Comments on: Gym Dilemma #2

By: Therese

Therese — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 00:24:40 +0000

You make a very good point. in the depths of my ED i overexercised all the time…eventually the people at the gym did try to get in contact with me through email but i was too embarrassed to respond. I knew it was a problem when people i didnt even know were getting concerned. I think anyone who is on a machine for 3 hours is obsessed with exercise and it is a problem. Life involves so many more things than just exercise, moderation is the key in everything!

By: penny

penny — Sun, 17 Jun 2007 04:28:16 +0000

I agree with Innerloss, Sheila.
I’m thin, and I exercise, and I agree with the 2 gym blogs posted.
Why are you so threatened by them, Sheila? That concerns me.

By: RW

RW — Thu, 12 Apr 2007 22:54:26 +0000

Sheila. I’m afraid I’d question your statistics – simply on the basis of my own informal questionning 4% makes no sense. Perhaps we’re talking about 4% at any one time – but who is in the 4% changes.
Anyhow, I don’t think that’s the point. As far as I’m concerned, the worry/panic about ‘obesity’ is part of the same thing. One way or another society finds a way to make sure that perhaps 95% of women feel really bad about who they are.

This is worthy of pages of analysis, but a few lines will have to do…

Women are told (over and over and over and over):
- what you look like is really important
- you should be very thin (but with very big impossibly self supporting breasts, and skin which is smoother than a baby’s)
- you should look between 14 and 20 years old

And at the same time women are told (over and over…)
- to reach this ideal will take a huge battle (which will show you to be strong and worthy)
- you’ll probably not make it because women are all weak (but don’t worry, we’ll all be failures together)
- fatty sweet foods will make you happy.

The real questions we need to talk about here aren’t anything to do with ‘obesity’ or ‘anorexia’ but are instead about power and social change.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Tue, 27 Mar 2007 03:14:36 +0000

I love how InnerLoss you immediately jump to the conclusion that because i do not agree with some of the stuff on this blog i must be anorexic. You are ridiculous!

And just for the record:

In Canada, 36% of teenagers are overweight or obese. 59% of adults in Canada are overweight/obese. In the United States 44% of teenagers are overweight/obese and 71% of adults are overweight/obese. The statistics for anorexia/bulimia for both countries is a stable 4% of adult women and less than 0.5% of adult males.

Maybe you will see why i have an issue with blogs like this. Which is the bigger problem (no pun intended), anorexia or obesity? Why does America continue the skinny debate when so much of the country is huge?

By: InnerLoss

InnerLoss — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 01:51:29 +0000

As for people who were clearly insulted with this blog, I would take a serious look as to why this is so. I am not saying this to say your wrong or your thoughts are not valid, but I am curious as to why this bothers you so much you feel the need to attack. For myself I know it almost always means I have some sort of issues with it. Just think about it.

By: InnerLoss

InnerLoss — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 01:49:20 +0000

I believe that it is the gym’s obligation to make sure that the people there are using the gym appropriatly and if they suspect that it is being abused they do have the right to ask for doctors permission. It is in fact in most gym contracts.
It is a fact that eating disorders are on the rise and many reside in the gym. I’ve known people with eating disorders who told others they were training for a marathon etc.
In fact one person I knew at a eating disorder program told me how being “kicked out” of a gym planted a seed in her mind that she did indeed need some help. Only a small percentage of people at the gym having eating disorders, but I’m willing to bet most people at the gym are going to modify their bodies, not health as a number one priority.
Unfortunatlly I do not have the balls to say anything to any staff memeber at the gym (or because I’m afraid they might say something to me).

By: Redd

Redd — Wed, 07 Mar 2007 01:38:55 +0000

It is sad when an eating disorder goes neglected or ignored – but I think its a persons friends and family’s responsibility to support and help them, not a random stranger on the streets.

I am a thin girl with a really positive body image, yet random people all the time go “You’re waay too thin” or discuss whether I have an eating disorder. I do not, and never had one, but when society sees a thin girl they immediately go “there’s something wrong with her.” This reaction actually hurts how women see themselves too – when you’re told that you look anorexic all the time, even though you eat healthy and work out moderately, you start to feel like there actually is something wrong with you…

By: S

Sun, 04 Mar 2007 15:36:39 +0000

Alright, so understand where you are going with this scenario. But how do you judge when someone looks like there are about to pass out? I mean, just looking extremely tired can be mistaken for faintness. And nearing the end of my runs, i always look exhausted. I think that the suggestions of the above poster are great, because if someone came up to me all concerned for my health, i know i would be pissed.

By: RW

RW — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 14:14:03 +0000

What about:
“Would you mind if I asked the staff to turn over this music video because I find the images pretty offensive?” (gyrating very young women wearing little – all very thin)
or
“I’m looking for someone to go running with a couple of times outside – you look like you are pretty fit, but you wouldn’t consider coming with me would you? (on the basis that friendship is a strong antidote to lack of self-esteem – which in turn may well be a strong influence on her illness)

Or is there some other conversation that would lead to knowing how she is feeling about herself? (thus preventing us from offending the athlete)