Okay, so now let's talk eating disorders. I went to a great panel a few weeks ago at PC on eating disorder awareness, and it really opened my eyes as to how common they are. It's also a huge women's issue. I got all of the following facts and statistics from the National Eating Disorders Association.
The National Eating Disorders Association lists four major eating disorders. I'm only going to focus on two here: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa's defining characteristics are self-starvation and excessive weight loss, while Bulimia Nervosa's is a cycle of binging on food and then some sort of purging activity to rid the body of that food.
How common is it? In the United States, it is estimated that as many as 10 million females are fighting an eating disorder. Four out of ten Americans have suffered or know someone who has suffered from an eating disorder.
These aren't the most startling statistics, however.
- 81% of 10-year old girls fear being fat.
- 80% of American women are dissatisfied with their appearance.
- Each year, Americans spend over $40 billion in dieting products.
- On any given day, 45% of American women are on a diet.
- For 15-24 year-old women who suffer from anorexia nervosa, the mortality rate as caused by the illness is 12 times more likely than any other cause of death.
- Of newly identified cases of anorexia, 40% are in girls 15-19 years old.
Why are eating disorders so common in the United States? Well, if you watched that video, you can see why. We have a completely distorted view of beauty in the United States. For instance, the average American women is 5'4" and weighs 140 pounds. The average American model? 5'11" and 117 pounds. (?!?!?!) Most models are 98% thinner than American women.
Check out these airbrushed before and after photos:
You can see the huge difference that a little touch-up can make.
What exactly are the health risks associated with these eating disorders? Here's a few for anorexia: increased risk of heart failure, bone and muscle mass loss, severe dehydration, kidney failure, extremely dry skin and hair, and hair loss. For bulimia: gastric rupture, esophageal rupture, tooth decay, and pancreatitis. I'm emphasizing that these are only a few health risks. Also, these are not to mention the increased risk of mortality.
Eating disorders also receive inadequate research funding and mental health treatment for them is often not covered by insurance companies.
Living in an American society, we are constantly bombarded with images of beautiful women in magazines, the movie and TV screen, and on the runway. These aren't what most women's bodies look like, however. Like I said before, models are 98% thinner than most American women. That is an incredible number. Also, like the images I posted show, computers can do a hell of a lot when it comes to airbrushing and making women look more like the unattainable ideal that American society values so much. Something needs to change here.
So what can you do? Well, the next time you or one of your friends is complaining about how they look, think about that Dove video and the photos you saw on here. The American perception of beauty is far off, and it is causing many girls to put themselves at risk for extreme health consequences. Also, if you think that one of your friends may be suffering from an eating disorder, get help fast. The National Eating Disorders Association is a great resource for any information you need. You can recover from an eating disorder with the right help, and there are plenty of recovery stories out there.
I didn't talk much about disordered eating here because I didn't want to make this post too long. But disordered eating is much more prevalent among women and is often a precursor to a full-blown eating disorder. It can involve excessive exercise, dieting, or calorie-counting. I'll try to write a post just on disordered eating soon.
Also, just a disclaimer: I didn't talk about men who suffer from eating disorders because this blog is focused on women. That's not to say, though, that men don't suffer from eating disorders as well, because they certainly do. In fact, the number of men suffering from eating disorders has increased steadily over the years, and today more than 1 million men are suffering from an eating disorder.
Here are some links if you want to know more:
Remember, we can't make a change until each of us wants to make a change. Make your voice heard!
(From Dove's Real Beauty Campaign, a great campaign showing real women's bodies and how beautiful they can be as well)
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