Why do people judge people with an eating disorder?

Recently there's been so much in the papers and on tv about people with eating disorders. I htae the fact that a lot of people judge and say it's anattention thing or they strave themselves to look good. Yes some people do do that. But there are a lot of people out there that don't want to lose weight or want attention. Becuase of the bad media and the horrible comments about people with eating disorders it makes it hard for people to want to get help in case they get judged. I had an eating disorder two years ago and things on the tv brings it all back. I don't understand why people can't just help eachother get better, why they have to judge?

Why do people judge people with an eating disorder?
I have a friend who is bulemic. I didn't judge her. She is a great person. She is getting help for it which is good!





I don't think it is just attention seeking middle class people like one person has said. She doesn't want anttention she doesn't want to be bulemic but is like a disease and she can't help it.





I think there should be more support for people with eating disorders as it is not very easily available at the moment.





Well done on getting over your disorder!! :D
Reply:I think people judge people on any disorder because they think that their life is all so functional LOL like anyone in this world doesn't have some dysfunction? Give me a break! They are more messed up than we are. Good for you for getting through your problems, I simply give up on trying to explain anxiety, depression and panic attacks to those who don't have a clue, I with my doc %26amp; hubby's help keep it under control. Judgemental people judge everyone on everything.
Reply:Fear and ignorance!!





Well done for doing so well, please don't let others get you down and make you feel bad, you should be proud of yourself.





Discrimination against people with mental illness is still rife even though it is talked about more than it ever used to be. There needs to be more education and information to try to teach people that these are real and genuine problems that are shattering lives.





I have suffered from depression for many many years, and I still do, like you I believe that the majority of people do judge others..... but what they don't realise is that at some point in our lives 1 in 4 of us WILL suffer from a mental illness, so they really ought to stop and think before they talk about people they have no right to comment on.





It's a pity we can't put them in our places for just 24 hours, I'm sure then they would think about things differently.





At the end of the day, it's these people who have the real problems but don't realise it!
Reply:I understand what you're saying... that goes for any type of problem. Eating disorders, drug addictions, self harm, ect. The media puts them into catagories. "Druggie" "Emo" "Cutter"


They don't look at the root of the problem; they thoughts that make them behave this way. If they looked at it from that perspective then maybe people would try to help people intstead of look down on them for coping the way that they do.
Reply:they dont understand. people judge others with depression or whatever too, simply because they dont understand what the condition is like. you cant understand until you experience it, or someone close to you goes through it.


i think people just need to learn more. i know i was very judgemental of people with depression, until i was diagnosed myself last year.
Reply:No one likes self-indulgent borderlines. They're boring and should find some way of occupying their time other than obsessing about their weight, food, appearance etc.





Like the others said.......there aint no eating disorders in developing countries. They really have got better things to think about!
Reply:I only know people who starve themselves so that they look thin. They want to lose weight because they think they will look better. I would be interested to know of any other reasons for not eating, apart from wanting to be ill, which I guess is a form of attention seeking.
Reply:People who are strong and in control of themselves and their lives always judge people who are weak and not in control of their lives. It's just a fact of life. Not saying it's right or wrong, but that's how it is.





It's like you just want to say to them, "Get your act together, for goodness sake, and stop snivelling."
Reply:You never see poor people with eating disorders, or the starving in Africa.. Its always the self obssessed middle classes who - imo - are doing it attention seeking. Sorry that seems harsh..
Reply:every body judges everybody for everything!! it is unfortunatley a fact of life and something we all have to deal with, I try not to judge people unfairly but sometimes I do it without realising, I think it is part of human nature to judge.


It is a tool that can be useful in our lives, if we use it at the right time and the right way.


When you are judged unfairly, let it go over your head, say to yourself 'they don't know me, they are not living my life, their own ignorance is their failing'


and let it go, it is hard at first but you will get used to it and it will stop bothering you, also Y!A is a very judgemental place, I was suprised at how much when I first came on here, but now it doesn't bother me anymore.





Good luck I hope you are truly over your ED now. xx
Reply:If you've never been in the situation (or a similar situation) before, then it's harder to understand. Ever since I've been through various things, I've became an extremely understanding person. It's because I know what it feels like to be in a tough situation and I'd be an absolute hypocrite if I judged. People who judge may seem like mean people, but they probably don't realise what they're saying.
Reply:People can't understand it until they have it. Nice one for overcoming it.
Reply:I've had anorexia since the late 1980's and have never been a normal weight or recovered. I've had a lot of people judging me because they see it as a superficial vanity thing. Something I should of grown out of.... Something I chose to do and could chose to stop if I wanted to. People don't understand how a person can have the distorted body image and say they are fat when dying from the medical complications of emaciation.....





Most people enjoy eating (too much so!) and its then hard to understand why someone else can struggle so much with something so "simple" "basic" and "instinctive."





When people judge me negatively, I think it says more about THEM and their own "insecurities" and "issues" than anything to do with me. People want you to be thin.... but NOT too thin. I have found in this country people ARE very judgemental, shallow and narrow minded.





Recently went to Italy and spent a few weeks living there with my sister... the Italian people were FAR FAR FAR more accepting of me and were NON judgemental. They saw beyond the superficial "scary" "shocking" emaciated appearance of how I look.... (I guess they just looked deeper because of the language barrier).





