Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

Commenter Anne dared me to post about this story so I couldn’t resist. Although I am not sure why this required such a dare, because this story is old news

NEWS FLASH: Stop blaming models, stars, media – blame your genes.

Here’s a brief on what The Times Online article has to say:

Anorexia may be caused by inherited differences in the way a sufferer’s brain operates, leading to obsessive behaviour, according to research. Rather than being triggered by images of super-thin models and celebrities, the eating disorder could be brought on by the in-built way in which the brain responds to pleasure and reward. It has been argued that images of unhealthily thin stars in the media have encouraged anorexic behaviour in impressionable young women. But a study published in The American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that the brains of anorexia sufferers behave differently to those of the rest of the population and that certain people are born with a susceptibility to develop the condition.

Snore….huh? I’m up here’s a brief on my perspective;

Genes can play a role in anorexia, agreed. I wholeheartedly support any and all efforts to provide these anorexia sufferers with treatment for their disease. This blog is not aimed at that audience. I write to a whole other segment of the population. The young girls and women that tune into “Nip and Tuck” and can’t wait for ANTM (if you don’t know what that stands for, good, you are on the right track).

One can not ignore the overwhelming evidence of cultural and societal influence, a few of the best reports on the other side of this story can be read here;

Dove Global Study: print this thing out and read it. It’s sad as hell. For the record, I am beautiful and not afraid to admit it or say it or be it or think it (psst…Dove is owned by Evil Unilever. My vote? Who cares).

More common than Alzheimer’s:yet insurance stinks. 5-10 Million affected by eating disorders in the US alone. Research funding totals a whopping $1.20 per sufferer (we all need another Gucci bag after all).

You’ve got to live in the US of A to get it, but we are a country obsessed. Forget Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll, we Binge, Purge & Lipo 24/7 in this country. There is no way in hell we are going to spend money to actually figure out why we are all eating disordered – it’s a lifestyle babe.

Been there, done that: Fashion Designers control the sizes. The chic sizes are currently 0, and 00. I am waiting for the negative sizes to make their debut (ie. -3, now that would be rad).

1980′s SuperModels

1990 SuperModel…better known now as ”lard ass.”

2000 SuperModel…way the hell too fat for runway now.

2006 SuperModel…rexy figure maintained by coke on the rocks.

2006-2007 SuperModels….dead.

Yep, all in the genes.

-mamaV

I dug my Vogue magazines out of the basement, dated August 1987. You’ll never guess what I found…..

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfZuDDj-pJ8] 

Hila weighed 60 pounds. My 7 1/2 year old daughter weighs 50.

A fashion model stricken with an all too familiar disease of anorexia. But this time, a friend was at her side. Adi Barkan documented Hila’s struggle, and sent shock waves out to the fashion world, by showing the reality of this situation in one still photograph.

Fashion photographer Adi Barkan is shown cradling Hila Elmalich in a still from a video shot when the model fell ill. (Gil Sadan/Tamar Golan Film)

There’s not much more to say here. Either the fashion industry is going to step up to the plate and make changes, or they are going to continue on their merry way in this deadly game they are playing.

You know what I thought when I saw this photograph?

How, for the love of god, can one be a part of an industry so full of themselves? How do you sit in an audience and stare up at these young women who are clearly not well, and focus on the clothing? Why do clothes, and prestige, and beauty mean this much in our society?

Bless Mr. Barkan’s heart for leading the effort in Israel to change fashion standards for the past three years. Your friend will not die in vain, she will be with you as you carry on in her name.

-mamaV

Tyra Banks is off her rocker. After being stalked and humilated by the paparazzi for her weight, she turns around and redefines “plus size” as a skinny mini size 8.

We are all now “plus-sized” thanks to America’s Next Top Model show and the model of the moment Sarah Hartshorne!

Sarah leads the plus sized parade prancing in at:

Height: 5’10

Weight: 150 pounds

Size : 8

Hang on, that’s me, that’s my size. I’m confused.

As most of you know, when I was modeling the size requirement was size 8. I am a size 8 now, but I am 30 pounds heavier. Hmm…..

Have I been duped?

Did the sizes change?

Did the scale change?

Did I fry too many brain cells starvation dieting?

(Let’s not even go into the image in the mirror…oh the horror of aging!)

Sarah is no plus size and this is a load of crap. Why the hell did she accept the title “plus size” when she knows she doesn’t fit the bill? I guess she was not willing to miss her 15 minutes of fame.

Girls, this is bullshit. Don’t buy into it.

