ARGUMENT

Danielle Dubois

Holly Pappas

English 101

April 27, 2012

Argument

Pro-Ana

                In society today being thin has consumed young girls to the point where they are encouraging each other through social networking sites to drop the pounds. Not only are they being pressured by the television and magazines but now online media sources are a huge problem.  Pro-Ana sites at a glance seem to be supportive and positive, but in reality the information is often negative and life threatening.  Pro-Ana is a term that means Pro-Anorexia. These sites even warn the readers and bloggers that “You don't have to agree, but you should respect the words and opinions of others, and find a positive way to communicate even when you disagree. Be constructive and positive, not destructive and negative” (PrettyThin).

                Anorexia is a disorder that takes over your entire way of thinking about your body.  Not only does it affect your mind but the person with the disease goes to extreme lengths to make themselves “perfect”. Perfect to them is striving to keep losing weight no matter how thin or sick they make themselves.  “Some will diet to dangerous levels or exercise excessively” (Pearson).  They will not stop until they achieve their weight goal, but once they reach their goal they continue to harm themselves because their goal isn’t good enough. “The disorder involves extreme weight loss—at least 15% below the individual's "ideal" weight--and a refusal to maintain body weight that is even minimally normal for their age and height and body frame” (The Eating Disorder Foundation).  Anorexia changes the way their minds see their self-images. What they see as beautiful, to others looks sickly, so they struggle to keep their disorder a secret.  Deep down they know what they are doing is harmful to their health, but their number one priority is to lose weight.  Hiding their disorders becomes a key element so that others do not try to get them help.  

                Society is so focused on being thin and young girls can’t help but to strive for the same image.  “The Pro-Ana Thinspiration movement is a disturbing merging of social media and eating disorders” (Boyer).  The Pro-Ana sites are meant to be a positive support group for girls and woman who are struggling with their anorexia.  “Thinspiration, or "thinspo," are a collection of images, words, mantra's, and associations intended to "inspire" or otherwise motivate an individual to be thin” (PrettyThin). These sites are often used in a negative way by putting Pro-Ana quotes like “nothing tastes as good as thin feels” (Boyer), these quotes encourage starvation.  This is why the sites are encouraging girls in an unhealthy way.  It is teaching them a deadly lifestyle that can cause permanent damage and even have a fatal outcome. “Despite acknowledging that their disordered eating had likely caused the physical ailment, they were usually unwilling to change their eating behavior, and thus welcomed opinions from others who could relate to these challenges” (Juarascio).

                People who use these sites feel a sense of comfort because they know they aren’t the only one who is struggling with an eating disorder. The girls on the sites mainly use it as a place to make relationships with others that feel the same way as they do.  They feel like it is a safe spot to share stories and pictures of their daily progress. “Sites and communities like this not only are great supplements to other support systems, they sometimes are the only support system a person has” (PrettyThin). If they were encouraging each other to be healthier then it would be a positive and encouraging website but because they are using them with tips and tricks of how to starve and purge they are harming themselves and others who are reading these sites.

                These sites will never be able to be completely positive, but hopefully the stresses of being thin will not provoke young girls to look them up. Hopefully the sites will be used as a positive way to interact and help each other overcome their eating disorders. “Recovery is a long road. It is a journey that is best traveled with others” (ANAD). I believe that if these sites were monitored somehow then they would be a positive and informational site that would benefit people who have struggled with eating disorders.  Until they find a way to sort out the problems with these Pro-Ana sites they still cause harm and promote negative information to women all over the world.

Works Cited

"ANAD." National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

Boyer, Timothy. "Pro-Ana Thinspiration: Signs, Symptoms and One Test of Women Dying to Be Thin. Emaxhealth: Daily Health News. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

Juarascio Adrienne S., Amber Shoaib & C. Alix Timko. Pro-Eating Disorder Communities on Social Networking Sites: A Content Analysis, Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention. 23 Sep. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2012

Pearson, Linda C. "How the Social Pressure to Be Thin Affects Young Girls." Helium. 07 Feb. 2011. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. 

"PrettyThin." The World’s Largest Eating Disorder Community and Forum. 2012. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

"The Eating Disorder Foundation." About Eating Disorders. The Eating Disorder Foundation. 2005. Web. 27 Apr. 2012.

Proposal for Arguments

Why is anorexia/bulimia a problem, when we know it's life threatening?

Why is obesity a problem in the United States? What can we do to prevent it? Why do we insist on putting on the weight?

Are we taking advantage of fast food chains? Do we consume to much of it? Why do we continue to if we know of the dangers and health effects?

Is there a problem with artificial dyes in food?

Sugars and sweeteners that we add to our food, are they causing a bigger problem than we think?

World hunger and what we are doing to help it, how we can fix it, and the causes as to why so many people are going hungry.

