"Bulimia is not a pretty disease. It does not bring the admiration of peers, as starving does. Writer's have spoken about "the moral superiority" of anorexia nervosa. Being able to starve is an "art" because it involves self-control. One feels so morally superior! Society admires starving women. Not so with purging out-of-control women! There is no moral superiority in throwing up your food after stuffing yourself."
So, a few days ago I declared that I was off to buy some laxatives to clear out my podgy belly. Took one. Nothing. Took two. Standard. Took three. And spent all day at work cramped over in severe pain and running to the loo every half hour. Oh my god did I curse myself. 8am to 5pm sat in an office, feeling like something inside me had collapsed. What I would give to go back to uni already and spend my days curled up under my duvet! I am sick of maintaining my weight. I'm working so hard on restricting my calorie intake and nothing is happening. Although I haven't exercised for like two weeks or something - maybe three. That's disgusting. I need to sort it out. I was a member of my gym at uni, and loved it. Now that I'm back home I can't get a gym membership anymore because my Mum believes in saving money over being healthy. She controls everything I spend and everything I do when I'm living with her. Working in an office with these long hours leaves me no time ...
Abstaining from food is the same as abstaining from sex to a lot of people. Fasting is part of many religious holidays, and spirituality means the rejection of bodily desires. Anorexia as it sits as a disease is no more morally superior to any other disorder. Having fear of being fat isn't the same as self control and "cleansing your soul." The motives are completely different, yet they involve the same actions and yield the same results.
ReplyDeleteBulimia and Anorexia shouldn't be romanticized with this moral bull shit. I couldn't imagine that having either of them is poetic at all.