Suicidegirls and thinspiration
So last Friday (4.5.2012), the tumblr Suicidegirls (SG) website was discovered to be tagging their own images of models with the tag thinspiration (click here for proof). SG claim to be “redefining beauty”, if that is true why are they using the thinspo tag? Why are they lowering their own models to that point?
Upon discovering SG were doing this, i sent them a message to their tumblr site asking why…they have not responded. I Just now have sent their official facebook page a comment saying:
I sent a message to the tumblr SG site but haven’t got a response so i’ve decided to ask here-
The tumblr SG site has been tagging images with “Thinspo” and “Thinspiration”. Are you aware of this? Are you aware that thinspiration is unhealthy? Are you aware that it goes completely against what you claim to be (alternative, redefining beauty)? Are you aware that thinspiration is just as bad an pro ana and pro mia, where people encourage undereating, starvation and even purging behaviours (vomiting, laxative abuse, over exercising, etc)? I thought you guys were better than that and i thought you were supportive of health, not slow suicide.
What is your response to this? Where do you stand on such topics?I am waiting on a response. If you are unaware of what thinspiration is and why it is bad that SG are tagging their models with “Thinspo” and “thinspiration”, here is a write up i did about it several months ago (click here for link or just read below):
“Photos or other material intended to provide inspiration for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa as a lifestyle choice.”
Thinspo is short for thinspiration. It typically uses images of underweight people (usually women) as inspiration to lose weight and something to aspire to along with quotes such as “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” or “thinner before dinner” which basically encourages under eating/over exercising/purging behaviours.
It is not healthy.
What is thinspiration? (several definitions rolled into one here)
A combination of ‘thin’ and ‘inspiration’. Also known as thinspo.
Thinspiration refers to the images, often of super slim or emaciated (mostly) women/girls often with eating disorders or are rumoured to have an eating disorder. It is most commonly found amongst the eating disorder community, pro anorexia (pro ana) and pro bulimia (pro mia) websites as ‘inspiration’ to lose weight or maintain a (most often) unnaturally low weight. Often the images show protruding bones.
Thinspiration primarily uses negative reinforcement to push a person to lose weight. Quotes such as “Thinner before dinner” and “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.
Thinspiration is often seeked out by people wanting to lose weight and by eating disorder people looking to prolong their illness. There is a direct link between the pro ana/mia community and thinspiration.
What effect does thinspiration have on a person?
A 2006 study at the University of Missouri on 235 female undergraduate students found that those subjected to a single viewing of a pro-ana site created by the study designers reported lower self-esteem and were more likely to become preoccupied with exercise and weight loss, as compared to control groups.
Here is a wonderful explanation written by tumblr bloggerfightingthinspo:
Anonymous: Telling us we’re spreading shit when we’re expressing ourselves and looking for support is no better than telling a depressed person to get over it and that it’s bullshit for them to be depressed. Most pro-ana/mia blogs WARN people that they are not healthy and others warn those in recovery that it may be triggering to follow. So please understand that the people who run the blogs usually do what they can to let others know whats going on is not a well state of mind. Should others still follow, it’s with warning. And often times just so you are aware, it only becomes obvious when it’s a bit late, but usually self esttem issues and shit that lead up to eating disorders are a result of ones upbringing.
Fightingthinspo: Hi Anon
- Tell me anon if a depressed person was blogging about how to get more depressed, how to overdose, how they are hooked to their depression and can’t give it up and how they are looking for a community of other depressed people to console them and make them feel a life of depression was ok would that strike you as odd. similarly what would you think if a person with cancer was giving tips and tricks on how to get cancer and make cancer worse?
- I ask you , are you “looking for support” or are you seeking to normalise your own eating disorder by finding others who also do not want to get help for their eating disorder. Turning a blind eye to the misery of an ED and blogging ways to be “better at it” is not support to anyone.
- Anon I have read the disclaimers, and the warnings and they honestly are nothing more than a sweeping statement allowing the blogger to excuse their own behaviour and emotionally disconnect from the reality of the dangers they know they are dealing with and sharing.