Reading Journal 7

A Thin Line Between Mother and Daughter This article was really interesting because anorexia isn't just about food, it's about many things, it's self image and is even known as a disease of consciousness. Young girls are learning about 'Good' food and 'Bad' food, and this author has learned it from her mother. I absolutely can relate to this article. Girls learn that thin is 'good', just open a magazine or turn on your television. Not being thin is known as 'bad', when you relate your weight like that you transfer those thoughts to what is making you heavier which is food, labeling them as bad or good. I've never been a tiny girl compared to my friends and the pressure has always been there, but I haven't ever been anorexic. If anything I was an over eater, who use to eat junk food in a very out of control way. I labeled the food I was eating as 'bad' but that didn't stop me from eating it. This author labeled food as bad but she stopped eating it, this caused her to eventually be anorexic, which can be very dangerous and lead to death. At the end of this article she commits to a promise that if she has a daughter she will not let her daughter know about diets, good and bad foods, and I think this is a good thing. Everyone has so much pressure from outside sources you don't need it from your own mother, or anyone close to you, in that case.

Reading Journal 6

The Trouble with Fries The introduction explains how Ray Kroc loves making shakes, and finds out there are people who have a hamburger stand and it is basically the first 'fast food' type of thing. He loves it so much, especially the fries, he buys it from the two men, who just happen to be the McDonald brothers. Ray Kroc bought it from the brothers and that is how McDonald's came about. He was obsessed with fries. He said it was an art that he mastered into a science, but the fact is, fast food is killing us. The article moves on saying to make it better for us they should cook the french fries in a less dangerous oil, they even give an example of one, but do you really think these fast food chains are going to change the way their fries are cooked. Almost everyone enjoys them, whether from McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, etc! Too many people like them for them to change the way they make them. They said the only solution is to get another Ray Kroc who would try to make a health conscience fast food chain, which could happen, but I think most people would still go to the more popular fast food places, even though they aren't healthy, but I would love to try a healthy fast food burger and fries, but it probably won't even be created!

Ethnography Rough Draft

Hair tied back tightly into pony tails, all wearing black shoes, dress pants, and vests. White dress shirts must be tucked in, maroon ties and name tags on, at all times. This is what all the dinning staff does at Blenheim Newport in Middletown. Blenheim is an assissted living home where I work, and every night when it hits 4 o'clock me and the other workers set out to feed the residents, and doing this we all dress exactly alike. Not only do we dress alike we work alike. I must say the night staff is really good at what they do.

When you step out of the kitchen doors and into the dinning room you are flooded with so many things. The maroon, tan, and every other color possible carpet that lines the floor, you will notice that there is some crumbs left from lunch so later tonight whoever vacuums will have to do it even better. The vacuum is in the closet in one of the corners. It only holds tray stands, the vacuum, extra linen, and the bin of napkins. The ten tables in the middle of the room that hold four people each, and the other five tables against the yellow and white walls that only hold two people. You might notice a napkin missing or a fork missing, that couldn't have been put out after lunch because the silverware hadn't been finished when they had to leave their shift. Before even setting up for dinner, you must fix it. You see a giant column in the middle of two tables, and it is actually very pretty, but if you are waitstaff, you will realize that this is completely in the way, and if it wasn't needed to hold up the ceiling you would gladly take it out yourself! On the ceiling itself is two large, gold chandeliers. They are very beautiful and match the gold sconces on the walls. Also on the walls are pictures of boats and the beach, and in the one of the corners in the dining room there is a large window. The window is wide and big and lets the sun shine in. You can see trees, bushes, birds, and bunnies outside and if you look far enough away you can see a giant hill and on top of it is a beautiful house, and if you are looking outside at just the right time you can see the sun setting behind the hill that lights the house up. There is a table directly in front of this one window in the dinning room, and if you have that section, you know many people will want to sit there. Next to the window and that table is the soup station. It is made of dark wood and some sort of heavy granite top. The soup, saucers, and cups sit there, all very hot because of the warmers. My favorite soup is turkey barley and the worse, maybe more so for the smell, is split pea, in my opinion. I open the top of the soup to put a ladle in and notice it is neither, it is the residents favorite, clam chowder.

The waitstaff works well together. We all do things, like they were assigned to us, even though they aren't. You must fix the dining room if needed, put out the menus, make coffee, set up bread baskets and put them on each table, along with the creamers, butters, and waters. One of us will put more saucers and cups out on the soup station and bring a ladle out also. There must be crackers in the drawer at all times. The salad station in the kitchen must be restocked with dressings, Italian, ranch, Russian, and the most popular, blue cheese. There is also oil and vinegar available. You must make sure there is plenty of salad, both romaine and iceberg. The vegetables must also be filled and if there isn't any tomatoes in it, you better find some! The fruit goes fast, so make an extra box of it and put it underneath, were we hold the whipped cream, chocolate sauce, and the extra bins of dressings. The fruit is delicious, filled with watermelon, pineapple, cantaloupe, and honeydew. The cook of the night will bring the waitstaff together and we will do a pre-meal of all the things that is on the dinner menu tonight. If you have any questions ask now, because later it will be very busy. After that setting up is still not done, but some of the residents like to come a little early to get their favorite seats, since it is first come first, and there is no saving seats. We quickly write down the desserts in the fridge, always having tapioca, chocolate, vanilla pudding, and sugar free jello. The other desserts in there vary because it depends on what they had the night before for dessert. We finish setting up the kitchen, bringing tea kettles into the front of the kitchen so that it will be faster if we need to make tea. The night staff always begins on napkins. We fold and fold and fold until the bin that holds them is completely full, so that later in the night we will not have to waste time folding them.

