You may have seen that former Deputy Prime Minster John Prescott has come forward about his struggle with Bulimia. I feel very much that Mr. Prescott should be commended and supported for his actions. He is helping to being this condition into the public eye and to demonstrate its far reaching fingers (haha no pun intended). To you Mr. Prescott I wish you well in recovery and I thank you for you courage. Oh and also, I believe you! I am FURIOUS however, about Dr. Ty Glover's comment that "It’s hard enough for a young girl to confess to, but for a high-profile male politician approaching 70, it’s especially impressive." Hold up? Say WHAT???? Is it more impressive because Mr. Prescott was busy running the country AND having an eating disorder? Is it more impressive because, he, a white middle class male who as a rule is at a lesser risk of developing this condition, was able to come forward? Is it because he stepped out of the NORM of bulimia in that he is not a sick young woman with a heart condition???? BULLSHIT. I SAY BULLSHIT Dr. Glover. The fact that we have this norm demonstrates the ignorance of your statement. You say it is impressive that a white wealthy man who can pay for the best mental health care is more impressive than a young woman with lesser economic resources and a whole culture that instructs her to be thin? SHAME ON YOU!!!!!! SHAME! Yes Mr. Prescott is dealing with different social pressures, but your value judgment SMACKS of sexism.
We were biking....hence the helmet
He was commenting on eating disorders, and the fact that despite they are so common across all different social and cultural groups, they are still a taboo subject and not openly discussed. He commended John Prescott on the fact that he's a high profile figure, and anyone with any understanding of eating disorders knows that high achievers tend to suffer more, and it is less socially acceptable for them to admit to suffering any kind of problem. What a ridiculous way of looking at Dr Glover's comment. He is the leading Doctor in the campaign to get pro-ana sites shut down on the internet, because the majority of his patients are teenage girls who are succeptable to such sites. Dr Glover was standing up for all sufferers of eating disorders by acknowledging how it is STILL a grey area in society, and that it takes a lot of guts to admit to it, whoever you may be.
And as a patient of his, I feel incredibly defensive because he has been the best Doctor who has ever treated me, and does so much work for all sufferers, that I think it's offensive to accuse him of making inappropriate comments.
DR Glover is just explaining how hard it is to admit to such a problem as many sufferers don't see themselves as 'ill' and having the strength to stand up and say i have one help is very brave and i fully unsdertand his comment that for someone in the media to admit to it is quite brave.
Dr Glover only wishes to help people and fights against this illness with sufferers and tries to restore them to health and bring back their lives i thank him for everything he has done for me and all other sufferers he is a great consultant.