Oy vey, looks like Jinger really needs freeing.

[antwan]

She looks almost gaunt in the recent photos on David Waller's blog. Btw, does anyone always hear her name as rhyming with "ringer" because of how J'chelle-Bob chose to spell it? And while we're at it, anyone creeped out by how much David and Priscilla look like they're from the same branch of the family tree? (they look like brother and sister).

files.davidlovespriscilla.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/29/files/2014/07/davidlovespriscilla0622142053a.jpg

[freejoyannatoo]

She does seem to be getting very thin. Also, she looks rough in that pic. Her eye makeup is all smudged - presumably that's not the look she was going for? Looks as if she may have been crying. And that orange streak down her arm is misapplied fake tan I suppose? Those girls are usually super-groomed, so it's quite a surprise to see this.

I feel for Jinger and Jana atm. Two of their gang of four are either gone or on their way out of prison. And the remaining two seem very different characters, so I'm not sure how useful to each other they can be. Looks as if they are palling up with Joy to some extent, but the age gap surely means they can never be that close.

As for their relationship with their brothers, Josh is gone and John seems mostly out of the picture - is he living away from home? Meanwhile Josiah, who I think was close to Jinger, is away indefinitely at bootcamp until he learns to be a proper man.

Useless factoid - In the UK, Ginger, pronouced to rhyme with ringer and with a hard G at the beginning, is a derogatory term for someone with red hair.

[Formosa]

I feel for Jinger and Jana atm. Two of their gang of four are either gone or on their way out of prison. And the remaining two seem very different characters, so I'm not sure how useful to each other they can be. Looks as if they are palling up with Joy to some extent, but the age gap surely means they can never be that close.

Joy has been hanging out more with the older girls recently.

Actually the age gap between Joy and Jinger is the same as between Jinger and Jana (4 years). It's not a big deal, and it will even be less important the older they get.

[freejoyannatoo]

Joy has been hanging out more with the older girls recently.

Actually the age gap between Joy and Jinger is the same as between Jinger and Jana (4 years). It's not a big deal, and it will even be less important the older they get.

Yes, but ... firstly, the age gap between Jana and Joy is eight years. I agree that the older they get, the less this matters, but right now that IS a big deal when one is 16 and the other is 24.

Second, my impression is that Jinger and Jessa are close, and Jana and Jill are close. So both Jinger and Jana are losing the sister they are closest to. I don't recall ever seeing Jana and Jinger interacting and the seem very different personalities.

Of course Joy is being promoted as rapidly as possible to "big sister" status as they need her to work. It was interesting to see Jinger handing over the bread-making role to Joy. Jinger obviously couldn't wait to get shot of it, and Joy was less than keen to take it on.

If Jana and Jinger do manage to get out of there in the next couple of years, the burden on Joy is going to be immense. Hannie is only eight now, so even at ten she won't be carrying a full slave load. Meanwhile those six boys in between can't possibly be expected to do anything like cooking of course. :angry-banghead:

Free Joy Anna!

[alba]

Yes, but ... firstly, the age gap between Jana and Joy is eight years. I agree that the older they get, the less this matters, but right now that IS a big deal when one is 16 and the other is 24.

My first instinct here was to disagree with you. I'm the same age as Jana, I have a sister who's four years younger than me and another who's seven years younger (so roughly the same ages as Jinger and Joy) and, over the past few years, I've gotten really close with them in a way that I wasn't when I was a teen and they were preteens.

Then I realised the big difference: I have friends my age. The age gap between my sisters and me is becoming less significant, and we're interacting more as friends than as older/younger siblings, but they're not my only friends. I have plenty of friends, both male and female, in the 23-26-year-old age range. For Jana, though, pretty soon Jinger and Joy will be the only "friends" she sees on a regular basis. Jana has no one her own age to spend time with, and nor does Joy (Jinger I think is a bit luckier as she's in the middle).

[mstee]

Jinger has always been a thin girl. She just looks overheated/sweaty to me. Mix an Arkansas summer with their heavy, long hair and then add the layers of shirts that they wear, and lots of makeup (my eye makeup always smears in the heat) and that'd be enough to give me heatstroke.

