"I beat anorexia"

“I beat anorexia”—that is, the speaker is not thin—is a jocular saying that has been printed on many images. “I beat anorexia”—a literal use—was a segment on television’s PM Magazine in 1983.

“He (comedian Andy Butamai—ed.) does fat jokes (wear a button that says ‘I Beat Anorexia’ )” was printed in the Honolulu (HI) Star-Bulletin on April 17, 1984. “A faithful Melbourne Beach member of our roving T-Shirt Patrol reports one worn by a lady shopper who could best be described as a Weight Watchers dropout. The inscription: ‘I beat anorexia’” was printed in the Orlando (FL) Sentinel on January 25, 1988. Movie producer and director Aaron Russo (1943-2007) wore an “I Beat Anorexia” T-shirt in his movie Rude Awakening (1989).

A trademark record claims a date of first use of January 1, 1989.

7 May 1983, The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), Sentinel Weekender, pg. E19, col. 1 ad:
I BEAT ANOREXIA
(PM Magazine.—ed.)

17 April 1984, Honolulu (HI) Star-Bulletin, “Butamai’s Back and He Steals the Show” by Pierre Bowman, Today sec., pg. B-1, col. 1:
He (comedian Andy Butamai—ed.) does fat jokes (wear a button that says “I Beat Anorexia”).

25 January 1988, Orlando (FL) Sentinel, “Brevard at Large” by Allen Rose, pg. B-1, col. 1:
Winning is everything. A faithful Melbourne Beach member of our roving T-Shirt Patrol reports one worn by a lady shopper who could best be described as a Weight Watchers dropout. The inscription: “I beat anorexia.”

14 August 1989, Newsday (Long Island, NY), “Inside New York” by Michael Fleming, Karen Freifeld and Scott Ladd, pg. 11:
When an actor and a director don’t get along, who goes? The director, of course, since the actor’s face is already on film. And that’s what seems to have happened on “Rude Awakening,” a comedy which opens this week starring Eric Roberts and Julie Hagerty. Co-directing credit on the film goes to David Greenwalt (“Secret Admirer”), who apparently got a rude awakening himself when, six weeks into principal photography, producer Aaron Russo (“Trading Places”) hurriedly joined the Director’s Guild and stepped into his job. (...) Russo, who says directing was “the most wonderful adventure I ever had in my life,” also is heard as the voice of a talking fish (don’t ask) and can be seen on-screen as a slob wearing an “I beat anorexia” T-shirt.

Google Groups: alt.fan.pratchett
Question about Clarecraft Figurines
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
10/31/94
(...)
I can’t remember which film it was but I saw a big fat American wearing a T-shirt with the legend “I beat anorexia”. Just a marketing suggestion.

Google Groups: rec.arts.bodyart
Attn Piercees! Go see a doctor NOW!
Golgotha
7/10/97
(...)
Actually I am 6’2” and just tip the scales at about 300lbs. (I have a tee-shirt that sez - I Beat Anorexia , people usually get a kick out of seeing me wear that shirt)

Google Groups: rec.arts.comics.dc.universe
Member of John Byrne Forum to PC .
Jon Brynne
4/29/04
Over at the John Byrne Forum, Linda Burns ” Stewart of the Manor ” posted a picture of a fat guy with a tee shirt that said “I beat anorexia”

Twitter
Danie Ware 🇪🇺
@Danacea
Cool t-shirt has brightened my day: on fat bloke on the South Bank a tee that said, ‘I BEAT ANOREXIA’. Superb!
8:25 AM - 15 Jun 2007

Google Books
Almost Anorexic:
Is My (or My Loved One’s) Relationship with Food a Problem?
By Jennifer J Thomas and Jenni Schaefer
New York, NY: Simon & Schuster
2013
Pg. ?:
Think about the extra-large “I beat anorexia” T-shirts that are marketed to obese individuals as novelty items. But research suggests that many people who struggle with almost anorexia are overweight, not emaciated

Design Hill
65 Funniest T-Shirt Slogans
by ALICE JACKSON Tweet - October 19, 2018 in TSHIRT DESIGN
(...)
03. I Beat Anorexia
A tee, that finally came into the view for eating disorders. And, yes, it makes obesity look funnier when one wears it.

So, next time when someone points it out that you’re obese, shut them down with this tee.

Twitter
SonofGroucho
@SonofGroucho
I Beat Anorexia! #teeshirt #dubioustaste #obesity #greece #corfu https://www.instagram.com/p/Bv_SRVuBSQm/?utm_source=ig_twitter_share&igshid=zo1tqg0qx9gk …
5:03 AM - 8 Apr 2019

(Trademark)
Word Mark I BEAT ANOREXIA
Goods and Services IC 025. US 022 039. G & S: clothing items, namely shirts, t-shirts, hooded tops, sweatshirts, thermal shirts, hats. FIRST USE: 19890101. FIRST USE IN COMMERCE: 19960101
Standard Characters Claimed
Mark Drawing Code (4) STANDARD CHARACTER MARK
Serial Number 78722485
Filing Date September 28, 2005
Current Basis 1A
Original Filing Basis 1A
Published for Opposition January 2, 2007
Registration Number 3219592
Registration Date March 20, 2007
Owner (REGISTRANT) 99 Volts Inc. CORPORATION FLORIDA 1633 west university parkway Sarasota FLORIDA 34243
Type of Mark TRADEMARK
Register PRINCIPAL-2(F)
Affidavit Text SECT 15. SECT 8 (6-YR). SECTION 8(10-YR) 20160608.
Renewal 1ST RENEWAL 20160608
Live/Dead Indicator LIVE