We do this so quickly now, there is only five residents, at most in the dining room. One of the waitstaff will go out and get them soup, salad, or fruit, while the others still fold. After we are done, that is when more people start showing up, our timing is great. We split up into our own sections and take orders. We bring extra things, like sauce, straws, paper napkins, and once I even brought a band-aid, one of the residents had cut her finger, there wasn't any blood, since you would have had to call an RN immediately, but she just wanted one just to cover the small, paper-cut like wound. You are constantly being attacked by the red, blue, and silver walkers that line the once empty walkways. You must stop what you are doing and put them in the hallway out of the dining room, out of the way. If a person with a wheelchair comes, you must move the chair also into the same hallway. You can not help anyone up, if they ask tell them if they need help to press their buttons, that will call for an aid. If someone falls because of you, you will get in trouble. You serve them food, talk, and even joke with them, but you never help them up. You also have to make sure you know who is diabetic, their allergies, and who is on a special diet, you do not want to give them something that could hurt them. Many of them tell us stories. Many of the residents ask questions and just like to talk to you. That is my favorite part of my job. There is nothing like hearing a story of the 'olden days', about their husbands you've never met, or their kids you've never seen, even about their parents. You learn of all the places they have been and all the oceans they have sailed. The conversation isn't one sided either. They ask about your family, if you have a boyfriend, how school is going, and even compliment you on your earrings. Some even say that they love my company, and I say it back, and I really do mean it. We all laugh together. This is the best part of being the waitstaff at Blenheim. You learn so many things, and if you don't learn anything you just have a nice conversation or two.

After the residents leave for the night, usually around seven or so, you have until eight to clean up the entire kitchen, your section, and set up the dining room so it is ready for breakfast. Again we all break into our own little sections like they were assigned, when they aren't. We get everything done, and we sign it on a list. We turn the lights off and the last one out shuts the main doors to the dining room. Another night done, and tomorrow will almost be identical to the last, except for the exceptional stories. The waitstaff change out of their clothes, put our hair down, and we punch out, tired. We say goodnight and talk until we reach our cars. We are the night staff of Blenheim, we get along, we share all our stories, and we laugh, but we also work extremely hard, to make sure we give the residents our very best service.

The American Male at Age Ten

In the first paragraph she explains what he likes, dreams, and wants in life. The second paragraph gives a very detailed description of Colin, you can basically see him in your mind with the way she detailed him to life on the page. The third paragraph gives a background on Colin's family and were he is from.

After that it goes into more detail. The fourth paragraph tells about Colin's school, future, friends, popularity, sports, about how his life is now and were it might possibly go. The fifth paragraph gets deeper and tells us that he is in between having a child's mind and growing more mature. After it gives examples on how he is maturing the essay goes in a different direction.

It starts to show Colin's every day life. How he goes to Danny's Pizzeria and the older teenagers push him and his friend around. How girls are still in the "they have cooties phase", but yet there is one girl that isn't as "gross" as the others. Colin and his friend ignore the younger kids than them, just like the older teenagers did to them.

Then the writer takes a spin and puts more informational substance in the essay. How being a ten year old boy is a very important age, and how it is very necessary to be sex educated, then it goes to when the boys were in the locker rooms being "silly about their pants".

Then it goes back to Colin's everyday life and starts off in his bedroom, and tells you what it looks like. Then it turns into a question and answer kinda deal. Then it mentions money and how he likes it and knows it is an important part of life.

Then it again changes back into what Colin does in his backyard, how he makes spider webs. He started making a web when he was mad at a kid from school. I think this was a way to let Colin deal with his anger and stress and helps his ten year old mind escape in a way.

Even though Susan Orlean jumps around A LOT in the essay it makes sense and flows very nicely. This essay was very interesting and very easy to just pick up and read.

Reading Journal 5

Test-Tube Burgers

Just reading the title alone, made my stomach turn! EW! I'm sure it would be a great scientific achievement, like they state in the article, but I really do not want to eat meat that was made from a lab. It said in the article that people laugh at the idea, but to me that just sounds disgusting. I understand that the way we get meat now, is very bad for the earth and for the people on it, but it just doesn't sound right to have our meat test-tube made. If this ends up being the way meat will be made for us to consume, I really do not think I will eat it, and there is nothing better to me than a giant cheese burger!