I Am Aware of My Body and My Health! (Eating Disorder Awareness)

Hey guys, what’s up?

So, this week is National Eating Disorder Awareness Week. The name speaks for itself- an entire week dedicated to making people aware of eating disorders like bulimia, anorexia, etc. This is for the ladies, the gentlemen, and everyone in between.

I have personally never had an eating disorder, nor personally known anyone with an eating disorder, but I am aware of how serious eating disorders can be- physically and mentally. I know that reading fiction books (or even non-fiction books or autobiographies) with main characters who struggle with eating disorders can never compare to experiencing it in real life, even with the small glimpse.

The problem is that eating disorders can be disguised as diets. Diets that start out regular can sometimes turn into eating disorders. And for those who live in societies that pressure people to look a certain way and weigh a certain number of pounds or kilograms, it’s astounding how more people are not aware of the dangers of dieting and doubting how far it can go.

Have I ever been dissatisfied with the way I look? Of course. Have I ever thought of myself as anything but beautiful? Yes. Have I ever tried to change the way I look? Sure. Have I ever tried to diet or police what I eat and how I eat it? Only calorie-wise. I realized that I sometimes eat over 3,500 calories a day (not healthy… maybe even for those who do extraneous exercise) in school when the average adult is only supposed to intake 2,100 to 2,500 calories, give or take a few, depending on the amount of daily exercising and such. But a “true” diet, such as one that cuts out bread or meals altogether? No. I see myself as a healthy, somewhat fit (martial arts and running, woohoo) young woman who can sometimes underestimate my worth based on beauty ideals that are not my own. Still, at the end of the day I do not attempt to change how my body looks by overeating or under-eating.

(Doctor-prescribed diets are another thing- those are really only for those who are in danger of complications with their health.)

Once we are aware, then what? The ideal thing is to promote that “healthy is in,” rather than a certain body type (i.e. – thin, athletic, thick, etc.). It will not be easy- society will always have its expectations, but the policing begins with us. What are our individual standards? What do we want for our kids and young people? Health begins not only with us, but it also begins in the mind. If children see or hear about “issues” with human bodies, they will begin to compare, contrast, put two and two together and look to us to see how we handle this.

That said, keep in mind that setting a positive example and explaining misconceptions to a few people can make so much of a difference. It starts with one. Thanks for reading, you’re all beautiful!

“Body, body, body language,”

~H.P. Echo~

I Am Busy! (Week's Hiatus Notice)

Hello my peoples!

Due to the busy happenings in my college life (assignments, projects, extracurriculars, down time, etc.), I cannot post this week. Sorry, but school work comes first...

Much of my project deadlines are for Friday and Monday, so I should be able to post as usual on the 25th (also be aware that some of these projects are continuous so delays may happen now and again, but rest assured that I will try my darnedest to post weekly among the craziness). I apologize if I inconvenienced anyone.

As usual, thank you so much for reading and for your patience!

Bring it on,
~H.P. Echo~

I Am a Feminist!

 (Feminist button bought from I <3 Female Orgasm 2012 event)

 

Hey guys! Welcome back!

So, as always, the title dictates. I’m a feminist!

Let’s jump straight into it with some Myth-busting Time:

1. Not all feminists are women. I know a good number of guys who support equal rights. If you support equal rights among everyone, guess what? You’re a feminist, too!

2. Men who are feminists are not all gay. See #1. Guys across the spectrum support equal rights.

3. Feminist women are not lesbian man-haters that want to rule over men. I cannot speak for all women, of course, but women just want equal rights. Sexual orientation doesn't matter. And ruling over men would create imbalance and the same problem of unequal rights would begin again. Besides, I’m bisexual- you know that to be bisexual, I have to like men to some degree (haha).

Now, you may have noticed that I keep throwing around the phrase “equal rights.” That’s because that is just what they are- rights that women want to be equal between all genders (women, men, and people who don’t label themselves as either). The more common phrase is “women’s rights,” but I think “equal rights” is the more politically correct term.

Think of it like this: “women’s rights” are not special rights. They are merely rights that women want so that they can be equal to men and have the same privileges. If you’re not convinced, think about the phrases “gay rights” or “gay weddings.” We don’t call heterosexual weddings “straight weddings” or their rights “straight rights,” do we? Neither are the rights of humans called “men’s rights” and shouldn’t really be labeled “women’s rights” either- they are “human rights.” See what I mean?

So why am I a feminist? Well, I could say it’s because I am a woman; anyone could argue that this makes me a feminist by default. But no, I don’t think I’ve always been a feminist. I mean- I’ve supported equal rights my whole life, but it was in silence and without full knowledge of what was going on. I actually took a Women’s Studies course last semester that changed my outlook on many things. I now look at things more closely, somewhat scrutinizing advertisements and comments for sexist assumptions and expectations (for both genders, too!). You would be amazed how many there are.

So what’s changed for me? I now profess that I am (take note of the button that resides on my bookbag above), indeed, a feminist. I choose not to laugh at sexist comments or illustrations (i.e.: pictures or comments telling the woman to get back in the kitchen). And I choose not to date (and attempt not to associate with) sexist people who do not change their ways (dated a semi-sexist guy that had like-minded friends. I will not be doing that again…). Even these personal little actions can make any a feminist. Even better would be doing community/feminist work. I have not yet worked up to that, but I have attended Take Back the Night events (community events of awareness and to support survivors of sexual assault, sexual abuse and rape) and this week I will be attending my first ever V-day event (and by “V-day” I do not mean Valentine’s Day, per se. Here, take a look: http://www.vday.org/home. It is kind of hard to explain, especially since I’ve yet to attend one. It seems to be similar to Take Back the Night, though. I’ll report back after I attend). Now that is a good way to spend a good Valentine’s Day… perhaps I’ll ask my crush to go?

As with most of my topics, this is merely the tip of the iceberg. But what would you take away from this if all I did was overwhelm you?

Thanks for reading- I really appreciate it.

Love abound,

~H.P. Echo~

P.S: Here is a little present for everyone, whether you’re single and ready to mingle, in a relationship, in a complicated relationship or whatever other relationship status Facebook offers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDMwpVUhxAo&list=HL1360640621