Tall, slim, short, sturdy, skinny, overweight; why common terminologies can overrule classic symptoms of disordered eating or a complex relationship with food, which could lead to an eating disorder.
We see it all around us. We’re judged by what we order off the menu. Whether that be salad or 12oz steak, a comment will follow. Especially if you’re wearing a skintight outfit, you’re asking for running commentary about portions or further inquisitive interest regarding appetite and how you stay in shape. You can somewhat slide under the radar if you fit into societal norms which includes sizing.
The predisposition to make a judgement based off of appearance is something we all do. Rightfully or ignorantly, we typically relate health with weight. Issue here is, due to the clear emphasis placed on weight and somewhat disparity that may follow, this raises awareness to your subconscious that your size matters. Whether that’s in the workplace or private life, proportions are a dominant factor. This dominance can fester and grow into an obsession of not only self value, but perceived societal value which carries the risk of over-analysis, often only seen behind closed doors. A study published in 2023, in reference to the Lancet Child And Adolescent Health journal found that since March 2020 eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia were 42% higher than would be expected for teenage girls aged 13-16, and 32% higher for those aged 17-19.
We open Instagram, TikTok, magazines and more, which often propels a body shape appeasing universal stereotypes, whether that be an hourglass figure, petite figure, before and after photos of ‘glow-ups’ including advertisements of weight loss jabs or clearly photoshopped imagery to minimise insecurities while also enforcing the fictional illusion in others. The inclusive market is applauded for not only acknowledging a wider spectrum of body shapes, but marketing, supplying and capitalising from that. Isn’t that how it should’ve always been? Setting the bar low means we’ve become far too reactive to normalisation.
It’s like if you’ve been held captive for a year, then one day windows are no longer barricaded and the golden sunshine beams though the glass leaving you squinting with joy and immense thankfulness. It’s a psychological tactic to make you feel grateful in the pursuit of minimal acknowledgment and validation, translating to consumerism when advertising to a suppressed, manipulated audience.
Away from media, obsession can also have potentially deadly consequences. Healthy dietary habits are great not only for nutritional benefits and gut health, but your overall wellbeing. Calorie counting; enforcing regimented eating habits; replacing food for excessive liquid consumption while on the other hand binge-eating takeaways; surplus of caffeinated, fizzy drinks enriched with many cubes of sugar; unhealthy snacking on ultra-processed snacks is not sustainable for an optimal life. Everything in moderation is a great way of enforcing leniency, whilst enjoying different cuisines, experiences and having a vast diet.
I still hear far too many comments regarding someone else’s body far too much, especially in regard to women. Men can go through changes but women are seen as letting herself go, lazy or harder to date. Women being viewed as a ‘commodity’ is still alive and kicking due to the rising misogyny. Whether that be in passing about a stranger or someone in your immediate life. Sure, we have freedom of speech, but it can represent your character in an unfavourable light, due to hostility. Being mindful of others should always be echoed as you never know what hardship one could be going through.
Weight does not define you. Sometimes the most immunocompromised can look a million dollars. Take people as they come, not how you prejudge them to be.
What do you think? Are eating disorders more common? What role does the media have? What would you consider a balanced diet? Comment below!
Beauty File 
People aren’t supposed to judge each other, according to the Bible. Look what happens when we do…
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As lifestyle changed, body style has changed. In the 30 and 40 people worked at manual jobs, or heavy household chores, walked and cycled to work and ate healthy homemade food. Then women started to go out to work (at first part time) as soon as their kids were old enough – latch key kids. With mothers now working it was down to processed food, a tray of macaroni, open a jar of sauce and pour over the pasta and stick it in the oven, later the microwave. Then came KFC, quickly followed by MacDonald’s, remember the MacDonald’s birthday parties, get them started on junk food early.
We stopped walking and cycling to work, we took the car everywhere, even down to buy the newspaper in the morning. Manual work was replaced by machines and computers, but the process food kept coming and we just loved it.
Then came obesity, endless adverts for diets competed with the latest food adverts. As the economy of scale kicked in we were offered two for the price of one. Add peer pressure, girly magazines, and skinny models wearing the latest fashions to the mix and you get confused, young girls, no matter what their shape or size – it is wrong.
All my working days were physically demanding, living most of that time on my own. I only ate food that I liked and made myself, my sport was cycling, so I had never been fat, all that had been burned off.
When I retired I cycled less, no longer had my work, but still had my stamina built up over the years, so continued cycling, weight was not a problem, then came old age.
I spent a month two springs ago cycling in Austria and Germany and when I came home you could have used me as a spare clothes prop. As the spare tyre appeared (even though I was still cycling an hour or two most days) I wanted to stay flexible and fit in my old age (now 82) so I started to fast 12 hours per day. 12 hour per day, I hear you cry! Actually it is not as bad as it sounds, for you sleep X hours each night. I normally would get up at around 07.00 hours, so I said no food after 7 O’clock in the evening. Tough at first, I was a clock watcher and as the clock closed at 7 O’clock I would stuff my face, but soon got over that. This works for me.
I am not obsessed with longevity, not obsessed with body size. We are all different, not obsessed with a card from the king or queen if there is such a thing in the future. Only when I grow old am I still fit enough to enjoy my time on earth. I look around me and see people grossly overweight and think – they are only building up trouble for themselves in old age.
We have to look after ourselves. No one else will do that for us, I am also convinced that we did not have all those health problems or cancers when I was young – I blame fast food for that.
Did you know that Audrey Hepburn when she went into a restaurant, would order all the things she loved on the menu then take a bite from each. A bit excessive but there would have been a lot of pressure on her to stay slim and petite. Sadly she smoked like a chimney and died of cancer.
So forget size or shape and think healthy lifestyle.
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you can’t judge on looks. I’ve run with every body type, swam with people the same…whenever I instruct or coach the first thing I tell people is to get rid of the bathroom scale, don’t use a mirror or clothing size to judge yourself…how do you feel? We’re all built around variation of 3 body types, exercise or diet won’t change that….healthy eating and living isn’t all the confusing, we all know McDonald’s bad, an apple better…we all know driving to somewhere we could walk to is wrong…we know going for a bike ride rather than sitting at home watch other people doing that….but, yes, the whole thing is a mess, talk to a girl in sports like sprinting or swimming or diving…the world needs a huge mind set, mind changing…skinny doesn’t mean fit!
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Interesting article. But there are other possible causes of eating disorders. I am a former anorexic. I weighed 35kg for 1m72. In my case anorexia was not due to magazines or society but to a traumatic event.
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