Every person knows at least one person who has been or still is being affected by an eating disorder. Unfortunately, we live in a society that idolizes having the perfect body. This body is something most girls cannot attain, but try so hard to do so. So, what exactly is the definition of an eating disorder? According to WEB.MD an eating disorder is considered a life-threatening condition that affects a person’s emotional & physical health. In extreme cases, it is best for a person to seek professional help no matter how severe the disorder may seem. In the U.S. alone, 20 million women and approximately 10 million men suffer from an eating disorder. Unfortunately, many are not reported due to the person possessing what is called “body dissatisfaction”. This also co-exists with an eating disorder because it entails that a person is not satisfied with themselves; especially their body.
There are many health consequences that come with self-starvation. Well, most importantly it creates an abnormally slow heartbeat and low blood pressure. This causes the heart to change and can severely increase a person’s risk of heart failure. Additionally, the person has a decrease in her bone density as well as muscle loss and dehydration. Being severely dehydrated can lead to kidney failure as well as increase a person’s fatigue levels.
A study was released by NationalEatingDisorders.org in which terrifying statistics were released concerning how young these body image issues start. It has been researched that beginning at the age of 6, girls start to feel concerned about their weight. Along with that, at the elementary level between 40-60% of girls felt that they were getting too fat. Depression has the tendency to co-occur with an eating disorder. Unfortunately, Anorexia Nervosa has the highest mortality rate among all psychological disorders. This study also reveals that 35-57% OF adult girls participate in extreme diets and 33% of men perform unhealthy weight control habits such as skipping meals and using laxatives. (Smolak)
I find it sickening that people with perfectly healthy bodies choose to do this to themselves. It’s hard to watch someone you love and see so much future potential disappear just because a picture was uploaded and she didn’t look like a stick figure. People, especially women, are supposed to be built differently. Everyone was created differently for a reason and that was to embrace the way we are. Comparison is the root of all evil. Yeah its probably a good idea to have a salad, but if a slice of pizza will make you feel better than by all means have it!
Works Cited
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-facts-eating-disorders
Smolak, L. (2011). Body image development in childhood. In T. Cash & L. Smolak (Eds.),
I completely agree with the first comment. We live in a day and age where we always see celebrities, athletes, etc having amazing physiques and features about them. Eating disorders are a very serious thing and some people may not even notice or bother to ask. Sometimes the person with the disorder will even make things up or not tell anyone and we need to address this issue. Many problems will arise if action isn’t taking seriously as mentioned in the comment above. Oh and girls judging by our class with Andrew I think you all look fine just the way you are.
I think that a huge part of the reason many girls develop eating disorders is because of how much our society idolizes celebrities and models. Women like Adriana Lima and Kim Kardashian dedicate so much effort and money into their appearance therefore girls cannot try to compare themselves to them. Many girls also tend to not realize the severity and negative health effects of eating disorders which is why they may continue with their eating disorder. After doing a little research, I found that eating disorders can result in Gallbladder disease, Heart disease, peptic ulcers, and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. Girls must realize that they are perfect the way they are and they should not feel the need to conform to a certain standard that society holds us to. More information about the effect of eating disorders can be found here:
https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences-eating-disorders