The media bombards us daily with images of physical perfection. Between the excessively thin models and actors, print technology which brushes away any and all flaws, it is no surprise that we have become so obsessed, as a society, with our physical appearance and weight? While some people jump from diet to diet or binge eat, there are also many who suffer from Anorexia.
Lately, a few young women celebrities in Hollywood appear seriously underweight. They continue with their popularity, and have an effect on how other young women view their own bodies. Some teenagers have resorted to starving themselves in an attempt to achieve an unattainable and dangerous ideal. Many more teens have experimented with starvation at some time or another and this behavior does not necessarily end when they finish high school.
At this point, Anorexia has been a problem for many years and, because so many have not gotten help, there are now sufferers in all age groups. Although more women than men suffer from anorexia, men are not immune and with growing pressure to fit particular physical ideals, men may be more and more susceptible.
People who struggle with anorexia are not only trying to fit an ideal body type. The problem is even bigger, since it is ultimately about control. For a variety of reasons, Anorexia sufferers may feel out of control in some areas of their lives and are trying to assert an absolute authority over food and their own bodies. This means that the problem doesn’t just disappear when they reach some specific weight. The need for control and the dissatisfaction with their own appearance continues to drive many to dangerously low weights. Even those at what appears to be a relatively normal weight may be suffering from Anorexia. By starving themselves, they can cause other health problems even if they don’t appear excessively thin.
One big problem for adults with Anorexia is they may not be as closely watched as teens. Adults in college and beyond who live alone can be Anorexic without anyone else being able to recognize it. The push by society for people, and especially women, to be severely thin also means that skipping meals as a form of dieting is not always viewed as problematic. In a growing number of situations, it is even considered acceptable. In fact, peers of young twenty-something’s may compliment an Anorexia sufferer on losing weight without knowing that there is a deeper problem at hand.
In order to continue to fight against the problem of Anorexia, we must all be aware of the multiple symptoms, as well as the serious health issues that it creates for anyone who uses starvation, whether as a dieting technique or because of a deeper need for control. Whenever someone mentions starving themselves or if they seem overly concerned with their weight it is important to try to talk to them honestly about the dangers of Anorexia.