[LogansMama]

I've noticed all the older Duggar daughters have been looking rather trim lately. I hesitate to infer it's due to an eating disorder, though. Without any evidence, that's a dangerous label to put on a woman (or man for that matter).

I will say that Priscilla is looking great in that pic! Wish I looked that good during my pregnancy!

[lagenialester]

She also always has dark circles under her eyes. It bugs me that people always think she's sickly because of those circles. She's had them since she was younger, and it can be a family trait. I have them and so do my siblings. One of the younger twins, Jed I think, has them as well. It doesn't mean she's constantly ill or exhausted. It just irks me because people always ask me if I'm feeling unwell or if I have been sleeping enough. (Although I can't say anything about her smudged mascara of fake tan. THOSE are not genetic.)

[freejoyannatoo]

She also always has dark circles under her eyes. It bugs me that people always think she's sickly because of those circles. She's had them since she was younger, and it can be a family trait. I have them and so do my siblings. One of the younger twins, Jed I think, has them as well. It doesn't mean she's constantly ill or exhausted. It just irks me because people always ask me if I'm feeling unwell or if I have been sleeping enough. (Although I can't say anything about her smudged mascara of fake tan. THOSE are not genetic.)

They can be due to food allergies/sensitivities. One of my sons and I both used to have terrible dark circles under our eyes. He gave up dairy a while back (for other reasons) and hey presto, the dark shadows disappeared. I too gave up dairy about six weeks ago and my dark circles are already very much fainter. My skin's much better too. I actually gave up because of the onset of arthritis symptoms though, and those are also much improved.

Isn't Josie lactose-intolerant? In which case it's more than likely that several family members have some degree of sensitivity towards lactose too, since it's generally a genetic thing.

I agree that Jed has those same dark circles, and also Jason.

[antwan]

Jinger has always been a thin girl. She just looks overheated/sweaty to me. Mix an Arkansas summer with their heavy, long hair and then add the layers of shirts that they wear, and lots of makeup (my eye makeup always smears in the heat) and that'd be enough to give me heatstroke.

I don't know. I think it looks like weight loss. Here is a pic from March of this year. In the above link, the fleshiness to her cheeks and distant jawline area is pretty much gone, where you can clearly see it in the pic below.

It's possible that camera angle and lighting are responsible, of course. But I think it's also possible she is losing weight. In no way am I suggesting she has an eating disorder, btw. Her age, alone, would make it more likely she just has come into a season of addressing physical fitness. I'd look to see if she's got guns, but we all know that realm belongs to Jessa. :cracking-up:

[ariel9]

I think it'll be hard to see an eating disorder until it's painfully obvious. The clothes make it hard to tell.

[for_the_Kitties]

Agreed. It would have to get very serious before it was obvious. And if something like that was happening, The duggars would handle it privately with JTTH trips for a girl and lots of prayer. I do think they care about their kids health when it comes down to it, but they may not realize the shit has hit the fan until they are all covered in shit.

Being thin can still be healthy so long as it doesn't go too far. As someone previously has stated, a lot of people with eating disorders are emaciated and super thin. Just because the Duggar girls are looking thin, does not mean they have an eating disorder. If any of these girls is in serious need of medical intervention due to injury, illness or an eating disorder it will most likely be hidden from the media. Remember, they do not believe in mental illness - they are just supposed to pray more and become more godly.

**I still think idle speculation does more harm than good, especially with all the gossip sites that read here and report what we say to a broader audience. I'd hate for one of them to pick up our speculation and report it as rumors leading to negative press about these poor girls' bodies.

[Lovebug]

**I still think idle speculation does more harm than good, especially with all the gossip sites that read here and report what we say to a broader audience. I'd hate for one of them to pick up our speculation and report it as rumors leading to negative press about these poor girls' bodies.

Being thin has a lot to do with genetics, IMO. I am extremely tall and thin, and literally have been all of my life. It's who I am, and how I was made.

Growing up, the older and taller I got, the thinner I got - and the more ridiculed I got for it. It's bullshit, and unfair. It had nothing to do with what I ate back then - or for that matter, what I eat now. I'm 5'10½" tall and ~120 pounds soaking wet, and no matter what goes into my mouth that weight hardly fluctuates. I've had two children, gained about 15 pounds with each, and popped back into my pre-maternity clothes the week after I had them. No, it's not bragging, it's genetics. It's just the way it is for me. And I've heard about it ALL my life from family, friends and outsiders.

