How many times do you see an average-sized person in them? Heck, even ads for no-fat products are endorsed by the tiniest people I've seen on TV. Or what about men? The actors are all muscular and bulky. What message is that sending to viewers?
The truth is...THIN IS NOT IN. I used to think it was. I used to think that being skinny would change everything - would make me happier. But it didn't. I mean, I was happy that I became thin. But I was not COMPLETELY happy - I suffered under the torments of the disease. Imagine this: night and day battling a voice in your head that is denying you the right to enjoy food. That is screaming in your head, telling you that you are going to gain weight and be fat. A feeling of anxiety and discomfort every time you are faced with food - or even the thought of food.
Still wish you 'had a little anorexia'? I don't think so.
So, what's my point? We need to get the message across that the media is wrong. That thin is not perfect. That being thin does not guarantee that you will have a happy and successful life forever. That being muscular will not grant you everlasting happiness.
How can we do this? Get the point across! Start by loving yourself for who you are - whether you are male or female. Because you 'are created in His own image and likeness' (Genesis 1:27). With that mind, you can be sure that you are worthy of being loved - inside and outside.
