Thinspiration

I've decided to take this blog in a different direction to what you were probably expecting.
I've decided to cover a topic that I feel is important, none the less. It affects mainly the youth market, however isn't limited to just that.

I'm going to focus mostly on a situation that takes place mainly in North America, and falls into the lifestyle, social and health themes.

The other day I was on the internet looking at random blogs on Tumblr, when I came across a blog that was entitled "More Bones, more beauty" it was a blog entirely devoted to pictures of extremely skinny girls, and horrifying quotes such as "Nothing will taste as good as being skinny feels." I couldn't believe a blog would exist with such content, from the blog I noticed that people were commenting on various pictures saying things along the lines of, "I want her thigh gap" "I'm so hungry, but I can't eat." And without fully realizing it I had stumbled into the subculture of "Thinspiration" blogs.

On average a teenage girl needs between 1,800 - 2,400 calories a day... However, while browsing the "Get skinny" blogs I found a new diet that many girls have started doing... The Ana (anorexic) Boot Camp Diet, or more affectionately known as the ABC diet on tumblr.

The ABC diet is a 50 day diet where the largest calorie intake you'll have is nothing more than 800. The diet also includes many days where you would eat nothing at all. This diet in combination with the obsessive workout schedules the girls create for themselves means their bodies are getting nowhere close to the amount of fuel they need.





These are a few of the hundreds of quotes you can find all over Tumblr.


So what's causing our youth to crave the ultra skinny look? What's causing them to starve themselves? The puke if they've eaten more than 500 calories?

I read on various blogs that some girls do it so that a boy will like them. Some do it for the cute clothes. And others do it because they love the look of a thigh gap, and protruding collarbones.

Even though it's been said over and over, and it's a case that's been beaten to death... it can't be denied that the media plays a huge part on how we think we are supposed to look. Most of the images of the mega skinny girls that are being reblogged and reblogged are of models. Models that of course have been photoshopped or models that don't necessarily live the healthiest of lifestyles.

< This is a picture I saw all over tumblr of a model. Underneath her picture girls would comment "I want to look like her" "I must FAST until I achieve her body"
This picture is from 2006, and what I'm sure the tumblr girls don't know is that this model died from anorexia... the exact eating disorder that they name blogs after, such as "Pro-Ana!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_j_ZYcmt9U&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fresults%3Fsearch_query%3Danorexia%26aq%3D0s%26oq%3Danarexia&has_verified=1

Another reason people fall into anorexia and bulimia is not only because of what they see in the media, but because of what they see around them. People are constantly comparing themselves to the people they see and people they know. It is impossible for everyone to attain a super skinny figure, for the simple reason that some people are just built differently. Some people are naturally thin, some have bigger bones, some have a quick metabolism, and some don't.

The problem with being bulimic and anorexic other than the serious health risks, is these people will never attain their goal weight and their desired look. The thinner they get will only make them want to become thinner and thinner. The mind begins to play tricks on you, and when you look in the mirror it's easy to focus in on your flaws instead of what makes you beautiful. You are your biggest critic. And because of this, people with this disease will never feel thin enough, and will never feel perfect...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56IovPc5ms8&feature=fvwrel

What's the solution? It's hard to say since this issue has been around for ages. The first step is realizing that "perfect" isn't real. I guess you could say we need to stop portraying only super thin girls as beautiful all over the magazine covers, and we would need to ban thinspiration blogs but of course this is probably not going to happen for a very long time. The real solution to this problem is awareness. Bringing as much awareness to the unhealthiness of these problems as possible and spreading the word.

Stay healthy. Confidence is beautiful. Personality is key.