And just to throw it out there, hearing, "Oh my GAWD - I HATE you because you're so thin. Don't you ever eat? Aw, poor baby - can't gain weight? Poor thing - must be AWFUL to look like you..." is just as bad and as mean as bashing someone because you look at them and feel they're overweight. It just is. I've been called beanpole, bones, palm tree, toothpick, twig - amongst other not-so-nice things - all my life, and it's hurtful.

That being said, you just cannot ever tell what's happening with someone just because they're slender. I think there's the obvious signs of an eating disorder when you can see it first hand (a person not eating, taking small portions, spreading their food around their plate, excessive exercising or trips to the bathroom, etc.) but otherwise it's not fair to judge based on a picture.

Just my two cents!

[16strong]

While Jinger has never been large, she has also never been super-thin like this. When she was in her younger teens, she seemed to be more on the side of average with a fuller face, and with some curves. I also think it is important to remember that photographs often put about 10 pounds on a person. If that's the case, Priscilla is very thin and Jinger is downright skeletal. I definitely hesitate to speculate whether Jinger has a problem, but I do wonder if fundie girls take advantage of the modesty requirements in order to cover up any eating disorders they may have.

[lagenialester]

They can be due to food allergies/sensitivities. One of my sons and I both used to have terrible dark circles under our eyes. He gave up dairy a while back (for other reasons) and hey presto, the dark shadows disappeared. I too gave up dairy about six weeks ago and my dark circles are already very much fainter. My skin's much better too. I actually gave up because of the onset of arthritis symptoms though, and those are also much improved.

Isn't Josie lactose-intolerant? In which case it's more than likely that several family members have some degree of sensitivity towards lactose too, since it's generally a genetic thing.

I agree that Jed has those same dark circles, and also Jason.

Interesting. My daughter is sensitive to dairy. I gave up dairy while nursing, but never thought to see if they went away! Wouldn't that be something?

[ILoveJellybeans]

I just want to give Jinger a hug. Her whole life has turned upside down-her best friend is going to move out and end up popping out babies and probably becoming just like her mother, and she has double the workload at home too, and no outlet to express her feelings about this because feeling sad or angry or any emotion other than happiness is sinful. I think Jessa was one of the only people she could talk to about things, and really understood her, they are so close and seem so similar in personality, and neither fit the profile of a good fundie woman.

[doubleT]

I wonder if it could just be stress. These girls wrote a book and before the book tour and all the publicity started, two of the girls met boys and began a friendship with them, then courting, one got engaged and has married. I'm sure things inside the house are changing and there is a lot of adjust too. Even just Josh and Anna moving probably changed things. (They have to travel often to see them etc.)

Just a guess, but those four daughters have been through a lot this past year.

[OodOnTheLoo]

First time posting... :D

To me it looks like Jinger has Ben trying to step up her game ever since Jessa started courting. Not only has her make-up and fake tan been thicker, ala Tammy-Fay, but her forced smile and wide eye expression looks almost maniacal. I can only imagine she is terrified to be left behind. Whereas she was probably in no rush to meet anyone before she is sending out SOS signals loud and clear.

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

A common misconception about eating disorders is that they make you skinny. MANY people with eating disorders are average sized. We only hear about the ones that are morbidly obese or completely wasting away because that's the only time you can tell without monitoring their every movement.

That said, there could be many reasons for Jinger looking skinnier:

-Camera angle

-The person she's next to

-She's skinnier because she's eating healthier (Jill for sure is eating healthier and, if the the account on Pinterest is Jana's, Jana is interested in a healthier life style. It wouldn't be a far stretch to believe that at least a few of the other kids are jumping on that bandwagon.)

-she's doing more work, so she's moving more. That causes her to lose weight.

-As someone pointed out, she drinks coffee regularly. People who drink coffee tend to substitute it for some meals, and they're more likely to be skinnier as a result

-she's genetically predispositioned to be skinny.

I really don't think she looks sickly or like her weight should be considered an issue.