- I will make no apology for getting angry. You are a sufferer of this awful disease but pro ana, et al bloggers need to know there is NO justification or excuse for “spreading tips and giving advice”. Young vulnerable teens women and men are seeing this stuff, children are seeing this stuff and YOU have to take some personal responsibility for how the material you blog and how it is going to be received and the damage it can do.
- Yes self esteem issues can arise in the home, there are many factors apart from pro ana etc on the net that trigger eds but that doesn’t mean we should excuse it <3
What thinspiration encourages
Looking through thinspiration blogs and the tumblr thinspiration tag (i’ve done this so none of you have to), the majority of the blogs encourage food restriction, complete cut of food groups (carbohydrates and fats most commonly), excessive exercising, obsessive calorie counting, unhealthy diets such as the ABC diet, and deceitful behaviours towards family and friends in order to avoid certain foods.
What is the difference between healthy weight loss and thinspiration?
Weightloss inspired by thinspo is more often than not the complete opposite of healthy weight loss. To lose weight in a health manner, one must eat proper portioned meals every 2-3 hours (which thinspo actively encourages the opposite of) so to keep your metabolism at it’s peak and exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day.
When serving a meal, on your plate should be 1-2 carbohydrates (2 potatoes, 2 slices of bread), 2-3 serves of vegetables (1 cup) and 1 protein (a piece of meat a little bigger than the size of your palm, 250g tofu). Including the three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks are encouraged. morning tea, afternoon tea and sometimes, dessert and supper depending on your life style. Don’t cut out junk foods just because they are seen as unhealthy, enjoy a chocolate bar, 45g packet of chips, piece of cake for a snack food. You can eat anything you like provided it’s within moderation.
A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25. BMI measures your height to your weight, it is not an exact science and BMI measuring can be off. You can be within these measurements but still not be healthy. If that’s the case for you, i suggest seeing your local doctor. BMI is just a reallyreally basic thing to measure your healthy weight range.
Bottom line: Don’t delude yourself! Thinspiration isn’t going to get you to the ‘perfect weight’. Why? Because there is no such thing as the perfect weight. There is no such thing as perfection. Thinspiration won’t bring you self acceptance it will bring you self hate.
If you find this as disturbing and warped as i do, let Suicidegirls know!! Message them here on tumblr about it (click here), ask them why on twitter (click here), ask them why on facebook (click here).
SG, we want to know WHY you are promoting your models as thinspiration. We want to know WHY you are engaging in promoting eating disorders (you do this by going along with thinspiration). We want to know WHY you are promoting you models in such a negative manner. We want to know WHY!
If you don’t respond or if you defend your stance in promoting your models as thinspiration (in which case i call your “defining beauty” stance bullshit), you can consider yourself at the very least one fan down.
Reblog this to get the word out.
Suicidegirls and thinspiration
So last Friday (4.5.2012), the tumblr Suicidegirls (SG) website was discovered to be tagging their own images of models with the tag thinspiration (click here for proof). SG claim to be “redefining beauty”, if that is true why are they using the thinspo tag? Why are they lowering their own models to that point?
Upon discovering SG were doing this, i sent them a message to their tumblr site asking why…they have not responded. I Just now have sent their official facebook page a comment saying:
I sent a message to the tumblr SG site but haven’t got a response so i’ve decided to ask here-
The tumblr SG site has been tagging images with “Thinspo” and “Thinspiration”. Are you aware of this? Are you aware that thinspiration is unhealthy? Are you aware that it goes completely against what you claim to be (alternative, redefining beauty)? Are you aware that thinspiration is just as bad an pro ana and pro mia, where people encourage undereating, starvation and even purging behaviours (vomiting, laxative abuse, over exercising, etc)? I thought you guys were better than that and i thought you were supportive of health, not slow suicide.