Diamond Kiss (HUGS) I am right with you and what you said. I find it shocking and sad to read some of the replies written here. Starving people in Africa has bugger all to do with anything... and if you think its just shallow, self indulgent nonsense why are you even in the mental health section replying to questions? To feel all superior I suppose???





I am impressed with some of the empathy from people here.... disappointed with other! It does seem to me that if you have suffered any sort of "pain" "trauma" and "unhappiness" in your life, and BEEN judged BY other for it.. (self-harm, depression etc) then YOU as a person end up FAR nicer and less judgemental than the so called "normal" people who just want to feel superior and sanctimonious. Mental illness is full of stigma. Lock um up out of sight out of mind etc. If you ask me, people who have a shallow judgemental opinion are shallow and up tight! Anal retards SCARED of looking too deeply at themselves for fear of what they might find!!!
Reply:im suffering from an ilness thats made me extremely skinny and i am sick of every1 assuming i am anorexic or bulemic. people dont seem to understand that there are othere reasons people are soo skinny.


it sickens me!!!!!
Reply:Most of the TV programs I have seen have been sympathetic to people with eating disorders.





Personally, I have seen people, whom I valued, die rather than eat one ounce more.





Karen Carpenter is an example. She had everything but chose not to eat and died of anorexia at 32.





There are new treatments for eating disorders. And it is not want of attention as much as where you focus your attention.





I'll leave it at that and hope you do a little research on your own to discover those new treatments and how you can conquer your fears.





http://themeaningisyou.com
Reply:Because alot of people are pathetic, unsympathetic human beings...period! One should only be allow to judge certain issues only if they've walked that mile in their shoes! Ignorance is NOT bliss. Everyone of us has issues of some sort, whether it being drugs, alcohol, overspending, gambling, smoking, mental issues, family problems, medical,etc. When I got divorced from my first husband, he left me and three tiny children with no money, nothing. He let me know that no one else would want a woman with three kids. And that my butt was too big. Well, I had to get some control over my life that was falling apart, so I became one of thousands that became anorexic. I was depressed, so I didn't eat. I lost weight and people said I looked great...because I had just had a baby months before. But the eating became more than that. It gave me some control over my life!
Reply:Just been reading through all the answers here.


Impressed with the ones from those who understand and aren't judgemental, the ones that are, well I've come across a few people like that in my life.


I've had an eating disorder for 14 years now and unfortunately still haven't managed to 'pull myself together', 'just snap out of it', 'just eat a few cream cakes', 'stop attention seeking' etc, etc, etc.


One girl accused me of my wanting to be thin as 'vanity' as she thought I was wanting to be thin in order to look 'nice'.


Quite the opposite, I wanted to be thin to look horrible. It's how I feel inside so I don't want a body that attracts attention for looking 'nice'.


Usually people with an eating disorder have a very low self esteem so hearing and reading negative comments certainly not going to help them.


The same girl I mentioned above also decided to write a letter into our local newspaper to attack people with eating disorders by calling them stupid %26amp; idiots if they damage their internal organs by their stupidity. Although she didn't mention my name myself and a few other close friends knew she was directing her vile comments at me.


She made herself look stupid in the end as she got quite a few letters in response to the paper for her spitefulness including one from the EDA themselves who were 'disgusted at her ignorance and lack of understanding'.
Reply:It's because they don't understand mental illness and are probably not understanding peopleg genrally. I've never had an eating disorder but I understand why it happens and never judge.
Reply:dont listen to bugaboo. Its because shes never suffered. Ive still got an eating disorder and its NOT for attention because NOONE knows. Its a mental illness so before you go making idiotic comments research the topic. People starving in africa is nothing to do with people with eating disorders so dont even bring it into the question. I think its because people always need someone to blame and/or judge to make themselves feel better. I dont see the fat people who eat themselves to death being victimised like us.
Reply:People are frightened of eating disorders and think it's something that can be just dealt with. Many people have an eating disorder of some sort and praise be those who don't. I have at one time or another had anorexia and bulimia and binge eating. I have found the reason for this and have dealt with it but it is not the easiest of things to do. There are organisation's that will help and want to help and they don't judge mainly because they have been through it themselves.


The main point of judging is to protect and to belittle. pure and simple.


Basically you are unique and what you need isn't the same as what other people need.


And ... some people are Rsols.





Take care.
Reply:my kids were watching hollyoaks tonight and talking about anorexia, i was trying to explain to them its an illness not just someone starving themself for attention. people can be ignorant, my daughter is size 4/6 and everyone asks her "are u anorexic" i say if they ask that they are ignorant as to what anorexia is cos she eats loads worries shes too thin but shes getting paranoid about her weight, a boy came up to her at college and said do u only eat lettuce, its not true she eats breakfast lunch dinner and snacks in between but burns it off. she looks like beyonce and should be able to enjoy looking like that while she can as it wont last once she has children/gets older but she cant enjoy it cos of peoples comments. we seem to be obsessed with size and some peoples comments dont help. well done on getting over your problems.
Reply:well im replying this message to buggboo wat ever that names is ment 2 be?? i came from a poor family and ive suffered with eating disorders most of my life, not because i was self obsessed but cos wen i looked in the mirrow i really thought that i was fat. your mind plays tricks on u so wen u look in the mirrow u really think that the reflection looking bk is horrible.