“THIN-SPIRATION”

More than half a million U.S. teens have had eating disorder

Natalie Artemyeff, The Relationship Foundation
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In 2011, the largest and most comprehensive analysis of eating disorders was released by the Archives of General Psychiatry*. It involved nationally representative data on more than 10,000 teens aged 13 to 18.

The study revealed that more than half a million U.S. teens have had an eating disorder but few have sought treatment for the problem.

Binge-eating            1.5%
Bulimia                     Just under 1%
Anorexia                  .3%
Overall                     3% had a lifetime prevalence of one of the disorders
Symptoms (not full-fledged disorders)   3%

More than half the affected teens had depression, anxiety or some other mental disorder. Sizeable numbers also reported suicide thoughts or attempts.

Sadly, many teens who are aware that they are suffering from depression don’t want to ask for help because of the correlation between antidepressants and weight gain. They’d rather be depressed than gain any weight.**

Equally disturbing, was the recent exposé, “The Hunger Blogs,” published about the pro-eating disorder blogs found on Tumblr. The article sheds light on the secretive blogs that thousands*** of teens flock to for “thinspo.” From Tumblr’s dictionary:

Thinspo
noun
short for “thin-spiration,” photos of wafer-thin girls, pro-anorexia quotes.

No huge surprise, the thinspo community often overlaps with Tumblr’s health and fitness blogs. Just look for the words “Trigger Warning,” thinsp code that you’ve reached a pro-anorexia blog. The blogs are platforms for recording one’s weight loss; posting “inspirational” pictures of dangerously thin models; and tips for staving off hunger and burning extra calories.

Can you really blame these teens? They’re constantly bombarded by images of people photoshopped and airbrushed to a skewed and often unattainable level of “perfection.” As if the struggles with the self aren’t enough, many teens are dating and forming groups of friends who share similar interests; they’re bringing these insecurities and self-esteem issues into their relationships.

Support, love and encouragement to love/be who you are from parents is wonderful, welcome and helps keep kids at lower risk for getting into all kinds of trouble. As one thinspo blogger reminds us, risk is no stranger to teens-

“[Thinspo blogs] can help you lose weight so fast that you won’t have time to get an eating disorder…I’m not afraid. I’m ready to risk for perfection.”

To the parents and others who are up against the advertising & entertainment industries, it can feel like holding back the Hoover Dam with a toothpick.

*The study is based on kids and parents interviewed over two years ending in 2004. But co-author and researcher Kathleen Merikangas of the National Institute of Mental Health says similar rates likely exist today.
**Taken from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/judith-j-wurtman-phd/antidepressant-weight-gain_b_832294.html
***(Last name withheld) Kate’s thinspo blog alone has 5,000 followers.

HAPPY(?) VALENTINE’S DAY

Some facts about “The Month of Love”

Natalie Artemyeff, The Relationship Foundation
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Ah, Valentine’s Day…

  • Average number of roses produced for Valentine’s Day: 196 million
  • Percent of Valentine’s Day cards bought by women: 85%
  • Percent of flowers bought by men: 73%
  • Amount the average consumer spends on Valentine’s Day: $116.21

FAME MONSTER

Most important value presented in teen-targeted TV shows: FAME

Natalie Artemyeff, The Relationship Foundation
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The following information was taken from:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110712094237.htm


A UCLA study* examined the values presented by popular family-TV characters in each decade (2 shows per decade) from 1967 to 1997. The study revealed that on a list of 16 values, fame jumped from the 15th spot, where it was in both 1987 and 1997, to the first spot in 2007. From 1997 to 2007, benevolence (being kind and helping others) fell from second to 13th.

Community feeling (being part of a group) was the No. 1 value in 1967, 1977 and 1997, the study found. By 2007, it had fallen to 11th.

In 2007, benevolence dropped to the 12th spot and community feeling fell to 11th. Financial success went from 12th in 1967 and 1997 to fifth in 2007.

This study analyzed the values within the constructed “realities” of television shows, but it’s hard to deny the reflections of our culture.

Yalda T. Uhls (UCLA doctoral student in developmental psychology) notes that the biggest change “occurred from 1997 to 2007 [with] YouTube, Facebook and Twitter.” Coincidence? These are social networking sites that are “intrinsically narcissistic,” according to Patricia M. Greenfield (UCLA distinguished professor of psychology and director of the Children’s Digital Media Center @ Los Angeles). The principle of their platforms are based largely on the idea of building as big of an audience – Facebook friends; Youtube views; Twitter followers – as possible, while publicizing yourself/your life.