What is your response to this? Where do you stand on such topics?I am waiting on a response. If you are unaware of what thinspiration is and why it is bad that SG are tagging their models with “Thinspo” and “thinspiration”, here is a write up i did about it several months ago (click here for link or just read below):
“Photos or other material intended to provide inspiration for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa as a lifestyle choice.”
Thinspo is short for thinspiration. It typically uses images of underweight people (usually women) as inspiration to lose weight and something to aspire to along with quotes such as “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” or “thinner before dinner” which basically encourages under eating/over exercising/purging behaviours.
It is not healthy.
What is thinspiration? (several definitions rolled into one here)
A combination of ‘thin’ and ‘inspiration’. Also known as thinspo.
Thinspiration refers to the images, often of super slim or emaciated (mostly) women/girls often with eating disorders or are rumoured to have an eating disorder. It is most commonly found amongst the eating disorder community, pro anorexia (pro ana) and pro bulimia (pro mia) websites as ‘inspiration’ to lose weight or maintain a (most often) unnaturally low weight. Often the images show protruding bones.
Thinspiration primarily uses negative reinforcement to push a person to lose weight. Quotes such as “Thinner before dinner” and “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.
Thinspiration is often seeked out by people wanting to lose weight and by eating disorder people looking to prolong their illness. There is a direct link between the pro ana/mia community and thinspiration.
What effect does thinspiration have on a person?
A 2006 study at the University of Missouri on 235 female undergraduate students found that those subjected to a single viewing of a pro-ana site created by the study designers reported lower self-esteem and were more likely to become preoccupied with exercise and weight loss, as compared to control groups.
Here is a wonderful explanation written by tumblr bloggerfightingthinspo:
Anonymous: Telling us we’re spreading shit when we’re expressing ourselves and looking for support is no better than telling a depressed person to get over it and that it’s bullshit for them to be depressed. Most pro-ana/mia blogs WARN people that they are not healthy and others warn those in recovery that it may be triggering to follow. So please understand that the people who run the blogs usually do what they can to let others know whats going on is not a well state of mind. Should others still follow, it’s with warning. And often times just so you are aware, it only becomes obvious when it’s a bit late, but usually self esttem issues and shit that lead up to eating disorders are a result of ones upbringing.
Fightingthinspo: Hi Anon
- Tell me anon if a depressed person was blogging about how to get more depressed, how to overdose, how they are hooked to their depression and can’t give it up and how they are looking for a community of other depressed people to console them and make them feel a life of depression was ok would that strike you as odd. similarly what would you think if a person with cancer was giving tips and tricks on how to get cancer and make cancer worse?
- I ask you , are you “looking for support” or are you seeking to normalise your own eating disorder by finding others who also do not want to get help for their eating disorder. Turning a blind eye to the misery of an ED and blogging ways to be “better at it” is not support to anyone.
- Anon I have read the disclaimers, and the warnings and they honestly are nothing more than a sweeping statement allowing the blogger to excuse their own behaviour and emotionally disconnect from the reality of the dangers they know they are dealing with and sharing.
- I will make no apology for getting angry. You are a sufferer of this awful disease but pro ana, et al bloggers need to know there is NO justification or excuse for “spreading tips and giving advice”. Young vulnerable teens women and men are seeing this stuff, children are seeing this stuff and YOU have to take some personal responsibility for how the material you blog and how it is going to be received and the damage it can do.
- Yes self esteem issues can arise in the home, there are many factors apart from pro ana etc on the net that trigger eds but that doesn’t mean we should excuse it <3
What thinspiration encourages
Looking through thinspiration blogs and the tumblr thinspiration tag (i’ve done this so none of you have to), the majority of the blogs encourage food restriction, complete cut of food groups (carbohydrates and fats most commonly), excessive exercising, obsessive calorie counting, unhealthy diets such as the ABC diet, and deceitful behaviours towards family and friends in order to avoid certain foods.
What is the difference between healthy weight loss and thinspiration?
