Society and Eating Disorders

Today’s youth are under extreme pressure to have the perfect body. Throughout the media are images of size zero women, and these women are what society calls beautiful. These models appearing on our televisions, magazines, and computer screens are not as they seem. In order to transform into what is “beautiful,” actresses and models are being photo shopped into a smaller version of themselves.

Gorgeous women in Hollywood have been victims of Photoshop. Celebrities like Penelope Cruz, Jessica Alba, and Kim Kardashian are only a few of the women who have had distinctive features or curves erased to be molded into what society considers beautiful. Ordinary girls are comparing themselves to these celebrities and their falsely advertised demeanor. As a result, women continue to struggle to eventually be beautiful– at least as society views it.

How we view beauty as a society is not only misleading, but it is also dangerous. With the enormous amount of pressure to be attractive, there is a risk of developing an eating disorder. This includes, but is not limited to, anorexia, and bulimia. According to the National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA), nine percent of women have suffered from anorexia, a disease were one may refuse to eat to the point of self-starvation or may become consumed by the fear of gaining weight. Bulimia is a disorder in which an individual will provoke vomiting after a meal. NEDA states that almost two percent of women will be bulimic during their lifetime. Fifty percent of teenage girls and twenty-five percent of college females are suffering from an eating disorder, and ten million females are struggling with these diseases daily, according to NEDA statistics.

We do not have to sink to society’s level. Every single person is beautiful–screw what society thinks! Whether you are tall, short, curvy, thin, have short hair or long hair, you are gorgeous just the way you are. It is important to live a healthy and happy life! Love yourself and surround yourself with positive energy. Don’t let what society believes bring you down; you cannot compare yourself to their unrealistic views. If you or a loved one are suffering from an eating disorder, get help. More information about eating disorders can be found at http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/.