Eating Disorders

That's a pretty nerve-racking title if you ask me. Nonetheless, it's a subject I feel like I need to get aquainted with. This may be a negative outlook, but I think that every teenage girl in America "flirts" with an eating disorder at some time in her life. It seems unescapable in our society today; our society that is so appearance driven. It's impossible to go about your day without seeing an ad, commercial, or television show that doesn't focus on improving your look. It's engraved in our minds that if we aren't skinny then we better do something about it. Whether that's liposuction, cosmetic surgery, crash diets, or through eating disorders, it's all dangerous. I'm sure you've heard the saying "playing with fire," that's exactly what you're doing when you experiment with an eating disorder.

Know the facts:
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that revolves around the desire to be thin and to lose weight quickly. It often stems from the need to want to be in control. It is most commonly found in women and develops during middle to late adolescents. It affects around one percent of women and one-tenth as many males. People with anorexia refuse to maintain body weight at or above eighty-five percent of normal weight for their age and height and have a fear of becoming fat, even if they are already severely underweight. The first widespread attention brought to eating disorders was in 1983, when singer Karen Carpenter died from anorexia. People with anorexia restrict their food intake and deprive their bodies of enough energy and nutrients to live on. even after overcoming anorexia, it can have lasting effects on your heart, immune system, kidneys, digestive system, and metabolism.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by purging of the food through laxatives or vomiting. A study on bulimia found that after eating 3,530 calories and then vomiting, 1,209 calories were left in the body. After smaller binges of 1,549 calories, 1,128 calories were retained after purging. Bulimia also has lasting effects on the throat and esophagus, teeth, heart, stomach and pancreas, kidneys and liver, intestines and muscles.

Binge eating disorder occurs when an individual eats uncontrollably and does not purge the food. Binge eaters are often overweight and are distressed over the amount of food consumed. Binge eating can have lasting impacts on the heart and metabolism.

These are the most common eating disorders. It seems like it would be so much easier to lose weight by just not eating or purging after you've overindulged. Easy solution, right? But that can be the most dangerous thinking in the world, the kind that could kill you. If you're struggling with an eating disorder, maybe you haven't attempted anything but you've thought about it a lot, talk to someone you trust. Instead of focusing on your body shape, focus on being healthy by exercising and eating the right foods such as fruits and vegetables, whole grains, brown rice, dairy products, and lean meats and make sure you're drinking plenty of water. Listen to your bodies "hunger and full" cues to make sure that you're eating enough nutrients that your body needs and so that you don't eat out of boredom or stress.

When we succumb to eating disorders we are proclaiming that we accept the worlds standard of beauty when what we need to be doing is revolting against such unattainable standards. Remember that you are beautiful, no matter what the media says. Embrace your flaws and SMILE.