dyke-recovery:

What is thinspiration? (several definitions rolled into one here)

A combination of ‘thin’ and ‘inspiration’. Also known as thinspo.

Thinspiration refers to the images, often of super slim or emaciated (mostly) women/girls often with eating disorders or are rumoured to have an eating disorder. It is most commonly found amongst the eating disorder community, pro anorexia (pro ana) and pro bulimia (pro mia) websites as ‘inspiration’ to lose weight or maintain a (most often) unnaturally low weight. Often the images show protruding bones. 

Thinspiration primarily uses negative reinforcement to push a person to lose weight. Quotes such as “Thinner before dinner” and “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels”.

Thinspiration is often seeked out by people wanting to lose weight and by eating disorder people looking to prolong their illness. There is a direct link between the pro ana/mia community and thinspiration.

What effect does thinspiration have on a person?

A 2006 study at the University of Missouri on 235 female undergraduate students found that those subjected to a single viewing of a pro-ana site created by the study designers reported lower self-esteem and were more likely to become preoccupied with exercise and weight loss, as compared to control groups.

Here is a wonderful explanation written by tumblr blogger fightingthinspo:

Anonymous:  Telling us we’re spreading shit when we’re expressing ourselves and looking for support is no better than telling a depressed person to get over it and that it’s bullshit for them to be depressed. Most pro-ana/mia blogs WARN people that they are not healthy and others warn those in recovery that it may be triggering to follow. So please understand that the people who run the blogs usually do what they can to let others know whats going on is not a well state of mind. Should others still follow, it’s with warning. And often times just so you are aware, it only becomes obvious when it’s a bit late, but usually self esttem issues and shit that lead up to eating disorders are a result of ones upbringing.

Fightingthinspo: Hi Anon

• Tell me anon if a depressed person was blogging about how to get more depressed, how to overdose, how they are hooked to their depression and can’t give it up and how they are looking for a community of other depressed people to console them and make them feel a life of depression was ok would that strike you as odd. similarly what would you think if a person with cancer was giving tips and tricks on how to get cancer and make cancer worse?
• I ask you , are you “looking for support” or are you seeking to normalise your own eating disorder by finding others who also do not want to get help for their eating disorder. Turning a blind eye to the misery of an ED and blogging ways to be “better at it” is not support to anyone.
• Anon I have read the disclaimers, and the warnings and they honestly are nothing more than a sweeping statement allowing the blogger to excuse their own behaviour and emotionally disconnect from the reality of the dangers they know they are dealing with and sharing.
• I will make no apology for getting angry. You are a sufferer of this awful disease but pro ana, et al bloggers need to know there is NO justification or excuse for “spreading tips and giving advice”. Young vulnerable teens women and men are seeing this stuff, children are seeing this stuff and YOU have to take some personal responsibility for how the material you blog and how it is going to be received and the damage it can do.
• Yes self esteem issues can arise in the home, there are many factors apart from pro ana etc on the net that trigger eds but that doesn’t mean we should excuse it <3

What thinspiration encourages

Looking through thinspiration blogs and the tumblr thinspiration tag (i’ve done this so none of you have to), the majority of the blogs encourage food restriction, complete cut of food groups (carbohydrates and fats most commonly), excessive exercising, obsessive calorie counting, unhealthy diets such as the ABC diet, and deceitful behaviours towards family and friends in order to avoid certain foods.

What is the difference between healthy weight loss and thinspiration?

Weightloss inspired by thinspo is more often than not the complete opposite of healthy weight loss. To lose weight in a health manner, one must eat proper portioned meals every 2-3 hours (which thinspo actively encourages the opposite of) so to keep your metabolism at it’s peak and exercise 30 to 60 minutes a day.

When serving a meal, on your plate should be 1-2 carbohydrates (2 potatoes, 2 slices of bread), 2-3 serves of vegetables (1 cup) and 1 protein (a piece of meat a little bigger than the size of your palm, 250g tofu). Including the three main meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner), snacks are encouraged. morning tea, afternoon tea and sometimes, dessert and supper depending on your life style. Don’t cut out junk foods just because they are seen as unhealthy, enjoy a chocolate bar, 45g packet of chips, piece of cake for a snack food. You can eat anything you like provided it’s within moderation.

A healthy BMI is between 19 and 25. BMI measures your height to your weight, it is not an exact science and BMI measuring can be off. You can be within these measurements but still not be healthy. If that’s the case for you, i suggest seeing your local doctor. BMI is just a really really basic thing to measure your healthy weight range.

Bottom line: Don’t delude yourself! Thinspiration isn’t going to get you to the ‘perfect weight’. Why? Because there is no such thing as the perfect weight. There is no such thing as perfection. Thinspiration won’t bring you self acceptance it will bring you self hate.