Weightloss inspired by thinspo is more often than not the complete opposite of healthy weight loss. To lose weight in a health manner, one must eat proper portioned meals every 2-3 hours (which thinspo actively encourages the opposite of) so to keep your metabolism at it’s peak and exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day.
When serving a meal, on your plate should be 1-2 carbohydrates (2 potatoes, 2 slices of bread), 2-3 serves of vegetables (1 cup) and 1 protein (a piece of meat a little bigger than the size of your palm, 250g tofu). Including the three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks are encouraged. morning tea, afternoon tea and sometimes, dessert and supper depending on your life style. Don’t cut out junk foods just because they are seen as unhealthy, enjoy a chocolate bar, 45g packet of chips, piece of cake for a snack food. You can eat anything you like provided it’s within moderation.
A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25. BMI measures your height to your weight, it is not an exact science and BMI measuring can be off. You can be within these measurements but still not be healthy. If that’s the case for you, i suggest seeing your local doctor. BMI is just a reallyreally basic thing to measure your healthy weight range.
Bottom line: Don’t delude yourself! Thinspiration isn’t going to get you to the ‘perfect weight’. Why? Because there is no such thing as the perfect weight. There is no such thing as perfection. Thinspiration won’t bring you self acceptance it will bring you self hate.
If you find this as disturbing and warped as i do, let Suicidegirls know!! Message them here on tumblr about it (click here), ask them why on twitter (click here), ask them why on facebook (click here).
SG, we want to know WHY you are promoting your models as thinspiration. We want to know WHY you are engaging in promoting eating disorders (you do this by going along with thinspiration). We want to know WHY you are promoting you models in such a negative manner. We want to know WHY!
If you don’t respond or if you defend your stance in promoting your models as thinspiration (in which case i call your “defining beauty” stance bullshit), you can consider yourself at the very least one fan down.
Reblog this to get the word out.
Suicidegirls and thinspiration
So last Friday (4.5.2012), the tumblr Suicidegirls (SG) website was discovered to be tagging their own images of models with the tag thinspiration (click here for proof). SG claim to be “redefining beauty”, if that is true why are they using the thinspo tag? Why are they lowering their own models to that point?
Upon discovering SG were doing this, i sent them a message to their tumblr site asking why…they have not responded. I Just now have sent their official facebook page a comment saying:
I sent a message to the tumblr SG site but haven’t got a response so i’ve decided to ask here-
The tumblr SG site has been tagging images with “Thinspo” and “Thinspiration”. Are you aware of this? Are you aware that thinspiration is unhealthy? Are you aware that it goes completely against what you claim to be (alternative, redefining beauty)? Are you aware that thinspiration is just as bad an pro ana and pro mia, where people encourage undereating, starvation and even purging behaviours (vomiting, laxative abuse, over exercising, etc)? I thought you guys were better than that and i thought you were supportive of health, not slow suicide.
What is your response to this? Where do you stand on such topics?
I am waiting on a response. If you are unaware of what thinspiration is and why it is bad that SG are tagging their models with “Thinspo” and “thinspiration”, here is a write up i did about it several months ago (click here for link or just read below):
“Photos or other material intended to provide inspiration for anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa as a lifestyle choice.”
Thinspo is short for thinspiration. It typically uses images of underweight people (usually women) as inspiration to lose weight and something to aspire to along with quotes such as “nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” or “thinner before dinner” which basically encourages under eating/over exercising/purging behaviours.
It is not healthy.
What is thinspiration? (several definitions rolled into one here)
A combination of ‘thin’ and ‘inspiration’. Also known as thinspo.
Thinspiration refers to the images, often of super slim or emaciated (mostly) women/girls often with eating disorders or are rumoured to have an eating disorder. It is most commonly found amongst the eating disorder community, pro anorexia (pro ana) and pro bulimia (pro mia) websites as ‘inspiration’ to lose weight or maintain a (most often) unnaturally low weight. Often the images show protruding bones.
