We are plugged into the media every day and without even knowing it some become followers of the labels the media reveals to us. People with eating disorders are growing in numbers. It may not make headline news every day, but it’s a story nonetheless. Both women and men are being affected and they are taking drastic measures to have that perfect body. Their eating disorders leading them down a destructive path. Leaving their family, friends, and loved ones to watch them literally fade away for the price of being what the media labels as perfect. Children are also being affected by eating disorders.
Can you imagine a ten year old terrified of being fat? So terrified that this child will refuse to eat, starving their little body of all the nutrients they need to sustain their life. As many as a million men and 10 million women suffer with some type of eating disorder in the United States, and this is just the cases that are reported. According to a recent report in the December issue of PEDIATRICS, Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, hospitalizations for children with eating disorders under age 12 increased by a shocking 119% for the years 1999 to 2006. Eating disorders have doubled since the 1960’s. According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.
Dieting has become accepted as a regular part of our society. Our society’s emphasis on body image and glorification of thinness promotes dangerous dieting behaviors. Children are exposed to this type of media, even more than we realize.
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