Eating disorders are becoming the norm in today’s society. Up to 30 million people of all ages and genders in the United States are affected by eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Almost 50% of people diagnosed with this illness also fit the criteria for depression. These disorders more commonly affect young girls aged 12 to 25 but is also starting to show more in boys as well.
Eating disorders are illusive to a lot of people. For some, they associate eating disorders with people who are extremely depressed or are looking for attention. This is not the case for most people. Social media is one of the main causes for eating disorders. This drives teenagers to the brink of doing anything to be “pretty”.
“I think that pictures on Tumblr and Instagram with models that have perfect bodies contribute to girls feeling insecure and that tv shows and movies glorify eating disorders and make them seem not as bad as they are.” says grade eight student Isabella Duncan.
For many people the “desirable” type of body they see on social media is just out of reach. Impressionable young girls and boys opening up Instagram on their phones and seeing photos of the good life, photos of flawless people with perfect bodies, perfect jobs and perfect lifestyles, going to amazing places on holiday and look like they're always having fun drives them to trying to be the same. These teens then think to themselves, maybe if I looked like that I would be as happy as them.
After seeing picture after picture teenagers start to detest their bodies and blame themselves. They start to think that maybe if they were just a bit skinnier, or just a bit prettier they would have it all. For many teens with social lives, it is hard to stay on a constant diet when there are so many temptations, and hard to find time to go to the gym regularly. Even if you manage to do all these things it still takes time to progress and lose weight.
“In my friend group, we always complain about how we look and say things that we don't like about our bodies. I think that girls feel like they have put themselves down so they don't seem self centered or arrogant.” says Isabella Duncan.
Eating disorders are not just a “phase” or for attention. Social media has chalked up eating disorders to something they’re not; a passing trend that you use to lose weight and then move on. This is an important issue as it affects the people around you in their everyday lives.
Even though it seems like a scary thought, it is a reality for many people and it is important in today’s society for us to make it a mission to help spread body positivity and make every body type acceptable.
By Francesca Marshall
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