Eating Disorders :: essays research papers

Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the fattest one of all? -  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unknown Men and women of all ages, races and incomes get eating disorders. Almost eighty percent of people with eating disorders started with dieting. Experts estimate one in four college women are bulimic. Did you know ninety percent of women overestimate their weight and everyday fifty six percent of women are on a diet. It is also not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase because of the value society places on being thin. Women especially are given the message at a very young age in order for them to be happy and successful they have to be thin. Did you also know the average model weighs twenty three percent less then an average woman. According to medical standards they fit into having a disorder. Diet commercials are constantly appearing on television screens telling us that losing weight will make everyone happy. Over five million American men and women suffer from eating disorders. (Vollstadt 45) Depression, shame, and agonizing sense of isolation is caused by eating disorders, they disrupt families, schools, and damages careers. It’s unfortunate, but in today’s society, people have forgotten that it’s what’s on the inside that counts, not what’s on the outside.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One percent of teenage girls in the US develops anorexia nervosa and up to ten percent of those may die as a result.(AABA 3) Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. The individual may not acknowledge that his or her weight loss or restrictive eating is a problem. Most women and an increasing number of men are motivated by the urge to become thin. Anorexics usually strive for perfection. They usually have a low self-esteem and sometimes feel that they don’t deserve to eat. Denying the problem occurs most of the time. There are many warning signs for anorexia. Some of the signs are having a noticeable weight loss, becoming withdrawn, lots more exercise, fatigue, weakness in muscles, headaches, and a different attitude towards others. There’s many more, but just look at the ones here and say that they aren’t dangerous. There are also many medical conditions to go with this disease like hair loss, bloating, cold hands and feet, etc. Some people wear baggy clothes to make themselves feel skinnier then they already are and they still feel the urge to lose more weight.