It's sad that we live in a world where more and more people are obese and at the same time models are dying from anorexia and bulimia. On the one hand the foods that we as a society are quickly consuming are full of junk and at the same time our girls (and some boys) are not eating anything, leaning over their toilets and letting go of what they ate, because of pressures to look a certain way. And now we have a whole market of dieting products, trends of low-carb diets, weight-loss secrets, etc. I feel that it would be easier to solve one problem if the other did not exist but in the presence of each it should be quite a challenge.
I think a big problem with eating disorders is personal responsibility. People gain weight often times because they cannot control themselves...they have a certain lack of will power. When they use a diet method that holds their hand the whole way, once they stop they may fall back into the same habits. All I can really hope is that we as a society address the problem of obesity in the hopes teaching future generations methods of proper nutrition. Another problem is that people don't think about the consequences of their actions. Eating disorders cause such horrific complications at times that often lead to premature death. We as a nation need to unite to fix this problem. Hopefully shows such as, "The Biggest Loser," will be able to affect people enough to really help, if not causing someone to lose weight, at the very least causing them to not send their kids down the same path.
Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia are caused by a society standard that is just not realistic. People get too much justification from others when they lose too much weight that they either look great or that what they are doing is good for them. Modeling agencies put so much pressure on their models to look "perfect." This not only puts models in danger, but the young people who read magazines and watch tv start to believe that this is how they are supposed to look. It needs to stop at the source.
I also find it disheartening that sports such as wrestling and boxing actually may advocate starving yourself for a couple of days in order to be light enough for a weigh-in. Girls are not the only ones developing eating disorders; boys too are put under pressure to be a certain way that just isn't right.
I truly hope that people with more influence than myself address this problem and help young people to realize that are in effect, killing themselves.
Anorexia is often noted to be caused by a need to be in control and a feeling of a loss of control though I'm sure beauty perceptions play a part.
I really only thought about how obesity is caused be a loss of control, but didn't really think about how anorexia is a result of control issues too, though I guess it's pretty obvious. I just thought about obesity more because it hits closer to home.
I'm just beginning to right a paper on obesity and how it needs governmental involvement because it is a huge problem in the US that is only beginning to be helped. I don't know if you've ever seen the movie supersize me, but I think fast foods and American's living a go go go lifestyle is what is contributing to the US being the fattest country. I think too many people are who are obese don't think theres anything they can do about it. I'm not saying everyone thinks that way, because I know there are plenty of people who do exercise and try to loose the extra weight, but I also think there are so many people that blame it on them just being born with large bones or with a larger set body. Just because you are larger doesn't mean you have to be fat. I'm not really sure yet what kind of role the government should take, and now that I think about it, I might change my thesis because I do think it is mostly the person's fault for not taking the action to loose the weight and be healthy.
As for annorexia and bulimia, I think a lot of girls do it for attention as well. One of my friends is actually annorexic, and I think she started off doing it because she thought she was fat when she wasn't at all, but I think she's continuing it because it does give her attention. I think people who feel like they have to try really hard to fit in are more prone to getting an eating disorder because they realize that they'll get people to be concerned about them and want to help them stop what they're doing. And it's hard to fix that because if your friend is annorexic, you wanna help him or her and convince them to stop starving themselves, yet at the same time if they're doing it for attention by helping them you're just kind of giving into their plan.
It's a shame that your friend uses anorexia as a means of getting attention. Hopefully with the help of her friends and family she can recover. I think that what she needs is reassurance in her own beauty. Not only outer but inner. If she could get positive attention for things that are good about her, maybe she could be convinced to put an end to her disease.
You have good points but they are some what flawed. (don't take that offensively). I used to have a eating disorder for almost 3 years. Eating disorders are caused by deep rooted issues normally. I was made fun of for 8 or more years daily. I was a chubby little kid. Many people who develop eating disorders have these issues ( one or all): they were constantly controlled, or they had no control and their body was the only thing they could control. Also many people who suffer eating disorders have been raped or molested. There are also numerous other reasons. Often times people are pushed to be perfect in everything. Most of which happened to me. I was also verbally abused.
My own family made fun of me when I was chubby so I stopped eating. I lost 60 lbs and I looked great but I didn't feel great. I still thought I looked fat. I still have issues with my self image. I have over come my eating disorder by myself, but it is easy to go back to old habits. I am trying hard to lose weight the right way, but I am on birthcontrol for my cycles and it is VERY hard to lose weight now that I am on it.
Some obese people binge eat because they as well have emotional issues. Plus some obese people are poor. When you are poor you have to buy the crappiest food out there.
Some people really do have a harder time losing weight even when they limit food.
Just some input. :) Good points though.
http://www.progressiveu.org/032913-lupus-uncureable-wait-what
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