All teenagers want to look attractive, they want to be popular and fit in with others. The standards for looking attractive are not always easy in today’s society. Girls have a harder time than boys because girls are judged on their appearance much more than boys. Physical attractiveness in women is based on many things, pretty features, nice hair, a good complexion, and a Miss America body.
Today, a Miss America or “shapely proportioned” body is interpreted as slim. Many teenage girls are unhappy and ashamed of their bodies. Due to pressures or problems in their own lives, many girls try to lose weight thinking that it will bring them success and happiness.
Eating disorders are now showing up at much younger ages. The average age used to be sixteen or seventeen. But now it has been reduced to fourteen for girls, and has even been reported in fourth graders. This disordered eating craze has the potential to cause stunted growth and unhealthy bodies, and even early death if left untreated. A study on eating disorders found that of more than 2,000 nine- and ten-year-old girls, about 40 percent reported trying to lose weight. Today, many girls and boys are seriously overweight and actually need to lose some weight, but most, especially girls, are caught up in the crazy skinny craze. Worrying about being too fat starts early, a survey of 12-13 year old girls showed almost half of the group didn’t like the way they looked. The boys did not seem to be as concerned about their appearance or weight as the girls.
There are three types of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa is when a person has an unfounded fear of gaining weight and may actually starve to death if left untreated. Another type of eating disorder is bulimia. A person eats large amounts of food and then forces themselves to vomit, or takes laxatives, or uses means to prevent weight gain, such as running and strenuous exercise programs. The last one is binge eating disorder, also sometimes called food addiction, and is characterized by an obsessive/compulsive relationship with food and eating when you’re not even hungry.
The American Anorexia and Bulimia Association (AABA) reported that more than five million Americans suffer from eating disorders, 5 percent are adolescent and adult women and 1 percent are men. They also report that about a thousand women will die each year from anorexia. It is reported that between 5 and 10 percent of long-term anorexics die from this disease each year. If these statistics are true, this means that anorexia has the highest death rate of all mental health illnesses!
Hollywood and movies have impacted our teens, the skinny is beautiful Hollywood craze has blinded our young people, they don’t realize that most of the entertainment world has personal trainers, home gyms and expert nutritionists to help them lose weight safely. . Our young men are not aware of this and in most cases see them as the standards of how girls should look. We need to get this message across to our children and educate them about the dangers of poor eating habits.
Most teens develop an eating disorder in their preteens, and 80% of girls reported dieting by age 16. Today, children hit puberty at a younger age and are much less equipped to understand the dangers of poor eating habits and the damage it can do to their young bodies.
My hope and prayer is that if you are a young person reading this, don’t let an eating disorder ruin your life. God loves you.