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Do you cringe every time you hear
the word 'fat'? Are you on a diet all year round? Do you exercise
compulsively? Do you have a preoccupation with weight loss? Are you
unhappy? - Answering 'yes' to any of these may indicate a serious
problem.
When does it
become a cause of concern?
- When
thousands of young girls are losing their lives
- When
thousands of bright young girls live in depression because they
value themselves based on their appearance
- When
thousands of girls are not leading normal, healthy lives
- When
thousands of girls waste their years of youth in hospitals
- When
thousands of girls torture themselves by starving so that they get
the ideal body
- When
thousands of girls are damaging their bodies
- When
the next victim could be your fashion conscious sister.........
Wanting
to be thin is more than just a phase in some young girl's life. It's
an obsession and it's necessary to identify that it is indeed a
dangerous one.
A
1984 Glamour magazine survey asked readers "What would make you
happiest?" A total of 42% put weight loss at the top of their
lists. That's more than a sizable number to raise concerns.
It
is estimated that about five million people in America suffer from
eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge
eating. Sufferers use self-destructive eating behaviors to deal with
psychological problems that may go much deeper than her/his obsession
with food and weight. Food is simply used as a dysfunctional means of
coping with psychological problems. In many cases, the individual may
not even acknowledge the fact that he/she has a problem until it is
too late.
With
the increasing number of people worldwide being affected by the
tainted ideas of what is acceptable with respect to weight, it is time
the media sat up and took responsibility for the images it portrays
and the havoc it wreaks on people's lives.
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The concept that 'Thin is
beautiful' has been embedded in the minds of young women all over the
world and they are willing to do any thing to obtain 'The ultimate
body". Whom do we blame for this?
Primarily the fashion world:
International fashion designers are making a very strong statement by
using only waif like models to wear their clothes on the ramp. A
statement that holds such valuable meaning for so many all over the
world. These models are glorified by titles like "Super model of
the year" and they become the definition of what is beautiful and
fashionable. Every single woman's magazine features a skinny model on
the cove and carries articles on how to lose weight. With that kind of
power, is it any wonder that fashion worshippers try to live by these
guidelines. Its time to take responsibility.
The media leads us to believe
that woman with low weights and svelte shapes will be happier, more
sophisticated and better at their careers by providing us with role
models like the popular, but extremely scrawny Calista Flockhart of
Ally McBeal.
In this thin-obsessed world, our
weight almost dictates our emotional well being - our self-image,
self-esteem, confidence and happiness. Diets, exercise, fasts -
anything to shed those extra pounds.
Anjali, a college student says,
" I hate being fat. I feel ugly. I can't wear the clothes I want,
I feel too self-conscious to do half the things my friends do."
How do you know whether you or
someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder? What are the
telltale signs?
Anorexics are often preoccupied with
dieting and thinness which leads to excessive weight loss. Bulimia can
involve purging or vomiting, abusing laxatives and/or diuretics,
exercising compulsively and/or fasting. The bulimic may not be visibly
underweight and may even be slightly overweight. Bingeing or
compulsive over eating involves uncontrolled eating usually kept
secret. Bingeing and purging is often followed by intense feelings of
guilt and shame.
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Here
are some of the symptoms:
- A
preoccupation with food and weight (i.e. counting calories,
excessive dieting, weighing oneself several times per day)
- "feeling
fat" when weight is normal or even low; individual
experiences "body distortion" (they perceive their shape
to be something other than it is).
- Guilt
and shame about eating; not wanting to eat in front of other
people.
- Evidence
of binge eating, hoarding of food, use of laxatives, diuretics,
purgatives, and emetics.
- Excessive
exercise; exercising to lose weight not to get fit.
- Emotional
changes: moodiness, depression, irritability, and social
withdrawal.
- Extreme
concern about appearance.
- Using
the bathroom frequently after meals
- Swollen
glands in neck and face § Heartburn, bloating, dental problems
- Irregular
periods
- Constipation,
indigestion
- Sore
throat, vomiting blood
- Weakness,
exhaustion
- Bloodshot
eyes
- Hair
loss
- Fainting
spells
- Lying
about food
How
can an eating disorder effect your life?
Eating disorders have serious psychological
ramifications. The depression, shame and agonizing sense of
isolation caused by eating disorders disrupts families, interrupts
schooling, damages careers bright with promise and destroys
relationships.
Medically anorexia and the
like can lead to shrunken organs, gall bladder disease, diabetes, bone
mineral loss, which can lead to osteoporosis, low body temperature,
low blood pressure, slowed metabolism and reflexes as well as
irregular heartbeat, which can lead to cardiac arrest. Without
treatment, the future for men and women with eating disorders is
bleak. But with psychological counseling and medical evaluations
(sometimes in conjunction with nutritional counseling and medication),
people can recover. Sufferers can develop appropriate inner resources
and look forward to living normal, productive and happy lives.
An
eating disorder is an illness. Do not ignore it, it will not go away
and it is almost always fatal. If you suspect that you, or someone you
know is suffering from an eating disorder please consult a doctor. It
is hard and it will take every single psychological resource you have
in order to deal with the problem, but consider the alternative......
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