Eating Disorder ProAna Blogger Focused on Body Image and Self Esteem

Hi Gang! I was asked to participate in a study for the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge regarding Eating Disorder Memoirs. The survey is quite interesting, and it only takes a few minutes, so if you would like to be a part CLICK HERE.

If you do take the survey, please leave me a comment here, I am curious to see how many of us will take it.

As I went through the survey, the main thing that struck me was how many eating disorder memoirs there are! I would guess there are over 50 on the list. I found that I have not read very many (probably because I spend so much time on this blog and elsewhere on the web communicating with people on the subject).

I would also be curious to know how many of these books you have read….5, 10, 50?? Maybe its time to write your own!

mamaV

Join the discussion on Facebook here

Have you been contacted by the producers and/or casting agents of Oprah’s Inside Rehab, E! What’s Eating You, or The Biggest Loser’s producers yet to be named show? If yes, I would like to talk to you, email me direct at mamavision@gmail.com

Thank you tipster Candice for this story from East London where the Department of Advertising Correction is in full pursuit. A white utility van emblazoned with the logo of the “Shoreditch Department of Advertising Correction” has been taking over political billboards in East London, changing Conservative Party ads to poetic or sometimes political ends.

It takes two seconds, please, please, please! http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Check out the video — I STAR IN IT!! (well, kinda). I am in it for about 1 second in the beginning, but then I am the very last person shown…I discovered this totally randomly.

You are no burden. Ever, ever, ever. Parents who say this are not doing their JOB. A parents job is to protect you, support you, LISTEN to you, and give all their love and concern to you so you can recover. Have a listen to this video about this topic, I literally can’t believe I am hearing this and it makes me so saddened as a parent to hear these stories.

I am playing investigative reporter and I need your help. There is a high profile eating disorder treatment center in the Midwest where it is rumored their therapists are abusing patients by not following their code of ethics. When I heard of this I dug deeper, and I fear the individual suspected is going way farther than that, we are talking about sexual misconduct. Send me your anonymous tips to mamavision@gmail.com…lets shut the bastard down.

WARNING: I DO NOT DO TRIGGER WARNINGS.

For 4 years I have been attempting to educate the public, parents, mental health professionals and anyone else that will listen about pro-anorexia.

Pro-anorexia is the belief that “anorexia is a lifestyle.” Google the terms “proana,” “thinspo” to be sickened. On YouTube, an average of five videos per day are uploaded filled with images, music, and mantras all meant to keep these proana girls motivated on their goal to starve themselves to be like the Hollywood stars they admire.

Most people turn away and tell me “I can’t handle that, but guess what, we must. Others tell me I should be softer, and nicer to celebs who pave the way for girls. Ain’t happenin’

Check out these links to get a sense of what I am talking about here:

(more…)

Hi Girls! I have to apologize for the issues that have occurred on the blog. I moved to a new blog platform and as a result several things broke, which took me forever to fix! Anyway, I welcome you back to the blog and open forum, I miss reading your discussions and comments — and I hope you miss the posts.

Also, since I launched the other blog (WeAreTheRealDeal) in July 2009, my focus shifted to get the thing off the ground, and as a result mamaV blog suffered. I am so sorry for this and you have my commitment that I am back in action! This time period made me realize how dedicated I am to eating disorders, and to helping those of you struggling.

mamaVISION has always been an active, fun, interesting, helpful resource and I am dedicated to keeping it that way. Here’s what I need from you:

1) Post ideas – what do you want to discuss?

2) Tips – send me any news tips you think are relevant, I try to post them fast

3) Friends – let friends know about this resource, many girls log on anonymously so I am not able to include them on this email message.

4) Truth – tell me what you like and don’t like about the blog, I want to hear it.

5) Sign up for the RSS feed, of course this broke too so you are likely not receiving updates from me.

I hope you are all well, talk to you soon!
mamaV

Most of you probably heard about this young girl last year, Dana, the 8 year old struggling with an anorexia. I stumbled upon this documentary style video about her and I wanted to share it for comments and thought.

1. Why do you think the age of anorexics is getting younger and younger? My answer — media, fashion, mothers on diets, and yes — genetics hidden in there somewhere.
2. Can we say that eating disorders are MORE influenced by environment/media than genetic factors? (I say undoubtedly YES)
3. If you have an ED, can you remember how old you were when those self hate feelings started? (For me, not until I started modeling at 15)

Part 1: Dana’s story and the start of inpatient treatment which she calls “The Torture Chamber”

(more…)

Say what you will about Britney Spears, but I gotta tell ya, she earned some of my respect back with this brave photo shoot reported by Daily Mail.  The 29 year old pop-star allowed her body to be photographed without airbrushing, showing cellulite, bruises and all.

“Imperfections” that can be clearly seen in the un-airbrushed shot include blemishes on her calf, her real-sized thighs and, if you look really closely, you can see her feet have dry skin on them.  The airbrushed pictures, however, tell a different story with a slimmed-down waist and flawless, skinny legs.