Also, to the person who said she looks like a mess:

-The "streak on her arm" is from poor image quality

-Her make up doesn't look smudged. Again, it's image quality.

As for the difference between March and now:

One is a professional picture, one isn't.

One is her with her sisters, one is not.

One is photoshopped, one is not.

They're at different angles.

It's impossible to compare the two images and make a definite statement about her weight changes.

[Cats B4 Quivers]

I noticed the clock on the wall behind them says it is nearly 9. No idea if it is am or pm but it could be it's already been a long day and look at all those people in that room! No one looks like they are heading to bed. Or, it's am and those Duggar's are not morning people. That poor girl may be exhausted and should either be directed to her bed or a large coffee. I know when we have guests over, I'm wiped out by early evening.

[lawlifelgbt]

Thanks for the above, DuggarsTheEndIsNear!

I think a lot of eating disorders are completely missed because the person's weight is in the normal range, or they may even be overweight, but losing by restricting food or exercising to extremes. In the latter case, the disorder is even reinforced by most people around them! I lost a ton of weight at 21/22 in a short time (500-1100 Kcal/day plus exercise for an hour), and I had physical symptoms. But no one was concerned until I was still trying to lose at a US size 4/6. Everyone reinforced it, and my mother even got mad at me for "loading up" at dinnertime! (I would have coffee for breakfast, cornflakes for lunch, and eat a small serving of pasta or meat, with a no-dressing salad and rice or veggies, for dinner, so it looked more "normal" with my family).

I now have a bit of a pudge, and I'm again focusing on losing some, but now I have more sense!

Rant over: I agree it's really hard to tell if a person has a problem unless you live with them (and maybe not even then).

[actuallyjessica]

The alleged shot from March last year or this year was from 2011-2012. It was part of the book shoot and they did that quite early on in the process.

[freejoyannatoo]

While I agree that nobody can tell if any of the girls has an eating disorder, I think it's indisputable that all the oldest four have lost weight over the last few years. If you compare them with Joy, who is a normal, healthy-looking teenager, the older ones are very slim, and they used to look much more like Joy does.

In Jinger's case the weight loss does appear to be more pronounced. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that. I think it's common for young women in their late teens and early twenties to be at their lowest weight. On the other hand it could suggest a problem. Hasn't Michelle admitted to being bulimic in her early life?

But, there are various indications that Jinger may have some issues with her image. For one thing, we know she doesn't eat breakfast - was it at Anna & Josh's house, where Anna was offering to cook the girls breakfast and Jinger said she just had coffee? Or maybe Ben's sisters - can't recall. Skipping meals deliberately is maybe not so healthy. The four have apparently said in their book that they worry about getting fat and therefore control what they eat. Again, nothing necessarily wrong, but it's a slippery slope potentially.

Also, that fake tan addiction is extreme. When I saw Jill's group wedding photo I genuinely thought there was someone of mixed race in the picture and was interested to see who it was - on peering closer it was Jinger of course. This kind of thing is normal in young teenagers who are experimenting with their image but less so by the time girls reach their twenties.

I wonder how hard it has been for Jinger to be the sister closest to Jessa, who is commonly considered the most beautiful of the girls. Jinger is attractive too - almost everyone in that family is at least reasonably good looking. But she doesn't have Jessa's knock-out looks. I notice they have retained a shot of Jessa with Jackson in the opening credits of the show, from years ago. It's because she looks so beautiful, frankly. Given that she is also vivacious and seemingly quite bright, that makes her a hard act for Jinger to follow.

We also know that Jinger has (or maybe had) ambitions to go to the big city, which have been firmly crushed (thanks Jill). She has been "working on her contentedness" instead of following her passion. Her way out of this is the same as for any of the girls - marriage. I absolutely cannot see her with a large family. She must feel trapped beyond endurance. AND she's going to lose Jessa, who has made it all semi-bearable up to now.

When they four eldest girls were interviewed on TV about their book, I thought Jinger was so obviously just resentfully spouting the stuff she'd been taught to say that it was almost funny. She had a king of brittle quality, I thought. While Jill clearly believed every word, and Jessa and Jana seemed like at least semi-believers, Jinger looked like she was metaphorically gritting her teeth.