If you do, you’ll be sunk like the rest of the pro anorexia suckers that paste on their smile as they die inside from starvation and self hatred. They will quickly reel you into their misery filled existence because they need company, reassurance, and purpose to keep their hope alive. Their heads filled with nothing but desire to become someone else.

(Ugly, Ugly, and Ugly)

It’s a dead end. Pro ana’s don’t care about you- they care about themselves. This is simply about one thing, and one thing only only - self esteem. Starving yourself will not grow it. Let’s be real already.

Bones are not attractive.

Bones are not sexy.

Bones are not cool.

Vanity. Damn ugly.

-mamaV

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Thanks to Tipster Laura for this story.

Yes Vanessa, I had to drag Pro Ana’s into this story.

*All photos complements of the World Wide PUBLIC Web! 

Are we headed in the wrong direction? Rumor has it that Gemma Ward was dumped from the Milan Fashion shows for being overweight.

How dare she be a size 2!

Puberty kicked in, and she gets kicked out.

I guarantee she is starving herself just like the rest of them,

Pathetic,

-mamaV

There’s not much room to question of the message Italian Fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani intends to send with the Nolita ”NO ANOREXIA” campaign.

First, we need to thank this brave model for having the courage to pose for this all important campaign. Her participation in this campaign will undoubtedly initiate change.  

You may remember Toscani for his controversial campaign for Benetton, featuring a man dying of AIDS. Now, he takes on fashion stating;

“I have been interested in anorexia for years. Who is responsible for it? The media in general, television and the fashion industry,” he told the ANSA news agency.

“It is therefore very significant that a clothing brand understands the gravity of the problem, becomes aware and supports this campaign,” he said.

The ads, which will be featured on billboards and newspapers across Italian cities, is also being backed by the health ministry.

At the end of last year, the Italian government and the domestic fashion industry adopted an anti-anorexia campaign and called for a return to a “healthy, sunny, generous and Mediterranean beauty.”

Amen to that girls.

For all Pro Ana’s out there, I am thinking the vision of  Terry Schiavo would make a great Thinspiration campaign

*What is ”pro ana” and/or “thinspiration?”

It’s sad we need to be this blunt and in your face, but nothing seems to startle the masses these days.

-mamaV 

PS Thanks for Autumn, my undercover Italian spy for sending this my way.

Have you seen the billboards promoting Vera Wang’s new collection “Simply Vera” at Kohl’s?

The Wizard of Oz campaign theme is, well, creepy.

Check it out for yourself at Vera Wang’s site for Kohls. 

The video version is called “The Passenger,” which has a strange resemblance to the Blair Witch Project. Not quite what Vera was going for.

I’ll probably check out the voodoo collection anyway. Just as long as its in the light of day.

-mamaV

12 year runway model, Maddison Gabriel struts her stuff as “the official ambassador of Gold Coast Fashion Week” in Australia. 

Her mum is beamed with delight! Prime Minister John Howard flipped his wig.

But highly mature “Maddy” remained calm, cool, and collected in light of the ongoing circus. She did a fabulous job strapping on her string bikini and other revealing outfits for the Queensland event.

But it doesn’t stop there….a 15 year old on the cover of Vogue sends shock waves through the community! A child? Modeling for an adult magazine? How dare they!

News flash: This is nothing new.

This kind of cracks me up, everyone is freaking out over something that’s been going on for decades. When I was recruited to Paris at 16, my models apartment was filled with tween beauties from around the world. No one gave a rip. In fact, we were admired far and wide.

Did you ever wonder how we were actually allowed to work? Black market. Really. Sounds so seedy doesn’t it?

We got into Paris with a regular tourist visa, who the hell knows how the agency justified our wages. I do recall some sort of bust going on, and I had to spend the day waiting in line in a grungy Paris government agency. My booker did all the talking so I really have no clue what transpired, for all I know she could have said I was her daughter. Anyway, we left with paperwork that allowed me to continue working.

Don’t tell anyone, but Adidas hired me to pose as the “mom” in a tennis ad. Kind of freaky when you are 16, the “dad” is 18, and they bring in two little kids to be your “children.” Oh, what a happy little family we were. Good times.

Bottomline, I am glad attention is being drawn to this issue, because this, along with the size 0 bullshit, this tells me we may actually be getting somewhere with taming an industry that has been way out of control for too damn long.

-mamaV

I thought I was young when I headed off to Paris at 16, now we have a 12 year old strutting the catwalk.

Meet Maddison Gabriel, Australia’s latest modeling sensation.

