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Eating Disorters **

Intro:
A successful person is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks that others throw at him or her. But what if they’re the ones throwing the bricks and the bricks are comments about their own weight. What if their arms are tired and the bricks are still coming? Well, those comments can cause them to start a little diet. That little diet can become an obsession, that obsession can become an eating disorder. In "Society's Unhealthy Obsession with Thinness," they estimate 8.5 million Americans are suffering from an eating disorder. Eating disorders are not just an easy way to lose weight. It is a mental disease.

[|To find your BMI click this and then come back to see how your weight is!]

** BMI Categories: **
 * Underweight = <18.5
 * Normal weight = 18.5-24.9
 * Overweight = 25-29.9
 * Obesity = BMI of 30 or greater

Why find your BMI?​
Your BMI can mean many things. The main reason for this to be up is because it is another why people get eating disorders. If someone were to find their BMI and be over weight, it might cause them to become self concourse of their body.

Where Did it Come From?
Eating disorders sure didn't start in the olden days. "There was a time not so long ago, when fat was 'desirable'. (Stern, 4) This is very true. At one point people would want to marry a bigger sized women rather than a skinny one. The reasoning behind this was that if there was ever a fast they would be able to survive comfortable. Throughout time, things have changed. Eating disorders started the way it seemed may things start out, slow, and then it turned into a common thing between models and other jobs that depend on your body image. Well, the amount of people getting eating disorders keeps going up and doesn't seem like it is going to change. The fact is that so many people are getting pressured more into becoming skinnier. For example, "Miss Americas and playboy playmates between1960-1980 found that over the years they gained in height but dropped markedly in weight. The truth is, thin women do better. Studies show that slim women enjoy more upward mobility, in part because they attract more who have economic and social status. While thin women marry up, heavy women marry down. Little girls absorb this harsh reality." (Stern,4) the truth is that the fact that children are even thinking that her body shape has to do with what they do for the rest of there life, is a problem in it's self. It starts with the more bulky the better, and turned into the skinnier the better.

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Why is This Video Important?
This video is very important. It shows one of the main reasons teens are developing eating disorders. That reason is media and the images that they throw in our face. The pressure of being perfect. Perfection as everyone knows, may not be possible but people try to get as close as they can. Just looking at a billboard as you drive on the high-way, you see these images and self-confidence compare yourself to them. When you don't add up, your self confidence is lowered. Well, that is the whole point of this billboard. If everyone felt perfect, they wouldn't buy skin care products or dieting products. So when you don't add up you are more willing to work out or buy things to get you to add up to the body image we are shown.

What Causes and Signs?
There are two main causes for an eating disorder. The first reason is media. Media is always around us and always trying to sell us things. Therefore they purposely try to lower are self-esteem so we will buy there product. The truth is that al the things that the media are throwing in our face is not what real people look like. Most of the pictures and videos they show us are edited and photo shopped. So what we think is pretty is not always really there. The second cause of eating disorders is the high school life and pressures. The peruses of looking good to maybe get that one guy you like. Or maybe it is summer time and everyone wearing swimming suits around you. All these things have to do with you confidence. Many girls think that they are almost competing with each other. When you have this all around you it seems to make people want to diet. That could turn into a eating disorder. "Eighty percent of North American girls begin to diet by the age of 13"(Stern 4) How to detect in eating disorder may be difficult because they try to hide there disorder. Some signs of someone dealing with an eating disorder are:

(Eguia, 4)
 * Lack of awareness of the illness
 * Intense fear of obesity
 * Distorted self-image
 * Refusal to maintain normal wieght
 * Hair loss
 * Lack of menstruation
 * Dry Skin
 * Habit of cutting food into small bits
 * Eat slowly
 * Chew for a long time
 * Hiding food
 * Calorie counter
 * Social isolation
 * Irritability 
 * Bingeing
 * Use of loose clothing

What and Who are Effected?
[|An eating disorder may be a disorder dealing with the person themselves but the people around them have a big effect on the person with the disorder. When someone has an eating disorder they tend to try and hide it. When you try to get them to eat by begging or lying, it will not work. This can put a lot of stress on a family. Eating disorders are not healed in a short amount of time, it takes, a long time. Of course it is hard for someone to watch someone they love starve themselves. That is how it affects other people’s lives. "It is like a train that speeds up and you can't stop it" (Stern). Once someone gets an eating disorder it takes over there life and it seems to be all they think about. They only care about losing weight. Also they don't like to wear bathing suits so they won’t go swimming unless they have a t-shirt on. The impact on someone’s life once they get an eating disorder there whole life and the people around there lives are changed. Some effects on the body from an eating disorder are:] ("Health Consequences of eating disorder.")
 * High blood pressure.
 * High cholesterol levels.
 * Heart disease as a result of elevated triglyceride levels.
 * Secondary diabetes.
 * Irregular heartbeats.
 * Heart failure and death.
 * Tooth decay and staining from stomach acids.
 * Slow heart rate.
 * Muscle loss and weakness.
 * reduction of bone density.
 * Dry hair and skin.
 * Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.

What are the Solutions?
"Teachers are in the best position to detect the beginning symptoms of anorexia."(Eguia,1) The first step to helping someone fight an eating disorder is to know they have it and for everyone to understand what it is. The second step is to confront the problem together and start to work through it. There are treatments and therapist to help people dealing with this problem. When someone starts therapy they have to know there is no way of stopping an eating disorder with a week. An eating disorder has to do with mental thinking like. It is like once someone is to the point were they have an eating disorder it is like the disorder has taken over there mind. This can be a hard thing to get over. The solution to an eating disorder is treatment of therapy.

Eating disorders cause a large difference in peoples world. That is why it is important to make sure you let the people you love know that you love them the way they are. If you think someone you love has an eating disorder make sure you do something then. The longer you weight the harder it is for the person to get over the eating disorder. There fore eating disorders are an issue that many teens deal with everyday.
 * Conclution **
 * Links **

[|Helpful Website] This website is helpful for parents and families ready to start the road to recovery. [|Another helpful link] This website is good for more information on eating disorders and different types.

[|Helpful site #2] This website is good for getting support and helping you know that people cam overcome this disease.

[|Another helpful link # 2] This website is helpful for parents.

This is good for am overall knowledge of this disorder

Work Citied
Eguin, Roberto. “America The Signs of Anorexia.” //At Issue: Ed. Karen F Balkin//. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 2005. //Opposing// // Viewpoints // // Resource // // Center //. Web. 27 Jan. 2010. . “Health consequences of eating disorders." ("Health Consequences of Eating Disorders," National Eating Disorders Association, http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/nedaDir/files/documents/handouts/HlthCnsq.pdf (accessed  January 12, 2006) ).  // Opposing //// Viewpoints // // Resource // // Center // . Web. 8 Feb. 2010 