Dramatic changes

Eating disorders have become increasingly common among adolescense. In these years they tend to be more self-conscious about how they look and our uncomfortable in their skin. "This can be especially true when they are going through puberty, and undergo dramatic physical changes and face new social pressures" (kidshealth.org). Adolescence are becoming more and more obsessed with their appearance. Young woman are the most prone to having an eating disorder. There are ways parents can help prevent these disorders from occuring. They can help by "nurturing their self-esteem, and encouraging healthy attitudes, about nutrition and appearance. Help must be solicited immediately. One of the main problems is that these kids are normally good at hiding these disorders for months or even years from their families and friends. They are very common in the US. 1 or 2 out of every 100 kids will struggle with one, most commonly annorexia or bulimia. Also, excessive excercise is an eating disorder as well as self-induced vomiting or laxative use. People with annorexia tend to be underweight while people with bulimia tend to maintain a normal weight. "Binge eating disorders, food phobia, and body image disorders are also becoming increasingly common in adolescense."

Dancers with Eating Disorders

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IlnKW2zlxSg

This video really got to me. I remember seeing the movie Center Stage which is part of the clip in this video. I remember that was the first time I figured out what exactly an eating disorder was. The star dancer of the company (not the star of the film) was throwing up everything she ate. She tried pizza for the first time and loved it, but of course threw it up. There was a lot of pressure from her mom to be skinny and be the best. In truth, she did not love dance anymore. She was fulfilling her mom's dream. She was hurting herself for something she was good at and didn't have the heart for. Other girls were told they were too fat to stay in the school or to make it as a professional. The pressure all the girls went through to be a dancer caused many of them to have issues and harm themselves. Annorexia is extrememly common among ballerinas. The ballerina image more than any other type of dancer is to be long and skinny. This is so they can be lifted by men and because it is pretty. This image isn't meant for all people, some people are big boned and will never look like that. This movie, as a dancer, made me think. I never want to end up like that. I have been very fortunate with my family history and environment, which has caused me to have very few issues. As a dancer, I eat very healthy but I also know that it is okay to treat myself. I am not a ballerina but I do ballet. It is good to be muscular, healthy, and strong.

Further Exploring

Today, I took the time to further explore the general information about eating disorders. I read about three general and common eating disorders; Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia is self-starvation. People have an  irrational fear that if they eat, the will get fat. People who suffer from bulimia try to prevent weight gain by following a cycle of dieting, binge eating, and then purging. These are also behavioral disorders. These people's eating is not the only thing affected. They suffer in many other ways such as the body system being disturbed, their minds are affected, also their everyday social lives are altered. They act in certain ways that they would never have before. These are behavioral disorders because these people feel compelled to do this to themselves and continuously do these behaviors. These disorders are lethal. Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric condition. The anorexics that purge as well are at the most risk because they are starved and throw up. Some of the complications that come with starving are slow heart rate, low blood pressure, faintness, dizziness, intolerance to cold, thinning hair, constipation, weakness and fatigue, and loss of monthly period. Many times these people do not only have eating disorders, but it is also accompanied by depression or anxiety. In other words, many of these people also have mood disorders. Eating disorders are dangerous and most of the time require extensive help to overcome.

Eating Disorders- Topic

I feel eating disorders is a huge issue in the world today. Especially, as a dancer it is an issue I see almost on a daily basis. People become obsessed with what they look like. On a surface level people are obsessed with their appearance. Today, I learned that people with eating disorders are not just worried about this. They most of the time have a much larger reason. It goes deeper and beyond insecurity. It is more times than not an issue of control. People with eating disorders feel that their eating is the one thing in their life they can control. No one can take that away from them. Many times these disorders stem from a rough childhood or a tense family life. Sometimes they are caused by living in an overly critical environment. Also it could be caused by being abused or having someone close to you be abused. Eating disorders are ways of coping. I learned that 8-10 million people today suffer from eating disorders. They are most common among women. This will be the topic I will be exploring this quarter.