Thinspiration primarily uses negative reinforcement to push a person to lose weight. Quotes such as “Thinner before dinner” and “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.
Thinspiration is often seeked out by people wanting to lose weight and by eating disorder people looking to prolong their illness. There is a direct link between the pro ana/mia community and thinspiration.
What effect does thinspiration have on a person?
A 2006 study at the University of Missouri on 235 female undergraduate students found that those subjected to a single viewing of a pro-ana site created by the study designers reported lower self-esteem and were more likely to become preoccupied with exercise and weight loss, as compared to control groups.
Here is a wonderful explanation written by tumblr bloggerfightingthinspo:
Anonymous: Telling us we’re spreading shit when we’re expressing ourselves and looking for support is no better than telling a depressed person to get over it and that it’s bullshit for them to be depressed. Most pro-ana/mia blogs WARN people that they are not healthy and others warn those in recovery that it may be triggering to follow. So please understand that the people who run the blogs usually do what they can to let others know whats going on is not a well state of mind. Should others still follow, it’s with warning. And often times just so you are aware, it only becomes obvious when it’s a bit late, but usually self esttem issues and shit that lead up to eating disorders are a result of ones upbringing.
Fightingthinspo: Hi Anon
- Tell me anon if a depressed person was blogging about how to get more depressed, how to overdose, how they are hooked to their depression and can’t give it up and how they are looking for a community of other depressed people to console them and make them feel a life of depression was ok would that strike you as odd. similarly what would you think if a person with cancer was giving tips and tricks on how to get cancer and make cancer worse?
- I ask you , are you “looking for support” or are you seeking to normalise your own eating disorder by finding others who also do not want to get help for their eating disorder. Turning a blind eye to the misery of an ED and blogging ways to be “better at it” is not support to anyone.
- Anon I have read the disclaimers, and the warnings and they honestly are nothing more than a sweeping statement allowing the blogger to excuse their own behaviour and emotionally disconnect from the reality of the dangers they know they are dealing with and sharing.
- I will make no apology for getting angry. You are a sufferer of this awful disease but pro ana, et al bloggers need to know there is NO justification or excuse for “spreading tips and giving advice”. Young vulnerable teens women and men are seeing this stuff, children are seeing this stuff and YOU have to take some personal responsibility for how the material you blog and how it is going to be received and the damage it can do.
- Yes self esteem issues can arise in the home, there are many factors apart from pro ana etc on the net that trigger eds but that doesn’t mean we should excuse it <3
What thinspiration encourages
Looking through thinspiration blogs and the tumblr thinspiration tag (i’ve done this so none of you have to), the majority of the blogs encourage food restriction, complete cut of food groups (carbohydrates and fats most commonly), excessive exercising, obsessive calorie counting, unhealthy diets such as the ABC diet, and deceitful behaviours towards family and friends in order to avoid certain foods.
What is the difference between healthy weight loss and thinspiration?
Weightloss inspired by thinspo is more often than not the complete opposite of healthy weight loss. To lose weight in a health manner, one must eat proper portioned meals every 2-3 hours (which thinspo actively encourages the opposite of) so to keep your metabolism at it’s peak and exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day.
When serving a meal, on your plate should be 1-2 carbohydrates (2 potatoes, 2 slices of bread), 2-3 serves of vegetables (1 cup) and 1 protein (a piece of meat a little bigger than the size of your palm, 250g tofu). Including the three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks are encouraged. morning tea, afternoon tea and sometimes, dessert and supper depending on your life style. Don’t cut out junk foods just because they are seen as unhealthy, enjoy a chocolate bar, 45g packet of chips, piece of cake for a snack food. You can eat anything you like provided it’s within moderation.
A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25. BMI measures your height to your weight, it is not an exact science and BMI measuring can be off. You can be within these measurements but still not be healthy. If that’s the case for you, i suggest seeing your local doctor. BMI is just a reallyreally basic thing to measure your healthy weight range.
