ANOREXIA is the most deadly psychiatric disorder. It is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight.
Many people facing this disorder, strive to attain the perfect body shape, not knowing that “perfect” is what they already are.
“Amanda was just in secondary school, when she started watching her weight.
She felt that she was consuming too much food,
And as such, losing her nice body shape.
So, she had to change her meal chart and her taste,
Just to meet her desired results.
Amanda started taking slim tea,
But with time she felt she needed even more slim tea and some pills for a better outcome,
She started spending more time at the gym than her house
So she could burn fats.
And very soon skipping meals became a culture,
And some times she would hide under the excuse of fasting.
Oh! If only, just if only Amanda knew,
That, she wasn’t just starving her body,
But also her self esteem.
Because as time went on,
Amanda had lost so much weight,
But was never proud of the body she was in.
If only someone told her that she was born a queen;
In a beautiful African shape, with all shades of her melanin shining.
And as such, she didn’t need to lower her standards
Because her original body shape could not be gained,
And that was the S.I unit for perfection.
Oh! If only, just if only Amanda knew,
That all the times she checked the mirror frequently, to see if she had lost weight were not necessary,
Because she is a mirror, showing her heritage;
Her beautiful body tells the history of Africa;
And even the black hair on her head is like rivers of memories.
Flowing from her head to her shoulders.
All the times she forced herself to vomit after meals were not necessary because she was trying to vomit her origin,
Her proud black origin and the struggles of an African woman
That were boldly inscribed on her skin as stretch marks.
Oh! If only, just if only Amanda knew,
That she didn’t have to lose all her weight,
Trying to gain the perfect shape,
Like the models she saw on TV.
Because by nature her body was the CV she needed to gain membership into the African family;
Because once she lost it, she had lost her identity.
If only she knew she didn’t have to be like Ariana Grande or Beyonce to look beautiful.
Because her body is a model of her mother’s teachings,
And a reflection of her pedigree.
Oh! If only, just if only Amanda knew.
That, later in life, any man who body-shames her,
Or puts pressure on her to modify her beautiful shape, does not even deserve to have her,
Because such a man could not differentiate diamond from bronze,
If he wanted her to lower her standards like other women do.
If he loves her then, he will know that there’s no better shape for Amanda,
Because Amanda was already “the perfect figure 8”.
COMPOSED BY: NENGE_DADI