A Deadly Disorder

993 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Social media impacts on body image and

A Deadly Disorder Kidney failure, heart problems, spleen dysfunction, bone and muscle loss, and finally death; these are only a couple of the deadly effects associated with anorexia and bulimia. As Mim Udovitch states, “About one in 200 American women suffers from anorexia; two or three in 100 suffer from bulimia.” (Udovitch 557) Through the combined works of Mim Udovitch and Lisa D. Galynker, the message was made clear and both sides of eating disorders were argued. In A Secret Society of the Starving Udovitch keeps a tone of anti pro-ana (against pro-anorexia) throughout the entire story. She repeatedly talks about pro-ana websites and how ridiculous and crazy they are. Udovitch is very persuasive with her choices of words and personal interviews. According to Galynker, Udovitch has a “dispassionate description of the girls and the “pro-ana” Web sites.” (Galynker 564) While Udovitch takes a reporter’s view upon the subject, Galynker takes the view of a trained medical Psychologist. Although Galynker and Udovitch discuss the same subject, their views and opinions are entirely opposed throughout the entire essay. Within the selection A Secret Society of the Starving, Udovitch describes the lives of girls with eating disorders and how websites and society affect them. She interviews girls that have dealt with a personal eating disorder and addresses them by their website nicknames. Claire, Chaos, and Futurebird were only a few girls that she interviewed. She describes Chaos as, “a very attractive 23-year-old who has been either bulimic or anorexic since she was 10.” (Udovitch 561) Chaos practices weird habits such as not eating in front of people and taking an excessive number of laxatives. Chaos also makes a number of trips t... ... middle of paper ... ...could say I have an “excessive exercising disorder” now. When I had my eating disorder I would have agreed more with Galynker. Her feelings of compassion and pity would have made me feel better about myself. Today I agree more with Udovitch. She is anti pro-ana and tells the story how it needs to be told. Eating disorders are dangerous and they need to be addressed by someone. Whether it is a family member or a close friend, someone needs to tell those girls how their living conditions can affect them, and how their lives could be so much better if they found another hobby. I don’t believe everyone can be cured the way I was, but I believe that everyone can be cured, they just need the desire. Works Cited Lunsford, Andrea A., and John J. Ruszkiewicz. The Presence of Others: Voices and Images That Call for Response. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2008. Print.

Show More
Related

  • Renfrew Center Case Study Answers

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Shelly and Polly’s alliance was troublesome because instead of helping each other to overcome their eating disorders they often encouraged each other to go against the rules made by the Center. Polly often had a negative influence over Shelly by allowing her to smoke in her bathroom and giving her mood stabilizers even though it was against policy. Being that Polly had been there longer than Shelly and was appearing to make progress she could have had a better influence on her by keeping her motivated to do the right thing instead of enabling her drug dependence.

    Read More

  • The Secret Society Of The Starving And The Hunger Artist

    995 Words  | 2 Pages

    “ The Hunger Artist” helps us to see how far Anas, otherwise known as anorexics, are willing to go to stay isolated from a community

    Read More

  • Susan Bordo The Globalization Of Eating Disorder Summary

    1193 Words  | 3 Pages

    Bordo creates a harrowing argument in her essay. “The Globalization of Eating Disorders” shows its greatest strengths when supported by the essayist’s emotional appeals, personal observations, and statistical evidence. In her keenness to employ real facts and statistics, paired with her rhetoric, Bordo grants relevancy to her claim. Providing clarity on the recent development of eating disorders, Bordo shows her ability to argue as she voices her deep concern. Indeed, Bordo’s use of many of the components of a strong argument in her essay accomplishes its goal. Ultimately, Bordo’s selection provides its audience with enough reason to consider or reconsider their stances. Suddenly, the globalization of eating disorders has become global in a new way—in the awareness of men and women all around the

    Read More

  • Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    Marya Hornbacher was born on April 4th, 1974, her parents were well-known actors and directors in Walnut Creek, California. She led a chaotic childhood, consisting of a major move to Minnesota, an anxiety disorder, and most of all, perfectionism everywhere she turned, “I always felt there was an expectation that I would do one of two things: be great at something, or go crazy and become a total failure. There is no middle ground where I come from,” (Hornbacher, 281). Marya developed bulimia when she was nine years old, and when she moved away to attending boarding school at fifteen, she became anorexic. Her parents saw it as a phase and Marya did not go into treatment for another seven years, since then, she has had several relapses. Marya wrote her ...

    Read More

  • Gender Roles and Kids Toys

    813 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lunsford, Andrea A. and Ruszkiewicz, John J. The Presence of Others 2nd ed. St. Martin's Press, 1997

    Read More

  • Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson

    1034 Words  | 3 Pages

    The author’s intended audience is most likely to people who are experiencing the disorder or are interested in knowing more about eating disorders. When Lia was admitted to New Seasons, her rehabilitation facility, she relates her experience to someone who has gone through the struggles in that kind of facility. Lia was expected to be “a good girl [by not poking holes] or write depressing poetry and [eat and eat]” (Anderson 18). Her struggles in the facility allowed the audience who experienced this disorder to relate their experiences. In addition, people who choose to starve...

