Why Lady Gaga's Pro-Anorexic Comments May Trigger Teens

It's no secret that Lady Gaga thrives on pushing boundaries, but a comment she made to US Magazine is raising concerns she may be promoting anorexia.

"It's all about starvation! Pop stars don't eat." Gaga reportedly told the magazine when asked how she maintains her physique.

While Lady Gaga may have said it in jest, numerous pro-anorexia websites are already using her quotes as "thinspiration," a term coined for an image, song or quote that inspires people to starve. Considering most of Gaga's fanbase consists of young, impressionable teen or college-aged women, her comments could be taken seriously -- some of her fans have even said they want to starve to gain Gaga's too-thin physique. But should Lady Gaga's pro-anorexic comments be taken seriously?

Why Lady Gaga's Pro-Anorexic Comments Are Not Okay

While the media is solely responsible for promoting anorexia, I must emphasize it can play a role. Studies show young girls who are exposed more to TV shows or movies featuring thin women have lower self-esteem and have unhealthy eating habits--they're more likely to diet or exercise frequently to lose weight, for example. A smaller percentage of them also engage in eating disordered behavior, including purging, fasting and using diuretics or laxatives to lose weight. Men are also at risk, although it occurs considerably less often.

Lady Gaga's pro-anorexic comments could encourage teens to further engage in their behaviors, which could lead to an eating disorder.

Allison Emert, who blogs about psychological disorders for Examiner.com, also notes her comments could be triggering.

"While many debate whether her statement was sarcastic, truthful or just an attempt to cause a stir, a general consensus has been that her statement was potentially upsetting for many younger, impressionable fans," writes Emert. "This brings to light the serious issue of Anorexia Nervosa and the role the media plays in this disorder. At this time, there is no clear cause of anorexia, but commonly seen factors are a mix of demands from society, peers and family combined with a poor self image."

Lady Gaga's comments are also damaging because it trivializes and glamorizes anorexia. Anorexia nervosa is a chronic, life-threatening psychological disorder that can cause mental and physical harm--it's not a healthy way to lose weight by any means. By making comments such as "It's all about starvation!", it glamorizes starvation as an ideal way to maintain a slim physique, when in actuality it carries severe, adverse long-term effects.

Comments such as "all pop stars do it" also glamorizes anorexia even further by categorizing starvation as a weight loss method exclusively used by the media elite.

Lady Gaga's pro-anorexic comments could tempt her fans to follow suit, even if her comments were intended as as a joke--and that could be dangerous for some impressionable girls and boys.

Sources:
Elena Gorgan, "Lady Gaga Stays Slim by Starving Herself" (Softpedia.com)
Allison Emert, "Lady Gaga Promotes Anorexia" (Examiner.com)