Ilona Burton

Growing out of anorexia

The biggest mistake I ever made was making a connection between achievement and being underweight.
Two days ago, I celebrated my 26th birthday. Not a biggie, but on such occasions I often reflect on past events, memories and chunks of time spent or misspent and I’m often faced with difficulty when I think about how much of my life so far has been tarnished by Anorexia and Bulimia.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Saturday, 19 May 2012 at 12:00 am

8

Ban images of emaciation, not airbrushing

In the Eating Disorder Unit, as we sat around in the lounge, cushions held tight over our swollen, protruding tummies, we were supervised post-meal to make sure we didn’t throw up, exercise or make a bid for freedom. The blaring TV would be immediately switched over at the slightest mention of dieting or weightloss, certain staff would rip pages from magazines and websites (even my own blog) were blocked from view.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Opinion | Wednesday, 9 May 2012 at 4:08 pm

18

Any press is good press? Not when anorexia’s involved

Media coverage of eating disorders comes and goes in waves; one minute it’s in fashion and the next, every editor in the world is sick to death of it. If one frustratingly and frighteningly successful news site is anything to go by, though, anorexia, or coverage of it, is really hot right now.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views -, Opinion | Tuesday, 24 April 2012 at 4:00 am

9

Eating disorders: The blame game

The patient will blame his/herself. The parents will blame themselves. The tabloids blame the fashion industry. The fashion industry blames nobody (ignorance is bliss). The partners (those that last) don’t know who to blame. The public blame modern culture, celebrities; whatever or whoever they’re told to blame by the media. The media, strangely, tends to blame the media.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Thursday, 23 February 2012 at 11:14 am

33

Access denied: Eating Disorder treatments

Nobody should have to fight or get down on their knees and beg for help. Nobody should be told that they have to get worse before they can get better. Nobody should ever feel belittled, ashamed and humiliated as a result of having the courage to speak out.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Wednesday, 22 February 2012 at 11:56 am

21

“I think I have an eating disorder”

You don’t have to weigh five stone, have bones protruding like angry Himalayas or have lived by water and green tea alone for weeks on end to have an eating disorder.

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Tuesday, 21 February 2012 at 9:59 am

9

‘Break The Silence. Beat Eating Disorders.’

They say that a problem shared is a problem halved. But what if that problem is something that you can’t bear to admit to yourself, nevermind anyone else?

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Monday, 20 February 2012 at 3:00 pm

3

RIP Whitney Houston

Michael Jackson. Amy Winehouse. Now Whitney Houston. When the biggest names precede ‘has died’ I always find myself affected most by the fact that it feels shocking, but not a surprise; upsetting, but somehow expected.
So many jump in so quickly to say that ‘they had it coming’ or that, as drug abusers, they do not [...]

By Ilona Burton | Arts - News, notes and quotes on the Arts world -, Film, Music | Friday, 17 February 2012 at 2:14 am

15

Gok’s Teens: The Naked Truth (if, by truth, you mean extreme simplification)

I stupidly thought we were getting somewhere and moving on from blaming all our weight-related problems on the most glaringly obvious causes. I thought lazy scapegoating was getting old and boring. I thought we had grown up and wisened. I was wrong, and Gok Wan’s new Channel 4 series has more than provided more than [...]

By Ilona Burton | Health, Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Tuesday, 7 February 2012 at 10:27 pm

13

Setting girls up to fail (well)

“Thank you for attending your recent interview and assessment for the above position. After careful consideration we regret to advise you that your application has been unsuccessful on this occasion.”
Two in two weeks. If you’ve never had one of these emails, I hate you.
After the last interview and subsequent rejection, my confidence took a proper [...]

By Ilona Burton | Notebook - A selection of Independent views - | Monday, 6 February 2012 at 2:02 pm

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