This is no life for a girl like Jinger. I sincerely hope that she and Josiah can find a way out of this together, and take Joy Anna with them. They could support each other and finally find a path in life that's right for them.

Free Jinger! (also Jana, Josiah, Joy, and in due course any of the little ones who need it)

[alba]

But, there are various indications that Jinger may have some issues with her image. For one thing, we know she doesn't eat breakfast - was it at Anna & Josh's house, where Anna was offering to cook the girls breakfast and Jinger said she just had coffee? Or maybe Ben's sisters - can't recall. Skipping meals deliberately is maybe not so healthy. The four have apparently said in their book that they worry about getting fat and therefore control what they eat. Again, nothing necessarily wrong, but it's a slippery slope potentially.

This is what I find potentially concerning about Jinger's apparent weight loss. All four of the oldest Duggar daughters look as though they're naturally slim, but not gaunt. Now, as a naturally slim person who's gained around 15-20 lbs since I finished uni a couple of years ago, I know that being naturally slim does not render one immune to weight gain. I kind of thought it did three years ago, though, and none of these women have ever been anywhere near my size.

And so I do find it concerning that four slim women, who have never been anything *but* slim, are so concerned about maintaining their slimness. Where does the fear of gaining weight come from? Jichelle projecting her own concerns? A desire to be attractive fundie wives? A fear that if they get bigger and develop more obvious curves they'll defraud men? Whatever the source, it's disconcerting.

[floridiot]

While I agree that nobody can tell if any of the girls has an eating disorder, I think it's indisputable that all the oldest four have lost weight over the last few years. If you compare them with Joy, who is a normal, healthy-looking teenager, the older ones are very slim, and they used to look much more like Joy does.

In Jinger's case the weight loss does appear to be more pronounced. There's not necessarily anything wrong with that. I think it's common for young women in their late teens and early twenties to be at their lowest weight. On the other hand it could suggest a problem. Hasn't Michelle admitted to being bulimic in her early life?

But, there are various indications that Jinger may have some issues with her image. For one thing, we know she doesn't eat breakfast - was it at Anna & Josh's house, where Anna was offering to cook the girls breakfast and Jinger said she just had coffee? Or maybe Ben's sisters - can't recall. Skipping meals deliberately is maybe not so healthy. The four have apparently said in their book that they worry about getting fat and therefore control what they eat. Again, nothing necessarily wrong, but it's a slippery slope potentially.

Also, that fake tan addiction is extreme. When I saw Jill's group wedding photo I genuinely thought there was someone of mixed race in the picture and was interested to see who it was - on peering closer it was Jinger of course. This kind of thing is normal in young teenagers who are experimenting with their image but less so by the time girls reach their twenties.

I wonder how hard it has been for Jinger to be the sister closest to Jessa, who is commonly considered the most beautiful of the girls. Jinger is attractive too - almost everyone in that family is at least reasonably good looking. But she doesn't have Jessa's knock-out looks. I notice they have retained a shot of Jessa with Jackson in the opening credits of the show, from years ago. It's because she looks so beautiful, frankly. Given that she is also vivacious and seemingly quite bright, that makes her a hard act for Jinger to follow.

We also know that Jinger has (or maybe had) ambitions to go to the big city, which have been firmly crushed (thanks Jill). She has been "working on her contentedness" instead of following her passion. Her way out of this is the same as for any of the girls - marriage. I absolutely cannot see her with a large family. She must feel trapped beyond endurance. AND she's going to lose Jessa, who has made it all semi-bearable up to now.

When they four eldest girls were interviewed on TV about their book, I thought Jinger was so obviously just resentfully spouting the stuff she'd been taught to say that it was almost funny. She had a king of brittle quality, I thought. While Jill clearly believed every word, and Jessa and Jana seemed like at least semi-believers, Jinger looked like she was metaphorically gritting her teeth.

There is no life for a girl like Jinger. I sincerely hope that she and Josiah can find a way out of this together, and take Joy Anna with them. They could support each other and finally find a path in life that's right for them.

Free Jinger! (also Jana, Josiah, Joy, and in due course any of the little ones who need it)

This. I would personally pay out of my own pocket to put any or all of them up in a hotel or rental house and help them find jobs or enroll on college if they were to leave. God I hope they know there are people out there rooting for them!