A Mirror Tells No Lies
Imagine an emancipated young girl staring at herself in the mirror and seeing only fat. Picture the young girl's parents watching their daughter literally whither away to nothing. These are the constant struggles and fears felt within a family dealing with an eating disorder. As our society continues to focus its attention on being thin, the prevalence of eating disorders in this era is rapidly increasing. Food obsessions, such as anorexia nervosa, need to be given serious consideration because of the psychological ramifications and the lasting effects left with the suffering individual. Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height, an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat - even though underweight - and a disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced (Chicchi 2). Anorexics are on an endless diet, and are quite literally starving themselves to death. Earlier descriptions of anorexia date back further; however, it was first diagnosed in an eleven-year-old in England in the early 1800's. The first diagnosis was
named the eating disorder anorexia mirabilis, or a miraculous loss of appetite. It is now referred to as anorexia nervosa, or a nervous loss of appetite. The term anorexia, however, is a misnomer since the loss of appetite is rare. People with anorexia are engaged in a constant battle as food is present almost everywhere one goes and much emphasis is put on appearance. It's sad when the truth is realized: we happen to live in a weight-conscious, fashion-conscious, diet-conscious society that puts a premium on good looks, isn't very tolerant of physical imperfection, and sends out a message suggesting that people who are thin and trim are somehow smarter, luckier, more interesting than, and generally superior to, those who aren't. When will the quality of life and the person within us all become more valuable than our physical appearance? Another key problem with those suffering from anorexia is the need for control over one's life. She often feels unable to control her life, therefore, she turns to the one area she believes she can control - her body. I believe an interviewed young girl stated it best, "When I was able to lose weight and keep it of
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Approximate Word count = 785
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)
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