There is an ongoing conversation about the role of triggering material in the form of books, recording artists, magazines, movies and the infamous after school specials (Do they even make those anymore?).  Now this even occurs in the form of websites!

Many people who have had eating disorders can cite which materials they used to help fuel their disorder.  So often, "the media" is blamed for much of this.  I don't doubt for one moment that this contributes, but when taken away from all of these things, I still had moments where the eating disordered thoughts were present.  The thoughts came from within and I looked for anything that I could to validate my negative cognitions.  Despite cutting the tags out of my clothes, staying off of the scale (okay, at least trying not to get on it), I could still be triggered by comparing myself to others (or to my previous measurements) in ways that are likely common to eating disordered individuals.

During the eating disorder, I even sought out triggering material to keep myself in the eating disordered mindset, or to try to tip myself into the disorder when I wasn't totally consumed by it.

I remember talking to a friend about it at the time.  We both agreed that "triggering material" did make us feel bad about ourselves, but being exposed to it alone didn't "drive" the eating disorder unless we were already heading down that all to familiar slippery slope.  


It is time to be honest with ourselves... 

WE SUPPORT THE MEDIA EVERYDAY THROUGH OUR CHOICES!

It is our choice to buy People magazine (Glamour, Vogue, Seventeen, or Marie Claire).  If we stop buying it, they will stop printing it.

Throw away those triggering books and magazines.  (If this is hard for you to do, ask yourself why...)

It is our choice to watch television. 

Admit it, the commercials are horrible. The Kaiser Family Foundation published in March 2007 that kids 8-12 years old averaged 21 food ads every day; 7,600 commercials each year!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17831211/ (MSNBC coverage of this story)
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/7537.cfm (Kaiser Family Foundation official report)

The FTC (Federal Trade Commission) released a statement in June 2007 taking the position that kids aged 2-11 are not in fact viewing more food ads than in previous years.  As a result Kaiser Family Foundation released the following statement. 
http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/7654.pdf

Who right?  Until the studies are completed, the jury is out. 

Eating disorders are not choices, but we can limit our exposure to potentially "triggering messages."  We also have a responsibility to report negative messages.  Participate in the National Eating Disorders Association--Media Watchdog Program.
http://nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=300



Take care of yourself,
Leslie

Learn more at http://www.edrsweb.org