Husahna

Eating disorders are not a fad diet or an experiment to lose weight, but they are serious complex disorders that can take many years to recover from. Eating disorders affect five percent of women and one percent of men in the United States. The South Carolina Mental Health Department reports that five to ten percent of girls with eating disorders will die within ten years of having the disease. ("Statstics Eating" INT) Teenagers need to be aware of the warning signs, risk factors, and long and short term consequences of eating disorders.

“Eating disorders result from a complicated interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors” (Ciotola DB). There is no clear cause of eating disorders, but they can be a result of many things. “Although concerns about weight and body shape play a role in all eating disorders, the actual cause of these disorders appear to result from many factors, including cultural and family pressures and emotional and personality disorders.” (INT) Warning signs of eating disorders can either be very noticeable and very subtle. Anorexia, a reduced appetite or aversion to food, involves avoiding situations including food, an intense fear of gaining weight, and strange food rituals. People with bulimia, excessive eating followed by purging, consume a massive amount of calories and then get rid of the food by vomiting or using laxatives.

There are many ways to try and prevent an eating disorder from devloping. But, studies show that if you teach teens directly about eating disorders this can make them seem glamouros. ("Parents Act" INT) Therefore, prevention should not directly be associated with eating disorders but, with having a healthy lifestyle and acepting all people no matter what size they are. Since eating disorders usually devlop in teens and children, schools can help prevent eating disorders. Teachers and school counclers should have a general knowdgle on eating disorders. Schools can also help with prevention of