It's finally here! The summer of of love, drama, reality we've all been longing for and as the programme that unites the nation, providing the perfect conversation starter for all those summer drinks nights and bbqs, is it really the best or the worst thing for the world right now? #itiswhatitis
With a line up of perfect physiques being displayed on every inch of our screens in the skimpiest of swimwear, right after over a year of lockdown, is this not the worst possible timing for a nation who’s struggled with mental health, physical health, eating habits (ordered or disordered), social anxiety, insomnia, panic attacks, low mood and high stress levels to name just a few eggs currently in many of our baskets. I can't help but feel that Love Island producers missed a trick with the body shape diversity within their casting this year. It only takes a glance to make someone struggling with any of the very real issues listed above to catch feelings and be completely triggered.
As someone in recovery from an eating disorder myself, being aware that it's a very real possibility that watching the show will feel very different to me this year, I want to question whether producers have not only set us up for some spicy pairings on screen but also created the perfect match for an eating disorder.
'Statistics from eating disorder charity Beat paint a worrying picture. From pre-pandemic in February 2020 to mid-lockdown number two in November, they saw an 140% increase in demand for their helpline services. As of December, they’d noted an 179% increase in social media contact.' - (Cosmopolitan)
“The lockdown - and the pandemic overall - made me feel like I was losing my grip on my life, so I challenged myself to see how little I could eat,” she explains. “I tracked my calorie intake a notebook. Sometimes I was euphoric about losing weight, but more often than not I found myself anxious and mentally exhausted... Being unable to work or see friends meant she saw lockdown as an opportunity to “better” herself. “Unfortunately, ‘bettering myself’ translated to starving my body and an obsession with losing weight.”
- Jiana Smith 20 (Cosmopolitan)
Something that never really crossed my mind before writing this was how, on the show, it's extremely rare to see the islander's eat. Even during the dates, surprise breakfasts and evening wind-downs, where there are often some beautiful spreads, the actual air time of that food being eaten is so minimal. For people with an eating disorder, that voice in your head to get grafting and might take that as enough to tell you 'they don't eat so you don't have to either.' Taking a moment to reflect on this before the series begins, and the reality of the fact no one wants to see anyone chowing down on a midnight toastie on primetime TV, means you're taking back the power and ultimately making your love island experience as good as it gets now that it's finally here!
The stats reveal that this is 'a little bit of me' for many people, but what we can't ignore is that the opposite was true too. Thanks to us being home-bound, many of us have sunk deeper into our sofas and naturally become less active, with walking to the kitchen to grab the biscuit tin being the only reason to get up all afternoon. 'One survey of 8,000 Brits by Nuffield Health found 73% of people failed to meet NHS recommendations on exercise since March last year – that’s at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week. Meanwhile, one quarter of over-55s have done no exercise at all since the start of the first lockdown.' - (Huffington Post)
As a result of all the deliveroo's, choccie treats and Tuesday night glasses of wine it's to be expected that, on the other end of the spectrum to restriction, it's not a surprise that a lot of us are going for wide leg over skinny jeans (and that's only if we can't get away with joggers), using a looser belt loop, and overwearing our biggest, comfiest, Bridget Jones esque knickers in order to feel comfortable. Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing any single one of those things, or the fact that your body has changed in times when the world is #uncertainaf, but I am wanting everyone who tunes in each night at 9pm, whatsapp groups at the ready, to do everything they can not to feel intimidated by the hour of nonstop disappearing bikinis, oiled up workouts and bodycon dresses. Remember that just because the show doesn't air their meal times DOESN'T MEAN THEY DON'T EAT!
As with everything in today's world, it's easier said than done, but as a viewer and a nation let's crack on and put two big fat chocolate fingers up against producers and not let their role in choosing 'sexy singletons' make our already enormously difficult to manage live's any harder and enjoy almost 70 episodes of #factor50 entertainment.
St.
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