Five Reasons Why Most "Skinny" Celebrities Are Not Really Anoxeric

Everyone knows that there is immense pressure in the entertainment industry to be thin, fit, and beautiful. Celebrities constantly lament over the things required of them to remain appealing in the public eye. Weight management it seems has become such an obsession that many young actresses, singers, and models succumb to eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. Thus, it's not a far stretch to believe that diseases such as these run rampant amongst the fit, famous, and fabulous. But many celebrities are subjected to unnecessary scrutiny---for they have no eating disorders at all. As a matter of fact, there are a dozen reasons why it appears that celebs "wither away" under the spotlight of fame.

o "Always On the Run"- Pick up any celebrity rag, and you'll see your favorite stars tooling around Europe, Africa, Asia, and many other exotic locales. Now think about the preparation involved in hopping from one side of the globe to the other. Anyone who's taken multiple trips overseas understands that a certain amount of physical preparation must be made in order to withstand the rigors of extensive travel.

Staying on the "go" all the time does a number of things. First and foremost, it increases the metabolism, because the amount of physical activity being used to move around so much also increases. People fail to realize that being truly active in any capacity will result in weight loss. Couple that with being "too busy to eat" properly, and the weight loss will be even more noticeable. Quite frankly, many celebrities simply do not have the luxury of being able to squander away hours on the sofa with a carton of ice cream and a remote control. They're too busy entertaining all the people sitting around all day watching television.

o Stress- Sure, it must be wonderful to have all the money in the world, rich and famous friends, and a lifestyle that affords every luxury imaginable. But as the public often realizes, being a celebrity is not always enjoyable. The pressure they are put under by publicists, the media, their families, and their jobs themselves is sometimes too much to bear.

Any physician will agree that emotional stress has the ability to do all sorts of things to the body. Weight loss (and/or loss of appetite) is one of the most common symptoms of depression. Dealing with the strain of maintaining their careers and lifestyles is often extremely overwhelming---which leads me to the next reason why celebs shed their pounds...

o Drugs- Unfortunately, substance abuse also runs rampant amongst the rich and famous. The number of celebrities who have succumbed to drug overdoses over the years is too great to mention. But famous people turn to drugs for all sorts of reasons.

Some use them as an escape from their lonely lifestyles. Yes, celebs do get lonely. Consider the rock star who is shuffled from town to town on tour and really only sees the inside of his tour bus and/or hotel room. While this in and of itself does not justify the use of hard drugs, it might explain how drugs temporarily alleviate the boredom and loneliness. Suffice it to say, when celebrities self-medicate for whatever reason, they very often shed extra pounds.

o Personal Trainers / Nutritionists- Guess what? One of the main reasons why the rich and famous stay so thin is because they have an arsenal of help with which to do so. It's no secret that celebrities have all sorts of fitness regimens to stay healthy and looking good.

Their lifestyles afford them the ability to hire personal trainers and nutritionists who give them the individual attention required to keep in shape. Sometimes it may appear that the famous take it a little too far. Consider the fact that many celebs have trainers in addition to stress and/or substance abuse issues, and you'll agree that the weight loss isn't surprising.

o Hollywood "Tricks" - No, not those kinds of "tricks." The tricks being referenced here are those that photographers, graphic artists, make-up artists and designers have up their sleeves. It is common knowledge that the camera makes one appear heavier or fuller than he/she actually is in person. But there are also camera tricks which elongate figures on screen, making them appear much thinner than they are.

Keeping this in mind, magazine publications also employ the use of computer graphic tricks (read: Photoshop, etc.) to make sure that the celebrities featured look flawless. A little nip here and there on the computer screen creates physiques which ultimately, are not realistic. But because this practice is so widespread, many people forget that the images they see on the glossy pages are falsified. The cellulite, "love handles", and other "anomalies" are whisked away with the touch of a computer mouse.

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Certainly, no excuses should be made for those who choose to indulge in unhealthy practices for the sake of appearing flawless. Stress, boredom, and loneliness do not justify substance abuse. But it is often the nature of the industry which facilitates this kind of behavior by making it "acceptable."

Celebrities do in fact develop eating disorders due to the enormous pressure they feel to be thin. But there are many who are completely satisfied with their bodies, no matter how the media portrays them. Anorexia and bulimia are serious disorders which require immediate attention, no matter the patient's social status. It might even be said that the non-celebs suffering from these conditions, do so because of the images they see on the screen. But there are actually many factors which contribute to the thin figures we see on television and in movies. Understanding these factors can actually help combat eating disorders amongst those live outside of the media.