Peer Pressure Creeping into Eating Habits

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November 20, 2009 • Caleigh Dillingham  
Filed under Uncategorized, View from the Crew

Eating disorders among teenagers are becoming a problem that is growing quickly in America. While only three percent of adolescent boys and girls have this problem in the US it is still a popular headline. An eating disorder is one of the hardest things someone and their family can experience. 

            There are two types of eating disorders: anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is a psychological illness that is a decreased sensation in one’s appetite. It is characterized by very low body weight, body image distortion and obsessing over weight gain. Bulimia is an eating disorder that is also a psychological illness that is diagnosed when one goes on an eating binge and then feels guilty and gets rid of the food by vomiting or using laxatives.

            Ninety to ninety-five percent of people diagnosed with eating disorders are young female girls. There is a lot of research that is being conducted to figure out what causes these horrific eating disorders. Most researchers believe that the eating disorders start because young people use it to find a sense of control when going through rough times like big break ups or family problems. More major causes are today’s media, self-esteem issues, as well as sexual, physical, and psychological abuse. The most common time for someone to go through an eating disorder is at the pinnacle of puberty. But everyone is different; some eating disorders may be caused by no apparent reason at all.

            Eating disorders can cause life altering long term or short term effects such as acid reflex disease, cancer, insomnia, hair loss, heart problems, infertility, depression, seizures and death. The girls or boys that go through eating disorders think of it as a punishment for their body because they are disgusted or ashamed with the way it appears. While someone with an eating disorder may weigh fifty pounds less than the average girl or boy they are surrounded by, but when they look in the mirror they think they are obese. Luckily there are many specialists that can drastically help girls or boys suffering with eating disorders. The earlier a disorder is caught the easier it is to cure.

 Many celebrities are going through the problems of eating disorders in order to be as skinny as the other actors, models or musicians. It is causing rates in eating disorders to go up because the audiences that are reading the magazines, watching tv and walking through the mall want to look just like the cute and famous people they see everywhere. The difficult part is accepting your body’s appearance in reality, rather than comparing yourself to something you’re not. 

If you or someone you know is going through an eating disorder please help them seek professional help. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) helps with treatment and can give you detailed information about eating disorders. You can contact the Association at 847-831-3438 or http://www.anad.org/.