Thursday, October 4, 2007

Anorexia

"I wanna know, can you show me? I wanna know about these strangers like me. Tell me more, please show me. Something's familiar about these strangers like me" (Phil Collins).
Last night one of my roommates was trying to force me to eat. I wouldn't, so he accused me of having an eating disorder, to which I replied that only girls have eating disorders. This prompted some internet research that shows that boys can also have eating disorders. We had a whole big conversation about the symptoms of anorexia, trying to determine if I was anorexic (of course this was 75% jest). As he read the symptoms, we would state whether or not I qualified. Here's the list:
* Food rituals
* Compulsive exercise and/or preoccupation with body mass, muscles, etc.
* Preoccupation with food
* Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight
* Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced
* Undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of current low body weight
* Lying about eating or difficulty eating around others
* Depression, isolation, loneliness
* Unrealistic and perfectionistic standards
* Difficulty expressing feelings
* Low self-esteem
* Need for control
* Possible sexual orientation and gender identity issues
* Decreased interest in sex, anxiety surrounding sexual activity
* Fatigue and muscle weakness
* Low blood pressure and body temperature
* Thinning hair or hair loss

Anyway, the point I'm getting to is that when he got to the symptom, "possible sexual orientation issues," we all started laughing, and he said, "Well I guess you're not anorexic."

That just made me laugh even more.
Come with me now to see my world, Where there's beauty beyond your dreams. Can you feel the things I feel, right now, with you? Take my hand. There's a world I need to know" (Phil Collins).

5 comments:

Romulus said...

Holy crap! Am I anorexic too?! Those are great moments, aren't they? :)

MoHoHawaii said...

Laughing at gay jokes told by straight men is one of things that I have been able to excise from my life. I just don't go there anymore.

I am forever grateful to be done with the closet for good.

Kengo Biddles said...

There's a certain humor in saying to yourself, "If you only knew, my oblivious friend..."

Andrew said...

wow... how interesting

Abelard Enigma said...

I wanna be anorexic too! That could be the new MoHo diet plan. :)

I've already got some of the items on the list taken care of

* Depression, isolation, loneliness
* Unrealistic and perfectionistic standards
* Difficulty expressing feelings
* Low self-esteem
* Possible sexual orientation issues
* Decreased interest in sex, anxiety surrounding sexual activity
* Low body temperature
* Thinning hair or hair loss

So, when do I start losing weight?