Risky Business: Eating Disorders (draft)

An eating disorder is any range of physiological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits, such as anorexia nervosa. In today's society, it is not surprising that eating disorders are increasing because woman are obsessed with the pursuit of thinness.

            Media creates unrealistic images of woman, causing 55% of woman who are normal view themselves as fat. It is almost impossible to watch TV or read a magazine that doesn't show a famous celebrity who is slender and thin. In fact, many magazines create computer-modified images of skinny woman.  A People magazine survey showed that 80% of females feel that woman in movies and television programs made them feel insecure about their bodies.

            All of this media exposure causes woman to resort to starving, vomiting, or only eating diet foods to become thin. One in three woman happen to be on diets.  Some people don't even eat at all, which is called anorexia nervosa. 9/10 of the people who diet, starve, or self-purge are high school juniors. However, only 1/10 of these people are overweight.

            Although, many would argue that body image does not have an effect on eating disorders. Some would say that Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what leads to eating disorders. Traumatic events can engage in eating disorders to self-manage the feelings and experiences related to PTSD. For example, sexual abuse. 30% of people with an eating disorder have been sexually abused. Sexual abuse leads to body shame which triggers habits geared to destroying the body, meaning starvation, purging, and binge eating.

            There's a wide range of eating disorders; whether it's anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, etc. All of very dangerous and harmful to the body. In today's society, people strive to attain the ideal body image that's set for us. However, no number on a scale defines who you are as a person.