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Damselfly

A skeletal, distressed  and cut wooden chair personifies the painful emptiness experienced
by persons who suffer from anorexia nervosa.


Spilled on the floor are hundreds of intestine-like blood red, white and blue beaded bracelets* like those sometimes worn by 'Pro Ana' or 'Pro Mia' members. Fueled by the internet and social media, these disturbing 'secret societies' present eating disorders as desirable behaviors that are simply a lifestyle choice. These virtual communities provide effective starvation technique tips and post 'thinspiration' images of anorexic celebrities and models that can trigger relapse
for those in recovery.


Anorexia is the most deadly mental illness. A person with the disease has a dangerously low body weight and thinks about food constantly but limits the amount eaten to gain a sense of control over their lives. 12% of people who develop anorexia will die from complications.
The mortality rate for eating disorders is 12 times higher than that of all other illnesses for females 15-24 years old. 85% of anorexics and bulimics are female, but the incidence in
males is growing. Only one in ten people with an eating disorder receives treatment.


* The beaded bracelets were created by college students and family members in Kansas, Minnesota and Illinois.




Haunted—audio
1:54   No one could make me eat
4:02   Frightened to death
1.46   Anna wants

Additional selections
Pro Ana Forum "I hate my doctor" sound scape includes haunting tricks and tips shared by young girls on 
Pro Ana websites, and dialogues from Pro Ana chat 
room forums.

Robots and Survivors: DSM4-instutional definition of anorexia sung beneath stories told by those who have first hand experience. They talk about what anorexia feels like, rather than how it is defined.
Anorexia tableau
Anorexia chair portraits
Anorexia tableau process
info@thewaitingroomproject.org
Copyright © 2009 Perret/Scherting