Last week's focus was on the misconception that Anorexia Nervosa must necessarily be synonymous with the notion of skinny (the appearance of and/or desire to be skinny), and by extension the idea of identification - or rather, misidentification - of health as based solely on one’s appearance, noting significantly that Anorexia Nervosa is far more complex a psychiatric condition that what might be perceptible to the human eye.
This week's episode further explores the notion of skinny, seeking to unpick some of the misinformation offered by popular media forms in the conveyance of diet-culture and socially-constructed beauty standards, both of which effectively serve to glamorise the quality of being skinny at the expense of one's physical and psychological well-being.
TRIGGER WARNING - This episode draws upon some of the dire repercussions of the maltreatment of the body - the accompanying effects of shrinking the body to unnatural proportions, largely unrepresented in the media.
DISCLAIMER - In this episode I tear apart diet-culture. Please note that this content does not necessarily apply to individuals who are clinically obese, in which case I would naturally advocate for a diet. This is not a formula for everyone. However, I do maintain that individuals should be mindful of where they obtain their information from. I would suggest a legitimate dietitian or nutritionist as opposed to media sources that are likely to be commercially-motivated, so as to prevent the development of those obsessive tendencies characteristic of eating-disorders.
