Although I usually enjoy ”The Buckets” comic strip, I was quite disappointed and insulted by the June 18 strip. It presented bulimia as an alternative, though unattractive, to dieting or maintaining a healthy lifestyle-a dangerous idea too many people already believe. This is a clear example of the ignorance surrounding eating disorders. Eating disorders are diseases.
As a recovered bulimic, I thought perhaps I was being overly sensitive, so I asked several others for their opinion. No one found it amusing.
Anorexia and bulimia are similar to alcoholism in that a socially acceptable behavior (eating/drinking) becomes an obsessive, uncontrollable activity. The causes of eating disorders are numerous, but there are many ways to get help.
The shame and negativity surrounding eating disorders are a painful reality. There is a fine line between empathy with a situation and laughing at it. One can be cathartic, and the other damaging and irresponsible.
