Prescott confession is brave, but reaction shockingly ignorant of the effects of eating disorders
I really should stop reading “Have Your Say,” the BBC News website’s comments forum, because most of the time I read it my blood pressure rises to levels that really wouldn’t impress medically qualified professionals.
Normally the pages are home to quite a bit of ill-informed commentary, but there is often a balance and some rational responses lurking amidst the shouting. But yesterday there was a debate about John Prescott’s announcement that he has suffered from bulimia for many years, and the explosion of ignorance, and almost glee in some quarters, from the responding public really did shock and disappoint me.
Take a look at the debate here. Here’s a man who has just opened his heart and confessed to an illness which is not only deeply personal, but one traditionally associated with people far different from himself. And the most recommended comment (recommended by 138 people) not only doubts the truth of his claim, but infers that it’s all a ruse to justify the size of his food bills!
Another comment, recommended by 90 people, says that Mr Prescott has a “monumental ego for thinking that anyone cares about his problems.” A monumental ego? I wonder if this contributor has thought for even half a second about the emotional turmoil and discomfort that this story would bring to Mr Prescott? Has he thought about the increible amount of relief fellow sufferers will feel in hearing that older men with good careers can suffer from bulimia as well as waif-like young women, simply because Mr Prescott has gone public? I doubt it. Instead, all the contributor has seen is an opportunity to poke fun at a fat person. Disgraceful.
People make fun of his size, choose to make cheap political jokes, and refer to his marital life. The entire first page of most recommended posts are exclusively nasty, hurtful, personal attacks on a man who is clearly in distress, and whose confession will help lots of others.
Shame on those who wrote those comments, and shame on the BBC for publishing them. They are not valid contributions to this argument, and do nothing but snigger at a tragic condition.
Whatever anyone thinks of the guy’s political legacy is one thing. But this debate and this issue is not the time to be raising thoughts of his policies. And beyond his now-ended Cabinet life, any opinion anyone apart from his family and friends has on John Prescott is based exclusively on hearsay, media tittle tattle and half-stories.
Mr Prescott has been very brave in publicly admitting his illness, especially when I’m sure his experience prepared him for this kind of ignorant backlash from people more inclined to sneer than to learn. The stigma attached to eating disorders is still very much in evidence, and it is a shame that when public figures admit to their own problems, they are lambasted as fakes and ridiculed as gluttonous.
Unfortunately the media seems ever more willing to give tremendously loud voice, and ample opportunity to shout it, to ill-informed people with axes to grind and absolutely no sensible contribution to make to debate and argument. Someone in public life, way outside the typical demographic for the disease, confesses to bulimia, and the BBC choose to give voice to random members of the public who know nothing, know not one thing, about the disease.
Vox-pops and “audience participation” seem to have replaced so much expert contribution, in everything from the serious (like this, and debates on European Treaties that are waged amongst the fact-less and hijacked by xenophobes) to the trivial (like football and gossip - how many phone-ins is it possible for Radio 5 live to have during the day, giving voice to people who really have no idea at all what they’re talking about?). It just fans the flames of prejudice and gives voice to people who’s opinions just aren’t valid because they are based on nothing but prejudice. A debate amongst experts in fantastic -arguments waged by people passionate in their viewpoint and convinced by different sides of complicated arguments. It’s what the media should be about. But debate amongst people with time on their hands and nothing in their heads is a waste of everyone’s time. Of course, people can say what they like, but I think it is irresponsible not to balance the opinions of the bandwagon-jumpers with both sides of the expert view.
It’s a shame that this hasn’t happened here. And Mr Prescott has been done a dis-service by many in a country he continues to serve, at the end of his long and distinguished career.
I wish him well in his recovery from this disease.
Rick
12 Comments
have your say
Ignorant? Exactly who do you think you are to go around calling people ignorant? You may choose to believe JF some of us are a little gullible. Perhaps you can explain why it is he only feels ‘brave enough’ to mention it now? He says he recovered 4 years ago yet keeps quiet until he writes a book - opportunistic? I know what I think.
I think that people who choose to criticise someone for admitting a serious illness are ignorant of the effects of that illness.
People can criticise John Prescott all they like if they think his political judgement was wrong.
But using a man’s health against him is not pleasant.
It is entirely up to him when he revelas a personal medical condition that has no impact on his job performance. Perhaps his decision not to reveal it whilst in office was because he knew that it would be hijacked by bandwagon-jumpers keen to use his illness for political gains or cheap jokes.
I wish him every success with his new book. I wonder what else Mr Prescott has up his sleeves. - joggers nipple?
P.S “has no impact on his job performance”. It’s a mental illness isn’t. Make yr mind up either its very serious or its not. Lets remember he was Deputy PM.
This IS a very serious illness. To equate this confession to “joggers nipple” really underlines the lack of respect people are giving to what is clearly more than a trivial complaint.