    Read More

  • Pro-Anorexia Websites

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pro-Anorexia Websites Cyberspace, something that was once considered a fad, has developed into a tool that allows people struggling with anorexia to potentially find sanctuary from the regulatory systems in popular culture that are applied to women’s bodies. Cyberspace provides an alternative space for women with eating disorders or body issues. The space created by cyberspace is potentially safer for women to meet because it allows anonymity while simultaneously being part of a community that the built environment is unable to provide. The components that make up pro-anorexia websites are usually considered abnormal, repugnant, or deviant within popular culture, because popular culture does not accept the way anorexics interpret images of the body. This popular view of people with anorexia does not allow anorexics to function as an accepted part of public space or popular culture.

    Read More

  • Portia De Rossi - Her Struggles with Anorexia

    1387 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...d the gravity of her situation. Portia De Rossi met the three criteria for an anorexia nervosa disorder binge-eating type at the age of 25. Her restrictive food intake through her diets impeded her from having a healthy body weight. As a result she was 85% less than her normal body weight. She also had an immense fear of gaining weight and recurred to purging and excessive exercise. Portia viewed herself to be “fat” even though she was already underweight due to her distorted point of view on body image and weight; all that matter to her was to be thin. Despite having symptoms that could also diagnose her with bulimia nervosa, there was still no clear proof she fulfilled all the criteria for this disorder. However, what clearly differentiated her from being diagnosed with bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa was her low weight which was below 85% of normal weight.

    Read More

  • How the Civil Rights Movement Influenced the Women's Liberation Movement

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    The X-Men, 2009. 71-76. The 'Secondary' of the 'Secondary'. Print. The.

    Read More

  • Rhetorical Analysis On Letting Ana Go

    1100 Words  | 3 Pages

    This quote is very powerful because it says so much in so few words. It is hard to put yourself in the shoes of someone with an eating disorder because you have absolutely no idea what it is like and how it feels. “Nothing tastes as good as thin feels.” (Pg. 136) Starving herself is beginning to become a lot easier for Ana and the outcome is what motivates her. Ana, at 16 years old was a perfectly normal teenager, but suddenly her life just took a huge downhill turn and will be nearly impossible to completely recover.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders, The Silent Killer

    1788 Words  | 4 Pages

    Eating disorders are one of society’s most debilitating physical and psychological problems faced today. In the 1950s Marilyn Monroe was society’s role model, but would now be considered a plus-sized model and somewhat unattractive in society’s eyes (Steinem 5). Now in 2013, Demi Lovato, a pop singer, plays a huge role as a role model for young people, but has recently told the media that she suffers from anorexia nervosa and embraces it, ultimately showing adolescents that eating disorders are socially acceptable and even often encouraged (Cotliar 80). The psychological effects that eating disorders have on a patient can be very detrimental to themselves and often push the patient farther into the disorder than she could ever have imagined ("Prevalence vs. Funding" 3). The physical effects that an eating disorder can have on the body could be as minor as feeling faint to something as major as an organ shut down, or even resulting in death (“Physical Dangers” 2). Eating disorders affect a wide variety of people, particularly adolescent girls, and may ultimately lead to many destructive physical and psychological results.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders : Eating Disorder

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.

    Read More

  • Adolescent Eating Disorders

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1978, Brunch called anorexia nervosa a 'new disease' and noted that the condition seemed to overtake ?the daughters of the well-to-do, educated and successful families.? Today it is acknowledged and accepted that anorexia affects more than just one gender or socio-economic class; however, much of the current research is focused on the female gender. ?Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme dieting, intense fear of gaining weight, and obsessive exercising. The weight loss eventually produces a variety of physical symptoms associated with starvation: sleep disturbance, cessation of menstruation, insensitivity to pain, loss of hair on the head, low blood pressure, a variety of cardiovascular problems and reduced body temperature. Between 10% and 15% of anorexics literally starve themselves to death; others die because of some type of cardiovascular dysfunction (Bee and Boyd, 2001).?

    Read More

  • An Overview of Anorexia Nervosa

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...l, D. M., & Willard, S. G. (2003). When dieting becomes dangerous: A guide to understanding and treating anorexia and bulimia [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10170079&ppg=4

    Read More

  • Ann's Case Study: Binge Binge Eating And Laxative Abuse

    282 Words  | 1 Pages

    Ann’s case study certainly provided a wide variety of important details needed to properly asses Ann’s struggles, and her strength. I thought it was good that it included a bit of information taken from Ann’s point of view. For example, that her primary issue to herself was not the binge eating and laxative abuse, it was her depression. It would be key to bring Ann to realize that the binge eating and laxative abuse only adds to her depression and her poor self image of herself.

    Read More

More about A Deadly Disorder

Open Document