You might think, "What's the big deal about eating? You eat three meals a day, sometimes a snack after school. You eat when you're hungry and you stop eating when you're full, right?" Well, that's the way it should be. Eating good food in the company of family or friends is one of the great pleasures in life. But for many people, often women and girls, it's not so simple. For some girls, food has become an enemy and eating or not eating can start to control their lives.
- 75% of American teenagers are on a diet.
- 50% of 9-year-old girls have dieted.
- At least 1 million Americans develop an eating disorder each year.
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are the most common eating disorders.
Anorexia nervosa means "nervous loss of appetite." But a girl with anorexia may actually be very hungry; she has simply decided not to eat. Although the most obvious sign of anorexia is a dramatic loss of weight, the disease starts in the girl's mind and is a very complicated and dangerous health problem. It can start out as just a diet that gets out of control. A girl with anorexia usually has a distorted body image which means that although she may actually be very thin, to herself she looks fat. Often, she is an "A" student, friendly, obedient and eager to please. As well as eating very little, she may exercise excessively, or way too much, doing thousands of situps or running for miles and miles. Sometimes, she is a gymnast, figure skater or ballerina. These activities encourage thin, tiny young bodies. She might be frightened or worried by the normal growth spurt and weight gain that happens before and during puberty.
Some doctors think that girls with anorexia control what they eat and their weight because they feel they have no control over other parts of their lives. Since many girls become anorexic during adolescence, some doctors think that they may be trying to put off growing up. A starving girl doesn't get her period. Also, her skin and nails get dry and brittle. She loses bone mass and may not grow to her full height. She always feels cold; her body gets covered with soft downy hair called lanugo in an attempt to keep warm. She will develop anemia which happens when blood doesn't get enough nourishment to create red blood cells. Finally, if nothing is done to stop it, her body will shut down and she will die. One out of every ten girls suffering from eating disorders do.
Bulimia occurs twice as often as anorexia, but it is not as noticable because a girl suffering from bulimia usually weighs a normal amount. It is characterized by binging and purging. A girl with bulimia will first stuff herself with huge amounts of food (binge) and then force herself to throw up afterwards (purge). This is very dangerous. At first a girl may think this is a neat trick; to be able to eat all she wants and not gain weight, but soon she may not be able to stop. She will feel guilty about eating so much and having to do it secretly. She will make up excuses to leave the table after meals and get to the bathroom to throw up. Diana, Princess of Wales suffered for years from bulimia and admitted she had a lot of trouble getting it under control. Constant vomiting is very dangerous. It can rot your teeth and, in extreme cases, cause internal bleeding and even death.
A girl who thinks she might have an eating disorder should get help right away by speaking to her parents or her doctor.
Don't even think about it!
Girls your age need good nourishing food to grow strong and healthy. You are about to experience (or are in the middle of) a growth spurt which will take you close to your adult height. It's normal and necessary to gain weight as you grow. And here's a little secret you might not know; if you cut down on the food you eat, your body will adjust to it and need less. Then, when you go back to eating normally, you will actually gain more weight because your body had gotten used to making do with less!
Talk to your doctor
She or he will be able to tell you if your weight is normal and healthy for your height. If your doctor agrees with you, then she or he will be able to give you a healthy diet and exercise program to follow. But don't try it on your own!
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