Disney jokes about eating disorders

[Cicero]

Demi Lovato attacked the Disney Channel on Twitter last week for mocking eating disorders and using increasingly smaller stars in their shows that cater to tweens. The network was quick to offer an apology, but experts say Lovato opened the Pandora’s Box about the dangerous effects television shows can have on the negative body image of young women.


and continued to say. Lovato’s beef was with a joke made about eating disorders on the show “Shake it Up.” One of the show’s characters joked: "I could just eat you up, well, if I ate."

Source http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/12/27/demi-lovato-says-disney-promoting-unhealthy-body-images-to-young-girls/?intcmp=related

Now that Demi Lovato points it out, I completely notice this. Show's like Thats So Raven and Lizzie Macguire didn't show vainness in weight. Whereas today's Disney shows are. Some of those actresses are like twigs. What do you think of Disney and their move and what do you think of the growing trend of skinny actresses/actors in Disney? Is it teaching teenagers that skinny is the only good?

[ReginaGeorge]

While I have only noticed one joke about eating disorders, which is the one pointed out on Shake It Up, I hate hate hate how tiny ALL new Disney stars are, the very recent ones specifically. They are getting smaller and smaller.

'Older' Disney stars, even just within the past few years, had more normal sized girls, like Tiffany Thorton (Tawni Heart), Debby Ryan (Bailey/Jesse), Raven, even Miley, while thin, it wasn't sickly skinny, it was natural skinny and heaps more, along with all kinds of bodies. It was so diverse that skinny stars, like Selena for example, weren't a controversial topic, because they were a part of this diversity that catered for huge amounts of kids.

Now, they're just tiny, like, every single one of them. It's ridiculous, I know there are girls who look like that, but not everyone does. They need this diversity back. Pressure to look a certain way is getting worse and worse. The girls are getting younger and younger. Eating disorders are up. Self harm is up. And the things that don't get surveyed are up, like low confidence, and wearing make-up for the purpose of hiding instead of expressing.

Disney is like THE company supplying little kids, teenagers, and young adults with entertainment. If you haven't watched Disney at one point or another, your friends are going to think you're weird or deprived. They are so impressionable and you can't go etching in their heads that skinny is 'normal', like it's the only body type and skinny is what you're supposed to be.

Skinny is okay, but it's not the only thing that's okay. Bring back the diversity.

[Magus]

Is Eating Disorder people are those who are ectomorphs or or is it the endomporphs?

[Mortal Coil]

I definitely think that this trend in Disney shows is teaching children that skinny is the most important thing. People, girls especially, are often more concerned about their weight than many other things. It's worrying and, while Disney did not create the problem, they are doing a lot to exacerbate it.

[FreeFall]

What if the actresses can't help their weight? And why bring attention to their size? If the girls just happen to be that thin, how's it their fault? Why're we trying to put the burden of millions of girls' self image on them? I'm boney, it's natural. It pisses me off when people constatnly tell me to eat or how thin I am. If someone were to tell me young girls were aspiring to look like me well that'd make me feel like shit and i'd dive into lard. And if we stop hyper focusing on size and just let girls be comfortable in whatever weight they're in, wouldn't that be easier than saying "ew skinny eeeww don't try to look like them, those disgusting skinny girls that will hate their weight because we're so repulsed by it." We talk about loving your size but the focus seems to have shifted from don't be obese to KOew my god boneys women ew!" And those of us who cannot help how thin we are are growing resentment along with being lumped into an eating disorder. My self esteem certainly is taking a tumble with the growing disgust and disdain.

As for their "joke" I'm not sure about how offensive it was. To lavato it may have been more personal but I feel more for the actress they made say it. They pretty much said " hey she's so thin let's play she has an eating disorder." It's like I said, they put her size on the Eating disorer chart. For both lavato and the actress, it's offensive in some ways.

[CharlieFinley]

When we have lower obesity rates than anorexia rates, we can start telling people how great it is to eat a cheeseburger every now and then. As it is, I'd say there are bigger fish to fry.

[TheBigUnit]

Is Eating Disorder people are those who are ectomorphs or or is it the endomporphs?

both,

i think its more of they are looking for better looking kids, raven wasnt the most attractive haha but was funny,

[Human]

well to me they look pretty normal, not stick thin... and i'd say they wouldn't look as good role models if they were obese

[Cicero]

both,

i think its more of they are looking for better looking kids, raven wasnt the most attractive haha but was funny,

She looked pretty average. I'd rate her a 6 out of 10. So a tad above normal. Chelsea, her friend on the show was more of a 7.

[CharlieFinley]

well to me they look pretty normal, not stick thin... and i'd say they wouldn't look as good role models if they were obese

Plus one. Fat people are worse role models in terms of health than skinny people are, in general.