But just because he suffers from an eating disorder does not mean that he is any worse in his job. It betrays amsiunderstanding of the condition to suggest otherwise.
Of course there’s glee! He legislated in a spiteful, class warrior way, and as far as i’m concened where ever he is, he’s not in enough pain. The man’s an embarrassment to parliament and deserves all the opprobrium he gets. He kept it private until he writes a book. That’s him taking advantage of his mental illness so he can’t expect everyone to roll over and play nice just because he can’t hold his pies.
And you’re offensively smug, even by the standards of the collection of federast weird-beards laughably called the “Liberal” “Democrats”. How dare you call me “ignorant” for mocking fatty fatty pukey Prescott?
“In a country he continues to serve, at the end of his long and distinguished career”. The man was a hypocrite, a liar and a buffoon who took advantage of every perk the state offered. His incompetent stewardship of the deputy prime Minister post was an unmitigated disaster. He mocked others for their weaknesses yet expects to be treated with respect himself?
You’ve just provided another textbook example off the gullibility and “wetness” of the Liberal Democrats. You bought every word of his Argumentum Ad Misericordium. “Opened his heart” - utter rubbish. Trying to drum up book sales more like. And why should we not have our say on this corpulent and corrupt individual? It was our money after all that paid for the food that decorated his toilet bowl, along with the toilet bowl itself btw. You may not like what we say and you have every right to try and deny our right to say it – curtailing free speech is the platform on which your party stands - you gave the European treaties as examples but there our many others where your policies have no interest in listening to the public. But the arrogance that says that anybody who pokes fun at the political system and the venal politicians that inhabit this world is ignorant beggars belief, especially when you’re living off the taxes of the very people you sneer at.
“Public who know nothing, know not one thing, about the disease”. And where did you obtain your Doctorate of Medicine? Because working as a paper pusher in an NH”S” hospital doesn’t qualify you to speak at the General Medical Council on the subject any more than us benighted fools. Are you, like all self proclaimed and self appointed political experts who sneer at the Prols no different from the rest of us?
Jackart - I really don’t understand how anyone can feel “glee” towards the suffering of anyone at all. We clearly come from very different places in this argument. Mocking the sick simply for being sick is ignorant, and if you’re offended by my saying that, I can live with it.
Chris - I never suggested denying anyone the right to have their say on Mr Prescott’s career as a politician. But a debate on his bulimia is not the place to do it, in my opinion. Hijacking his confession to make political points is not right either. If you want to critique his record, go ahead, but don’t get it confused with this.
People can poke fun at the political system if they want. I do all the time. But this is poking fun at people suffering from Bulimia who happen to have been politicans. It’s very different.
I don’t quite understand the reference to “living off the taxes” of the people. If you mean that I work in the public sector, then yes I suppose you’re right, but many millions of other workers including doctors, teachers, nurses, street cleaners, social workers etc etc etc are also in the same boat.
I am not a Doctor, but you don’t have to be a Doctor to know that bulimia is a serious illness. As it happens I don’t work in a hospital, but at a Mental Health Trust where a large part of my work relates to eating disorders. But that is beside the point, which is that once again a politician is criticised unjustly. If Mr Prescott’s book had said “everything I did was great, and the New Labour project turned the country round forever,” then some of the criticisms would’ve been justified. But here’s a man describing his illness.
And I’m not a self-proclaimed anything. Read my blog, don’t read my blog, I don’t mind. If you aren’t convinced by what I say, and don’t want to vote the way I say I will, then that’s fine too.
It’s not bulimia because its about the binge, not the body image. There are vomitariums in German resteraunts. This isn’t a disease, it’s the vice of gluttony. The fatso is just courting publicity and you’ve taken it in. Still I suppose gullibility is vital in a “Liberal” “Democrat”. I guess smugness is too.
If Karma really does exist and he’s already ‘recovered’ from bulimia then I can only presume it is part of a grander plan to make room for something far worse to afflict him.
Prescott will not highlight the issues of bulemia he will simply tarnish all the good work done by others. This cynical and self serving attempt to drum up some publicity for his book only proves his greed remains unabated.
Richard is 100% correct and the sheer ignorance and cynicism of the contributors on here is mind-blowing. A man has a serious illness and decides to disclose it after he’s retired but before his book is released. Well…? So what! Why should that be an occasion to poke fun? The people on here are acting like school playground bullies who have jumped on the bandwagon of a media image and tired old cliches. And as Richard is saying, if you wish personal harm to a man who happens to believe in different politics to yourself, you really ought to take a shameful look in the mirror.
Do you seriously think that Prescott ‘coming-out” as a bulimic is going to help young kids affected with the illness? More likely it’ll just add to the jokes and insults they have to endure. The useless git should have kept his mouth shut rather than begging for cheap sympathy.