In his recent article, On Fame**, comedian Ricky Gervais keenly pointed out that “’Fame’ used to be fused with ‘respect’ in some ways. That’s what distinguished it from infamy. But not any more.” Today, fame seems to be synonymous with lots of attention, good or bad. There is a noticeable imitation of this in the way many teens will post praiseworthy and incriminating/self-deprecating pictures with equal enthusiasm.

We all have the need for attention and recognition. In the digital age, with the simple click of a mouse, one can publicize whatever they want and receive comments/likes/shares/etc. instantly. But is what’s gained at all meaningful and lasting? Or are these just examples of instant gratification, shallow fixes that leave the poster feening for more?

What do young adults think is the result of fame? As the Science Daily article points out, the fame presented on many of these shows is delusional and unrealistic. Substance abuse, infidelity, eating disorders, depression, anxiety and seclusion are all much more commonly reported by those who have experienced real fame, and especially so for those whose fame began during adolescence.

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I’m not blaming fame for celebrities’ problems. Most, if not all, who struggle come into fame with issues already in tow. Many celebrities have shared that the reason they believe they became so good at singing/dancing/acting/etc., was because they put so much time into the hobby to escape personal problems that they consequently excelled.

4 of the 6 above dealt with parental divorce; from those 4, 3 of the 4 have themselves been divorced at least once. We repeat what we know…

It’s hard enough as a non-celebrity to process hardships, relationships (damaging or otherwise), trauma, etc. that affects one in life. Celebrities have the added pressure of going through that while the world watches, enables and shamelessly judges/criticizes.

It’s not all glitz and glamour.

*Study published in the July issue of Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace, a peer-reviewed journal featuring psychosocial research on the impact of the Internet on people and society.
**Ricky Gervais, On Fame: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ricky-gervais/on-fame_b_1253273.html?ref=celebrity&ir=Celebrity

WEDDING FEVER

Is a wedding a distraction from or celebration of a relationship?

Natalie Artemyeff, The Relationship Foundation
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There are twelve wedding TV shows currently on the air. Yup, twelve:

Amazing Wedding Cakes
Bridezillas
Bulging Brides
My Big Redneck Wedding
My Fair Wedding with David Tutera
Platinum Weddings
The Real Wedding Crashers
Rich Bride Poor Bride
Rock the Reception
Say Yes To The Dress
A Wedding Story
TLC Weddings

What do viewers think when they watch these shows? What are these shows implying about gender roles? What’s really been said?

Since it’s often touted as “good for inspiration,” I tuned in to My Fair Wedding With David Tutera. After watching the show for a week, I got that: if your wedding doesn’t cost at least $50,000 you and your wedding are lacking, and you should treat your soon-to-be husband more like an accessory than your partner in the planning process. Oh! And unless David Tutera picked it out for you, your dress is ugly.

What I got from watching the other shows was similarly bleak, yet we as a community keep watching. While divorce rates hover around 50%, the demand for wedding shows increases and the average cost of a wedding in the United States swells to $24-$30,000.

The glamorized TV brides and grooms are no exception. If there’s one thing the public loves more than a celebrity wedding (William & Kate and Kim Kardashian & Kris Humphries come to mind), it’s a celebrity divorce:

This chart was in an article about Sinead O’Connor & Barry Hirridge’s 16-day marriage. Sinead has since made two suicide attempts.

By the end of my peek into the Wedding Industrial Complex, my head was spinning. I came to find in what was presented that whether friendships between friends and/or family were severed, regardless of how much the bride and groom-to-be fought, and despite any financial concerns, keeping the wedding on track was always the priority. The party, attention, and stuff (so much stuff!) trumped the relationships.

Equally concerning is the way both the public and the media put that fairytale wedding on a pedestal, ignore the damage done (unless, of course, dramatic enough to make for “good TV”), and then swarm like vultures over the inevitable breakups of spotlighted relationships that were doomed from the beginning….Set ‘em up to watch ‘em fall!

Do we really tune in just for the ego boosts (“We got our problems, but we are DEFINITELY better than those people!”)? When you turn off the TV is there really no residue that nestles somewhere in the wrinkles of the brain?

There seems to be an expectation of weddings to calm/cure insecurities and fill needs that aren’t being met.

Perhaps what both men and women too often overlook is actually a rather simple question:

Do I want the experience of a marriage or a wedding?