Maddison shows off her prepubescent form in a bikini above, although Fashion Week Spokesman Kelly Wieler clearly stated “Maddy” would not be shooting any pictures in swimwear or lingerie.

I don’t have much more to say about this story. What’s worse is I didn’t even feel a sense of surprise when I read it.

I just feel sad. Sad for this girl and sad for her proud mum shown here because she has no idea what her daughter is in for.

Kiss her goodbye mum, your little girl ain’t coming back.

-mamaV

Be afraid. Be very, very afraid.

I just completed a depressing review of the fall collections showcased during NY Fashion Week.

We had the usual dead girls walking. Three dead models in 2006 did not cause a blip on the fashion scene. Human clothes hangers they want, human clothes hangers they will get.

Designer Marc Jacobs topped off his twigs off with knotted rats nests, paired with a “rexy” heroin chic flair. Stay classy Marc.

DKNY disapointedly followed suit by showcasing her best designs with freakishly tall, gawky models. The elegant, flowing pants on model #1 still did not hide the grotesque open space between her anorexic inner thighs, while model #2′s bony concave chest distracts from the entire look. Donna, love your clothes, but you truly disapoint.

Rookies followed suit with this potato sack number by Alberta Ferretti. Poetically coined “Philosophy,” Ferretti actually made a solid choice in model here, since  protruding collarbones served as a distraction from the pure ugliness of the sack-o-rama.

Next up, Daryl K dressed his skeleton with this odd combo. Walmart shoes and socks paired with a retro snap-up blouse. The choker further highlighted the skull-like face and dead stare of his model. K-Man, hang it up already.

Let’s wrap up the shitty side of things with a great, bad example from Helmut Lang. The entire suit looks like crap on this body-less vampire. The size 00 pants are so dreadfully baggy I found myself counting wrinkles.  

The only bright spot was Betsy Johnson who choose to showcase her flirty designs on these healthy models. Thank you Ms. Johnson.

EATING DISORDER FUN FACTS!

1 million anorexia deaths annually

12 million pages of pro anorexia content on the web

1300+ “thinspiration” videos on YouTube

5 pennies and several rings balanced on the protruding collarbones of a pro ana

Any correlation to fashion trends? It’s a stretch, but I’ll go out on a limb and say it just might be a possibility.

-mamaV

Fashion Images

By far the highlight of Fashion Freak Week in New York were the Jezabel girls handing out barf bag kits  as fashions finest stutted into their glamorous little pow-wow. Each attendee received their own slick vomit bag, tongue drepressor and mints for freshening up.

I know, I know we shouldn’t make fun of eating disorders. But how the hell else do we fight back against an industry that refuses to accept the magitude of the problem, much less pitch in on the solution?

We’ve got good ole’ Lagerfield saying the girls just have “skinny bones,” the CFDA going all out by providing the models with “healthy food. Why is it only the janitors seem t see what’s going on, since they admit ”you can smell the vomit” eminating from the rest rooms.

Check out more great Jezabel work, in this video where some insiders admit they were told to keep an eye on the models, since they tend to faint as they exit the runway.

Next up, this dude decided to send a his message to the New York fashionistas in a very unique way and commendable way.

Let’s end on a high note:

Meet Magali, a supermodel who says it like it is when it comes to the fakery that rules the modeling industry.  She even admits to having chicken cutlets stuffed in her bra on the cover of cosmo…gotta love her.

She fell victim to an eating disorder, and she speaks out about it in her new blog. Magali is a bit more forgiving of the fashion industry than I am, she chooses to instead fight for the cause by showing the reality behind all the airbrush-photoshop nonsense. Here’s how she delivers her message:

• 5 Resolutions to transform the fashion industry
• Inside Beauty, an outreach program dedicated to high schools, colleges, and conferences nationwide. Magali and Claire Mysko, a writer and on girls’ and women’s issues, combine their personal stories, in a presentation that encourages individuals to look critically at our culture’s messages about beauty.

-mamaV

This baby face is what caught the NY modeling agents attention. But this baby face was too fat. 

“Try these face exercises” my booker said, as he contorted his face for demonstration, “Big yawn…blow a bubble. Yawn….bubble, good. Again.”

I sucked it in like the word of God.

 My mom was at my side my first two weeks in Paris, those weeks flew by and it was time to let me go.

Just last night my mom and I talked about it. The memory engrained in our heads. Thinking about it chokes me up today as a 37 year old woman, my mother 68.

The wave goodbye from the taxi.

I sat on the curb outside our Paris hotel, as my mom got in her taxi headed home. She crained her neck to the back window to desparately catch the last glimpse of me, both of us waving feverishly.

