Deborah Markus’s Reviews > The Ministry of Thin: How the Pursuit of Perfection Got Out of Control > Status Update

"Remember the saying, 'Treat others as you would like to be treated'? Well, how about this: Treat yourself as you would treat others. A little kindness and respect for our own bodies could go a long way."

Women need to hear this more often.

I'm done -- this is the last page, in spite of what GR has listed. Review soon.

AARGH SHE JUST SAID MY LEAST FAVORITE THING wanna guess what it is?

"We [that is, women] are so often our worst enemies."

NO. WE'RE NOT. WOULD YOU PULL THIS BULLSHIT IN A COUNTRY WHERE SEXISM IS MORE BLATANT AND INSTITUTIONALIZED?

Sorry. This is right up there with "I'm not a feminist -- I'm a humanist" for me, in terms of completely MISSING THE DAMNED POINT.

(stopping shouting)

(for now)

"What I always want to say to these strangers with anorexia, bulimia, and worse is, Stop right now...just give it up and don't waste the years ahead, and don't kid yourself that there's some point to being hungry or that it gives you any control over things, because it doesn't, and life is uncontrollable, and eating disorders are just another way of hiding."

When she's good, she's good.

"It seems that we like the results of feminism -- personal freedom and relative equality -- but feel uncomfortable with the label itself."

Woot! The "conclusion" chapter -- and she's back to being a good writer!

"It is disingenuous and illogical to blame the modern media for their sexist attitudes toward women: They are simply giving us, the readers, what we ask for. Presumably, if we didn't want it, we wouldn't buy it."

Well! That makes it all right, then!

(I did mention this is the weakest chapter in the book, right?)

"An old friend suffered with severe anorexia for fifty years, and has finally overcome it at the age of seventy-four. I once asked her whether it was worth it, being thin all those years but missing out on having a family."

O_O

"Worth it"?

Am I wrong in thinking that's a horribly offensive question -- one that seems to indicate a less-than-complete recovery in the author?

"Clearly, anorexia in pregnancy is serious: It can result in low birth weight, premature birth, or even miscarriage. However, having an eating disorder does not make you a bad mother, and it doesn't necessarily harm your baby."

You're losing me here. This "reasoning" is both inconsistent and potentially dangerous. (This chapter is the weakest in the book -- which is an extra shame, since it's also the last one.)

Oh, holy night -- am I the only one who didn't know about "thinspiration"? Yeesh.

"It is possible to experience the mental torment of anorexia even without significant emaciation. You can be a normal weight and struggle with anorexic thoughts."

Definitely.

"In part, my anorexia was an apology to the world -- for being me, for existing, for feeling all wrong."

So wrenching to read this. Imagine how it must have felt to write it.