(more…)

Kara DioGuardi, the American Idol judge, recently revealed she suffered from binge eating disorder, a condition that is finally being recognized by the DSM-IV as an “official” eating disorder (the press has coined it the “new” eating disorder, which is kind of comical if you think about it).

Anyway, while researching her story, the first link I found on Google led me to this cover shot.

Why does this just seem like a bad idea?

Maybe its because as a former eating disorder sufferer, posing like this seems, well, counter intuitive.

Perhaps I am bothered by the body revealing outfit surrounded by headlines like “EAT MORE, WEIGH LESS!”

Read more

Hi Gang: Check out Jessica Simpson’s The Price of Beauty, new show on VH1 — BUT fast forward to section two to see her interview with the anorexic model who posed in the billboard below.

If this doesn’t make you cry, or be scared, or feel something, not sure what will.

Love,
mV

PS if you try post and comment and it does not work, let me know mamavision@gmail.com, having trouble with this lately!

I’ve been reading REAL magazine since they started publishing, and I’ve got to say these girls have something totally unique (and there artwork rules!)

The About Us Page describes REAL as;

REAL is a heart beat, a love letter, a wink, a kiss, a smile, a tear, a hug. REAL is two hands holding, a single idea, a dream, a fire, a sea, a crazy pirate, a colour, a song, a season. Being real can’t be written in words, there’s no manual on how to be real, because we are all real, if we exist we are real.

REAL is written by young women from across the world. It was created to inspire you to do amazing and outrageous things. We aim to challenge you to think outside the box and consider want being real is to you.

Join them! I promise you will start to think a bit differently about yourself, and the world around you.

Love,

mV

I’ve never understood why more models do not come forward to speak about the sickness of the modeling industry, they seem to avoid the topic like the plague.

But not Coco Rocha, a 21 year old model, self described as “6 inches taller and 10 sizes smaller than the average American woman, came forward to have her say during NY Fashion Week 2010;

“This issue of model’s weight is, and always has been of concern to me. There are certain moral decisions which seem like no brainers to us. For example, not employing children in sweatshops, and not increasing the addictiveness of cigarettes. When designers, stylists or agents push children to take measures that lead to anorexia or other health problems in order to remain in the business, they are asking the public to ignore their moral conscience in favor of the art.

Surely, we all see how morally wrong it is for an adult to convince an already thin 15 year old that she is actually too fat. It is unforgivable that an adult should demand that the girl unnaturally lose the weight vital to keep her body functioning properly. How can any person justify an aesthetic that reduces a woman or child to an emaciated skeleton? Is it art? Surely fashion’s aesthetic should enhance and beautify the human form, not destroy it.”

Then came the inevitable jabs from the NY Times Fashion Freaks in an article titled A Model’s prospects: Slim to none, which insinuated that Rocha is no longer desirable because she is too fat, and therefore speaking out (which is a pile of BS BTW);

“A lot of designers no longer hire her for their runways. They consider her a veritable behemoth in a business that makes a fetish of being what the actress Emily Blunt once termed “edge of ill” thin.”

The good news in all of this is the Council of Fashion Designers of American (CFDA) has finally come out of their coma to address these issues (I was stalking them way back in 2008 on this topic – even went undercover to their offices to expose how clueless they were).  Supposedly their goal is to increase the sample size and to book models over the age of 16 (I”ll believe it when I see it, but hey at least they are pretending to care now).

Coco Rocha went on to say;

We need changes. I’d prefer that there would be no girl working under the age of 16, but if that has to be the case then I’d love to see teens escorted by a guardian to castings, shows, and shoots. The CFDA has set codes in place for their members and I’d love to see the entire industry follow. Society legislates a lot of things – no steroid use in sports is one example – its only reasonable that there be rules of conduct to keep the fashion industry healthy.

My sincere hope is that through our efforts young models will one day be spared the humiliation, the risky weight loss, the depression that comes along with anorexia and the misery of abandonment by an industry ashamed to see them turn into actual women.

There are natural human standards in how we treat one another and how we treat children. There are those who continue to trample on these standards but there are also champions of a better way. I hope that the continued efforts of the CFDA and all those who hold these values in regard will sway the opinion of those on the opposing side of the industry to ensure a true change for the better.

Amen,

mamaV

Now that I am done hyperventilating over this situation, I think I am in a half way reasonable state of mind to write this post about the Diesel Be Stupid ad campaign, sent to me by the mother of a 14-year-old daughter who was subject to this ad from Nylon Magazine.

Read full story here and comment

Time for a Wild-Ass-Guess on who is this sad creature on the left? Not to mention the obviously strained, uncomfortable reporter on the right.

Ok, a few hints:

1) Blondie claims to have the same talent as the King of Pop, with her debut album ready to hit the stores, ironically titled “Superficial” (you can’t make this shit up people!)

2) “Double D is not large enough,” is the message she wishes to send to all the young hopefuls out there. (Note taken bimbo queen).

3) Demented in her Christian faith, she chalks up her 10+ plastic surgeries (IN ONE DAY) as happening in “gods time” (what exactly are you smokin’ and can I have some?”

Still can’t guess huh?

(more…)