Thursday, January 28, 2010

No one talks about eating disorders pertaining to men...why is that?



(This stems from thoughts I had while getting a mandatory physical and a drug test for a job I've yet to start...)

I don't suffer from an eating disorder, but I very well could have growing up...

You see, when I was in my preadolescence I was heavier, in my adolescence I was heavier, when I was in my early 20's I was heavier...see the trend? Yes, I am 218 pounds and only 5'8, I am fat, I am overweight, but as I try to fit working out into my daily routine, I don't have the time for it now.
Now it's not that I don't care, I truly do care about my body and my health, but juggling school/life/now work...yeah, I'm sure I have the time somewhere in there, but I'm not the best at time management, getting there, but not yet.
Yet when I was younger I wanted to be fit; I was involved in a lot of athletic extra curriculars in my schooling (home school, mind you, K to 12) but I still a bit of a gut. I did have some success in keeping my weight kind of in order back when I would workout an average of 2 hours a day, I was dedicated to it but I still had some girth I [wished I] could do without.
What made it worse was that some family members pointed out my weight; hey you should stop eating as much (true I cut back some, but really? Is that being helpful?), hey you're fat (I am, thanks for pointing it out )... Yeah, I didn't need that pointed out to me, but it struck me as a double standard when I was told never to ask a woman's age or weight, don't call women fat... Now I know I'm not bombarded by media saying I should look like ________ or if I don't weigh __________ I'm not attractive, but still it affects me some when girls go for guys or guys go for girls based just around looks, how shallow! I might be heavier, but I have a good sense of humor, I know how to take care of a lady well, I am polite and I have a lot of positive attributes going for me that makes me a good boyfriend and in time, a good husband. Yet when I was younger, I did eat less because some people labelled me fat, I didn't binge and then purge, but I heard a voice in my head (negative voice) saying I shouldn't eat as much and as a result I'd finish eating dinner early, I'm full when I wasn't...

***

Now I don't know the stats when it comes to eating disorders, but I can venture a guess when I say that for females that either every girl has had an eating disorder or has known someone who has had one at one time. I wonder what can then be said about men and eating disorders, I'd hate it if we're the odd ones out, the ones swept under the rug and forgotten, because it does affect men and how they think they should look and something should be done about it.

[n][v]

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