Alone. 16. Paris, France. No idea of what lied ahead.

My mom in her cab. Alone. Back to the Midwest. No idea of what lied ahead. Resisting the urge to run back and take me home.

Baby face shrunk down to half her size within a year, the cigarette & baby food diet will do that to you.

This glorious effort lead by the notorious Paris modeling agent, Claude Haddad. I looked up the old asshole, but I think he is dead. I never got a chance to give him a piece of my mind as an adult woman, so I will tell you;

You lived a pathetic life Claude. A life focused on maniplating young girls with your power and prestige. How full of yourself you were.

Did you die a happy man? Or did the shame of molesting young girls eat at your soul? I wish you no peace.

Do you remember telling me to be more sexy? As you rubbed your grotesque hands over my childlike frame, all the while watching in the full wall mirror in your stately big man office. 

The thought of this scene over twenty years later makes me sick. But I let you get away with it, because after all, it was you who gave me the opportunity to live every girls dream.

Ahh, your cohorts Douglas and Pascal. You trained them well. The three musketeers on top of the Paris scene, laughing as you brainwashed us into believing we needed to starve our bodies and our minds of independent thoughts.

I remember when you told me to stop making so many friends. Go on castings alone, you commanded, you’ll stand out that way. Keeping us separated was another of your sick control tactics. Boyfriends? Hell no, when I found my first one, I was shipped off to Milan within a matter of days.

Usually people’s faces fade overtime, but not you. You moved like Mick Jagger, surrounded by your harem, always watching with your prowling eyes waiting to give me the familiar nod to come sit by you at the dinner parties. Always had to have the jewels on your arm.

You may be gone, but there are several who gladly took your place. Stalking the States and Skandanavia for fresh meat. Why does the world look the otherway?

I may be gone, but my clones abound. Never a thought to turn you down. To be a model is to be a goddess.

 mamaV

Why is it normal to have children modeling clothing for adult women?

This is prevalent in today’s fashion magazines and as been for decades. Has this been going on so long that we just don’t question it? Or we just don’t bother because “its not going to change?

Well, it’s unacceptable. Parading children up and down runways, and in full page spreads in magazines and newspapers, all to sucker women into spending their money on clothes they don’t need is…well sad, pathethic…and it works.

Take it from me, I was one of them. 

[youtube="http://www.youtube.com/v/AZ7Xx1m_AGQ]

Teeny Vogue drew outrage a few weeks back, and a regular reader Lani sent me the following message.  I wrote to Vogue immediately.

They were obviously scared and very concerned, since they didn’t respond whatsoever. So, let’s have some fun and blast ‘em!

Per Lani below:

I read an article in Teen Vogue that pissed me off. Basically, they admitted that while being tall and thin is not the norm, they were not going to change that any time soon.

The little article goes something like this:THE REAL SKINNY

“With body image dominating the headlines lately,- models and starlets shrinking while most of America fattens up- we formed a panel of TEEN VOGUE readers to get their take on the subject. The girls sound off in”WEIGHTY ISSUE” (page 138), attributing much of the pressure to be superslender to the media and their images of pin-thin glamour. At TEEN VOGUE, we spend a lot of time with teeny-weeny models and celebs in the course of a days work, and none of us expect ourselves to look like them. Here comes the punchline:

Keep in mind that high-fashion models are, by definition on specific physical type- tall and lanky- the better to show off the clothes.

And actresses who also spend their careers before the unforgiving camera, face similar demands. It may be part of their job to be slim- but it is yours to be healthy and fit. YOU don’t have to measure up to the hollywood or model agency standards, which and be unreasonable even for professionals. In our stories, fifteen-year-old Tyler says it best: I don’t take celeb culture too personally: They’re them, and I’m me.”Above the article featured a picture with two emaciated grinning models. The caption says “model bodies: born thin.”I see one big flaw in their logic: the magazine is selling clothes that the readers want to look good in. The models look good in the clothes. Therefore, the reader wants to be thin. By saying to not compare yourself to models is the same as saying don’t buy the clothes. But that defeats the purpose of the magazine, so it’s obvious that they don’t really mean that. And they still expect you to want to be thin, because there are diet ads and makeup ads throughout the entire thing! Got to love Lani! Is this kid a genious or what. She sums up the whole problem and farce with the fashion industry in the above paragraph.

Girls, give her a hand will ya!

mamaV

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What to you think 99% of of the girl population thinks when she views these images?        I AM FAT, FAT, FAT.

