I have to side with Carmody on this one in saying that Lee's editorial is repulsive, not so much for her rudeness towards an uncomfortable topic, but for her pure ignorance of the bigger issue -- the pervasiveness of mental illness on campus including eating disorders (which are not contingent only to "5-foot-7 and 100 pound" girls, but affect both men and women of varying sizes and personalities) but also notably depression and chronic anxiety.
Lee seems to have the impression that weight-centric girls "enjoy hearing [themselves] talk" about their weight simply in order to boost their ego, and if her overall goal is to offer sympathy through admitting that her listener is "a troubled young person who doesn't perceive reality correctly," it is hardly palpable. I can say from knowing a number of girls who were anorexic, bulimic, or compulsive overeaters that what Lee hears is not narcissism, but a plea for approval in a world which they believe is as hateful of their bodies as they are.
Weight and eating disorders mask deeper issues, and in many cases arise because the individual finds that food is easier to control than the other problems in his or her life. If she bothered to engage these girls in thoughtful discussion about their perspectives, I believe she would find that these girls feel sad, scared and trapped by their fear of gaining weight, but obsessed with an unceasing hunger. When Lee sees ones of these girls glaring at her while she eats dessert, it is more likely out of envy than disgust. Anorexics perceive that they simply cannot eat anything which does not follow their "rules" (i.e. it must be a certain number of calories, a certain type of food, or a certain weight) or they will be a failure because they lost control of themselves.
Carmody is right that we should reach out to students who have these issues rather than isolate them out of our personal feelings towards their behavior. If anyone does have friends like "Skin-and-Bones," try to figure out what they are really saying beneath the weight-talk, because what they need more than someone telling them how good they look is a friend who will help them cope with problems which might seem too big to handle. Or alternatively, suggest that they make an appointment with CAPS if they have some things they just need to get off their chest.
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