Bottom line: Don’t delude yourself! Thinspiration isn’t going to get you to the ‘perfect weight’. Why? Because there is no such thing as the perfect weight. There is no such thing as perfection. Thinspiration won’t bring you self acceptance it will bring you self hate.
If you find this as disturbing and warped as i do, let Suicidegirls know!! Message them here on tumblr about it (click here), ask them why on twitter (click here), ask them why on facebook (click here).
SG, we want to know WHY you are promoting your models as thinspiration. We want to know WHY you are engaging in promoting eating disorders (you do this by going along with thinspiration). We want to know WHY you are promoting you models in such a negative manner. We want to know WHY!
If you don’t respond or if you defend your stance in promoting your models as thinspiration (in which case i call your “defining beauty” stance bullshit), you can consider yourself at the very least one fan down.
Reblog this to get the word out.
Lea and Dianna: Real bodies vs. their Photoshopped counterparts
Here’s a comparison of two photos of Lea and Dianna: one was the photo taken of them in the studio, and the other the final Photoshopped photo scanned from a magazine.
Lea, Glamour,December 2011:
- Eye makeup was adjusted
- Eyebrows were trimmed
- Some skin spots removed
- Wrinkles on nose removed
- Wrinkles on wrists removed
- Tone added to legs and arms
- Breasts accentuated
- Waist and back made dramatically smaller
Dianna, Cosmopolitan,September 2011:
- Wrinkles from dress removed
- Elbow has been reshaped
- Mouth tension erased
- Armpits are smoother
- Arms are skinnier and more toned
- Collarbones less noticeable
- Nose reshaped
- Breasts augmented
- Stomach made smaller (it’s cropped out from this picture, but her waistline is at least 3 inches smaller)
(Source: sugar-plums)
Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Adriana Lima and Alessandra Ambrosio with and without make up !
Also without: their hair professionally done, professional lighting, shadows and angles and the ever present usage of professional digital editing software such as Photoshop.
And guess what…they look NORMAL. Just like any other woman. Unless you get all of the above mentioned perks too, it’s not fair to compare yourself to manipulated photographs of normal looking women.
Use your eyes and see that what you’re killing yourself to look like is fake and manufactured beauty. Those women look just fine without all of the bullshit they do to make them deemed socially sexy. And so do you.Probably fifth time reblogging. Ladies and gentlemen, ITS ONE BIG FAT CHARADE. These women are beautiful, but not the kind of beautiful you think they are. So do not try to look like a victoria’s secret model, because it is literally an impossible task.
nowhere: Things parents forget to tell their children:
- Bodies are hairy. No matter the gender, your face will have hair and that is more than okay.
- Your butthole is going to have some hair too. And maybe your nipples. And your tummy. And where ever else.
- Stretch marks. Those are a thing. Everyone gets ‘em. If you don’t, you probably don’t have skin.
- Vaginas smell. Every vagina has a scent. Don’t worry about it! (Unless something seems wrong, then go get it checked out! No need to feel embarrassed or ashamed.)
- Vaginas come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, flavors. All are beautiful.
- Penises come in all different shapes, sizes, colors, flavors. All are beautiful.
- You don’t need to shave anything if you don’t want to. It’s tooootally not mandatory.
- Sometimes people get butt acne.
- You can have a vagina and want short hair and think dresses are just the worst.
- You can have a penis and want long hair and think dresses are just the best.
- You can wear whatever you want and style your hair however you want.
- You can even think whatever the hell you want.
- People might tell you that you are a girl because you have a vagina. People might tell you that you are a boy because you have a penis. People will tell you what your gender is. But in reality, you don’t have to be that gender. You don’t have to be either of those genders.
- You are what you are and it’s just the worst thing if you try and hide that.
(Source: romantickissingporn)
"If we keep the focus of eating disorder conversations on women’s bodies, we’re doing exactly what women with eating disorders do to themselves."
-Barefaced and Beside the Point: Appearance Anxiety in Eating Disorders
(via anatomy-of-recovery)
(Source: open.salon.com)
