Whenever I’ve gone online to search for weight loss
information, it doesn’t take long before I find
“thinspo”. For those who don’t
know, Urban Dictionary defines thinspo as:
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Thinspo is a
abbrievation for thinspiration.
Thinspiration
is two words put together to create a simular but different meaning. Thin and
inspiration.
Thinspo is
used by people suffering from eating disorders to help keep them inspired.
The idea
behind thinspo is that it helps motivate and inspire you to lose weight and
become or stay thin.
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The “weight loss” and “fitness” tags on Tumblr are just
littered with the stuff. And if you search for it directly, you are littered
with gems such as:
And this:
It was on Tumblr that I first heard of Skinny Bitch. The thinspo
folk praise this shit out of this book. This alone was enough to tell me this
book was bad news, but I bought it anyways. Yes, I bought a book because a
bunch of starved baked potatoes on tumblr told me it was the best thing ever.
Were they right? Is it the best thing ever? Well, in a word,
no.
Time for some context. Skinny
Bitch by Rory Freedman and and Kim Barnouin, is a diet book advocating a
vegan lifestyle in order to lose weight. It was released in 2005, but it didn’t
see a lot of popularity until Victoria Beckham was seen carrying it around. By
the summer of 2007 it was on the best sellers lists in the US and the UK.
I am currently trying to transition myself into a vegan
diet, but this is no thanks to Skinny
Bitch. Even though the authors are arguing for a cause I believe strongly
in (veganism), their methods and information are so horrid that I cannot, in
good conscious, support it. This book is an absolute travesty. Belittling and
insulting language. Tons of anti-feminist sentiments. Pseudoscience galore.
While taking notes for this book, the phrase “That’s not how
that works!” showed up 11 times. I think
that’s the most appropriate summary I could give of this book.
Fruit rots and ferments in your stomach when eaten with
other foods? That’s not how that works.
Aspertame causes arthritis, fibromyalgia, lupus, MS,
diabetes, and a few other scary diseases? Um, no. That’s not how that works.
You need to drink eight glasses of water a day to flush the
toxins out of your body? That’s not how that fucking works.
Many people experience horrible illnesses, like cancer,
because they carry around negative feelings and emotions? My gawd, ladies, did
it ever occur to you to research this shit before vomiting it on paper? THAT’S
NOT HOW THAT WORKS!!
But all of that insanity isn’t even the main problem I have
with “Skinny Bitch”. The real reason I bring up this 7 year old “health” book
is much more subtle.
The first time I read Skinny
Bitch was about a year ago. I was in a rough place, mentally. I felt ugly,
fat, and useless. I would hardly make the effort on my appearance, because I
just didn’t see the point. I was hideous no matter how I dressed myself up. I
spent all my time trying stupid diets, looking at the thinspo on tumblr, and
trying new exercise regimes. This book seemed like a godsend at a time when I
felt so horrible.
It’s like these people knew me. And they knew what was best
for me. I was a fat pig and a stupid pussy, but I knew I could change. Be
better.
Back then I didn’t pay attention to the obvious flaws in the
science and philosophy. When the authors openly admitted to not following all
of their rules, or said they just wrote the book for publicity, I just glanced
right over. But when they told me I was a lazy shit…
Reading it through a second time was amazing. All of this
bullshit, clouded by my former insecurities, was now so horrifically vivid. And
I’m not just talking about the brutal sections on animal torture. The authors
of this book have a great talent for replicating that voice inside of your head
that tells you you’re fat and useless.
Some of my favorite thinspo gems from this book include:
“Don’t be a pig anymore. You know what you have to do, now
do it. But don’t go anorexic on us, either.”
“Every day in every way my ass is getting smaller.”
“If you think you
are fat and that diets never work and that you’ll always be fat, then yes, you are fat and diets never work and you
will always be fat…So if you feel you
are meant to be thin, and believe Skinny Bitch will make you lose weight
and know that this book is going to
change your life, you will be thing,
you will lose weight, and your life will change.”
Ick. Ick Ick Ick.
Do I think you should
read this?
Have you actually read this fucking review? Gawd no. Whether you are looking for weight loss
advice or information on veganism, there are so many more fantastic sources out
there.
How about instead of spending that $10 bucks on a stupid
diet book, go donate it to the National Eating Disorders Association or Mercy
For Animals. The warm glow in your heart from making a charitable donation will
feel so much better then the horrible self-loathing you gain from this book.
I give Skinny Bitch 7
out of 100 heads of lettuce.
Sources:
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