which is worse?

[Dav1d]

if you had to be one or the other for the rest of your life, would you choose to be anorexic or morbidly obese?

[Caycedilla]

I don’t think anyone would want to choose either, even if forced to. I don’t understand how a question in a forum like this would help anyone with either of these circumstances? They struggle enough as it is

[Katie2003]

Yeah, I don't understand the reason for your question. But........I'm a really big girl at around 200 pounds, while not morbidly obese I'm OK with my size and have come to terms with it. So given that choice, I would choose weight over an illness that can be difficult to cure (which is what anorexia is).

From what I understand, from a medical health standpoint being somewhat overweight is seen as healthier than being a lot underweight. Of course if taken to extremes, nothing is good.

[Zika]

[QUOTE=Katie2003;3763006]I would choose weight over an illness that can be difficult to cure (which is what anorexia is).

You seem to be endorsing the view that anorexia is an illness and obesity is not, and is something easy to take care of.

From what I understand, from a medical health standpoint being somewhat overweight is seen as healthier than being a lot underweight. Of course if taken to extremes, nothing is good.

The classic straw man. He said "morbidly obese," not somewhat overweight.
I don't think any medical person would say being morbidly obese is more healthy than being anorexic.

[Zika]

I would choose anorexic.

People who are underweight are not subjected to nearly the negative societal views and prejudices as people who are overweight. In general, anorexia is considered an illness; obesity is considered a lack of willpower or lazyness; a behavioral problem, but not a legit illness.

Look at this site. None of the stickies under "Eating Disorders" involve over eating (except binging, which is part of the binge/purge disorder), despite the fact that obesity is a much more prevalent problem in our society than anorexia/bulimia.

Anorexic women (except perhaps the most extremely anorexic) are considered attractive. Obese women or men are not, nor are they portrayed positively on tv or in advertisements.

In addition, obesity, even moderate overweight has far more medical consequences than anorexia.

[KatieCO2003]

Zika,

When I started to experience PTSD (about the time I started to remember details of what happened to me), I wasn't able to eat or keep anything down. I had to go back into the ICU and was down to 68 lbs before they got me stabilized. Since then, I have fought every day to gain weight. I'm just under 90 lbs right now because I got sick over Christmas and lost 4.
There's nothing stylish or cool or glamorous about anorexia. Nobody thought I was attractive. And since I got out of the hospital, I've had an endless stream of whispers or outright comments about my size, my weight, my lack of boobs or a butt, how I look like a boy, how I look like a little kid, how I look sick or anorexic or what's wrong with her, etc. The grass is NOT greener. I almost died. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

[Zika]

Zika,

When I started to experience PTSD (about the time I started to remember details of what happened to me), I wasn't able to eat or keep anything down. I had to go back into the ICU and was down to 68 lbs before they got me stabilized. Since then, I have fought every day to gain weight. I'm just under 90 lbs right now because I got sick over Christmas and lost 4.
There's nothing stylish or cool or glamorous about anorexia. Nobody thought I was attractive. And since I got out of the hospital, I've had an endless stream of whispers or outright comments about my size, my weight, my lack of boobs or a butt, how I look like a boy, how I look like a little kid, how I look sick or anorexic or what's wrong with her, etc. The grass is NOT greener. I almost died. I wouldn't wish this on anyone.

I didn't say anything about people with anorexia not struggling. I'm not sure where you got that from.
You seem very defensive about this. It's true, the most severely anorexic people are not considered attractive. But many of them who don't look like skin hanging on bones are considered attractive.
In fact, one of the things people say is a pressure on girls is that girls who are clinically anorexic are seen as being stylish and attractive. Many ballerinas, who are considered to have perfect bodies, are in fact anorexic.

Yes, people make all kinds of comments about people's bodies. But people don't make general ASSumptions about lazyness, undesireability or lack of willpower regarding anorexics. There's no evidence of discrimination against anorexics in hiring.

Despite you're being under 90 pounds, I don't think anyone who saw the pic to which you linked in a recent post would say you're not attractive.

I can tell you that the comments and outright verbal and physical bullying, if not outright abuse I've seen of overweight boys and girls is far worse than comments about having no butt or boobs.

I wouldn't wish obesity or anorexia on anyone. That wasn't the question which was asked.

Overall, in our society, it's much more acceptable to be underweight than overweight. That was my point.

[Max the Disenchanter]

Obviously anorexia.

[InternetTeen]

What kinda question this? I'd rather be who I am right now.

[KatieCO2003]

Overall, in our society, it's much more acceptable to be underweight than overweight. That was my point.[/QUOTE]

You've made some very valid points. And I agree that there is a bias toward thin athletic people. But only to a point. And I've seen what's beyond that point. And it's just as bad. People may idolize thinness, but when they encounter someone who truly is anorexic or sick, they act just as nasty and judgmental. I'm not talking about generally slim girls. I'm talking about real anorexia or illness. When you're bones show and your face is sunken in and you look like you've been in a Nazi concentration camp.
You're judging me on a photo that was taken when I was almost at my target weight. And it's one of the best photos of me that I have, which is why I chose it. You haven't seen what I looked like when I was sick. When I was scared to eat because everything I did came right back up. When I had been vomiting for weeks and my liver wasn't functioning and my left kidney shut down, and my brain was so messed up that I spent hours screaming and crying in crippling anxiety.
And yeah, I am defensive about it.

Why can't we just say what is really true? That most people only like what they see as "most people" or "normal". People like other people that are similar to themselves or what they wish they could be. Step outside of that norm, in either direction, and they get incredibly judgmental, hateful, and ugly.

[Sailor Mars]

No. Just no. :locked: