(tw:ed)

The DSM-IV criteria for Anorexia Nervosa is as follows:

A. A refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g. weight loss leading to a maintenance of body weight less than 85% of that expected, or failure to make expected weight gain during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that expected). B. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. C. Disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.

If a fat person experiences “intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat” and a “disturbance in the way in which their body weight or shape is experienced or undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation”,

then the only criteria they don’t meet for the label of “anorexia” is that they aren’t thin.

The triggers and traumas are all same. The only difference is body size.

If someone is so blindingly authoritarian that they insist on hiding behind the medical label for a disease so they can be “right” and sleep better at night knowing that disease is safe from the fatties, that’s their prerogative.

(We’ll just conveniently forget right here all about the industry lobbying that goes into writing the DSM)

However, just because something factually fits a label, doesn’t make it the truth. Just because a law exists for something, doesn’t make that law right. There are inexplicable amounts of things wrong in this world that continue simply because someone in a position of authority said that it was okay. That doesn’t just suddenly make it okay.

So people can cling onto their sacred label of anorexia if they want to, whilst denying fat people the exact same pains and traumas (ad nauseum). Using an authoritarian label for it doesn’t make it right, no matter how much you tell yourself it does.

-Fatanarchy