Is this girl 12? Where’s her mother? What is up with the sexpot shoes?

When I went to grab these images from Teeny Vogue’s site, I was greeted by the ad shown below, it was flashing at the top of the page.

Note to fashion industry: YOU HAVE LOST YOUR FRICKEN MIND.

As Lani would say “Ahhh, rant over.”

Do you recognize yourself in this video?

See original video here on the Dove web site.

Our girls can grow up with different beauty perceptions than we did. Wouldn’t that be wonderful?

I can not say enough about Dove. Their campaign for real beauty continues to amaze me.

Get your REAL BEAUTY T-Shirts here.

Are you a mom? Check out The True You Workbook you can do with your daughters. You are are the most influential person in her life when it comes to beauty and self esteem.

Is your daughter in Girl Scouts? Tell their leader about the Uniquely Me program, or consider leading this program yourself! I will be leading my daughters troop through this program starting this summer, so we can walk through this together.

Self-proclaimed first supermodel, Janice Dickinson, doesn’t pull any punches which I certainly respect her for. But this time she is completely over the top with her commentary about anorexics.

“I’m dying to find kids who are too thin. I’ve got 42 models in my agency and I’m trying to get them to lose weight. In fact, I wish they’d come down with some anorexia. I’m not kidding. “

What a class act. I am sure her two children are quite proud of their mother seen here flipping off the media, and spouting off like some sailor.

The star of her own show, The Janice Dickinson Modeling Agency, she heads into season two, thanks to high ratings the first go around. Not suprising since Americans can’t get enough of out of control celebs, acting like total morons. We eat this stuff up so they keep on feeding the machine.

I am surprised though that Dickinson airs on the Oxygen Network, one that touts Oprah co-founder.

So what gets into celebrities that they are so totally out of touch with reality and compassion, that they simply do not care what they say, how they say it, and who is affected as a result?

Fame is a scary thing. I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.

-mamaVISION

Staying on the lovely theme of death and fashion to round out our week, I wanted to highlight this video brought to my attention by Jo. Not sure what I think about this, let’s hear your thoughts.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wfbnti1td-M]

My intial reaction was they were trying too hard. It’s not that I didn’t get it or like it, its just seemed like this contrived thing to get a reaction.

-mamaV

America’s Top Model show never ceases to amaze me with their total and complete disregard for what they are putting on the airwaves for our children to see.

Ahhh…I don’t even want to really write this post, but here goes.

The model challenge? Can you still be beautiful when you are DEAD?

Where are the parents of these girls?

Why are we not SHOUTING FROM THE ROOFTOPS this is wrong?

I’m tired. Sometimes this blog knocks the damn wind out of me.

Goodnight all.

-mamaVISION

Thank goodness Noami Campbell’s days of community service are over. The past week of paparazzi coverage on her prancing into Manhattan’s Department of Sanitation was a pathetic display of self absorption.

She tells the New York Daily News, “I’m remorseful and regretful. I’m trying to live my life and do some things for charity. I’m taking my punishment, and I accept that. I’ve accepted my responsibility and that’s that. Whatever they tell me to do, I’ll do with my integrity, and that’s it.

Integrity. Noami, you failed miserably.

So, let me get this straight. This arrogant women throws a cell phone at her maid, over a pair of jeans. This was the last in a string of similar temper tantrums by Campbell. I predict, this will not be her last.

Finally, she is punished with community service, in which she decides to make it “all about me” week. What a total and complete loser.

Oh, and by the way, anyone concerned about her maid? Ana Scolavino, required four stitches to her head, since the phone apparently was crystal-encrusted.

(Ms. Scolavino’s bloodied shirt, and a phone like the one she was nailed in the head with. Aside from suffering an assault, her vision was effected by the attack.

Campbell’s final exit Friday was priceless, as she envisioned herself on her oh-so- important catwalk, she strutted through the adoring crowd in a bare-shouldered, ankle-length shimmering gown and stiletto sandals, then stepped into her silver Rolls Royce and sped away back to her fantasy world..

(How cute, the bodice of her gown even has little locks on it).

Being a model, its not a skill- its a curse.

We can thank this jack ass for one thing…Campbell, you are a great BAD example.

-mamaVISION

The tragic death of the Ramos sisters is the topic of Chasing Beauty this week. Iliana, the 18 year old sister of Luisel Ramos, 21 followed in the anorexic footsteps of her sister. Models, anorexics, heart attacks take their life just six months apart.

Here more about it on Chasing Beauty Podcast, click here to play.

Download from ITunes here.