Eating Disorders have become one of those topics that despite being subjected largely to ignorance and stigma, everyone has an opinion. Members of the general public are convinced that they can diagnose an eating disorder from someone’s appearance. Others are blinded by the illness perhaps because thin is the beauty ideal and connotation of success, so are blinded by an ability to ignore how their friend is really “that thin” or “so thin”.
Everyone has their own ideas; ‘they just mustn’t like food’, ‘I don’t see the point in bulimia. If they don’t want it in them so badly that they will make themselves sick then why eat the food in the first place?’ or even just ‘Wow, you are way too thin’. Evidently this is all codswallop. However with or without knowledge of my eating disorder there have been a number of incidents within which peoples’ responses towards my eating disorders or appearance have been most unhelpful, and at times, more damaging than had we all just kept our mouths shut.
In this series of 5 short stories called, ‘Shut Your Mouth’, I will be exploring the 5 most unhelpful reactions to my eating disorder from a variety of different people in my life, covering unhelpful reactions from: parents, teachers, family, friends and strangers. Yes, even strangers feel they have the right to comment, gawk or outright remark upon your body and eating habits should they disapprove.