Mental Health Problems Associated with Trying to Reach Size Zero

In today's society size zero is seen as beautiful as many celebrities including models, actresses, and singers fit into size zero clothing. Unfortunately, young girls look up to these women as role models and want to attain this form of ideal beauty. As many girls try to achieve size zero, their mental health as well as their physical health is affected. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia are two of the most dangerous mental health consequences young girls may face while trying to achieve extreme thinness.

Celebrities such as Lindsey Lohan, Victoria Beckman, and Nicole Richie are extremely thin, and are portrayed in the media as beautiful. Additionally, thin women are often portrayed in television as being successful powerful, and popular. We are also bombarded with weight loss advertisements everyday, which promise us that we will be healthier and happier when we lose weight with this product or that program.

Many young girls look up to thin celebrities as role models and fashion icons and want to attain a body type similar to these celebrities. Young girls and women who want to achieve the size zero body type (with a bust-waist-hips ratio from 30-22-32 to 33-25-35, according to Wikipedia) oftentimes develop life-threatening eating disorders. It is important to note, however, that while the media in and of itself does not cause eating disorders, the media does interact with other factors, such as genetics, family dynamics, and social pressure in the development of eating disorders.

Young girls with low self-esteem are the most likely to try to attain a size zero body type. To achieve extreme thinness, young women may begin to diet, to exercise more, and to cut certain foods out of their diets. According to Medical News Today, 50% of women are on diets and 10% of dieters progress to develop partial or full-blown eating disorders.

One eating disorder a young woman may develop while she's pursuing size zero is anorexia. Individuals with anorexia often have low self-esteem and desperately want to be accepted by others. An individual suffering from anorexia is obsessed with thinness and refuses to maintain minimal body weight for her age and height, according to Something Fishy. Additionally, an individual with this eating disorder is often terrified of being perceived as being fat or of gaining weight.

Individuals with anorexia also have distorted body image; they will often see themselves as overweight when they are actually underweight. In addition, they may base their self-worth on their body shape or weight and/or deny the seriousness of the condition from which they are suffering. Women who have started to menstruate and develop anorexia also skip at least three consecutive menstrual cycles.

Individuals with anorexia want to control their weight and their emotions. Control is attained through restricting food intake or self-starvation. Control can also be attained by using diet pills, laxatives, enemas, and/or exercising obsessively.

Another eating disorder, bulimia, can also develop as a result of young girls trying to reach size zero. A young girl or woman may binge eat and purge or use inappropriate compensatory behaviors after eating a normal sized meal in order to try to achieve a size zero. Bulimia nervosa is constituted by regular episodes of binge eating and inappropriate compensatory behaviors. Bing eating is characterized by eating a larger amount of food than most other people would in similar circumstances. For instance, a binge might consist of eating an entire court of ice cream instead of just a bowl of ice cream. Inappropriate compensatory behaviors may include vomiting, excessive exercising, fasting, taking diet pills or diuretics, enemas, and/or misusing laxatives after binge eating episodes.

In addition, individuals who have bulimia may also base their self-worth on their body shape or weight. Individuals suffering with bulimia may also possess a distorted body image, feeling as if they have no control over their eating, damaged gums and teeth, depression, and/or anxiety.

Anorexia and bulimia can both cause a variety of medical complications for the individual who suffers with the eating disorder. For instance, individuals who suffer from anorexia may develop a number of health problems including irregular heart rate, dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, osteoporosis, hyponatremia (water intoxication), and kidney stones. According to Psychiatric Disorders, women suffering from anorexia are nearly twice as likely to miscarry during pregnancy than women who do not suffer from the eating disorder. More specifically, miscarriages among women who suffer from anorexia averages 30% whereas it averages 16% among women who do not have anorexia.

Individuals suffering with bulimia can also suffer dangerous medical complications. Health consequences of bulimia include dental cavities, metabolic alkalosis, electrolyte imbalances, and erosion of tooth enamel. Additionally the misuse of ipecac syrup may lead to tachycardia (rapid heartbeat) or cardiomyopathy (where the heart can no longer pump blood sufficiently, according to Psychiatric Disorders). The misuse of laxatives may cause several bowl problems, such as constipation, hemorrhoids, and dehydration as well as laxative dependency.

Individuals with eating disorders often have depression and/or anxiety as well. For instance, an individual who develops an eating disorder by trying to reach size zero often possesses an intense fear of being seen as fat or fears becoming fat or gaining weight. Additionally, an individual with an eating disorder often becomes socially withdrawn because he or she wants to avoid food or spend time exercising.

If you believe you may have an eating disorder, please seek professional help. If you feel a loved one may have an eating disorder, please encourage him or her to seek professional help. Young girls who want to reach size zero may face many mental health consequences, such as body dissatisfaction and the development of eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia.

Sources:

Wikipedia: Size Zero:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Size_zero

Medical News Today: Dieting Can Lead to Eating Disorders:
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/54635.php

Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa:
http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/anorexia.php

Mayo Clinic: Bulimia Nervosa: Symptoms:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/bulimia/DS00607/DSECTION=symptoms

Psychology Net: Bulimia Nervosa:
http://www.psychologynet.org/dsm/bulimia.html

Teens Health: Eating Disorders:
http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html#

Psychiatric Disorders: Dangers and Health Effects of Anorexia Nervosa and Starvation:
http://www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/eating-disorders/anorexia/anorexia-health-effects.php

Psychiatric Disorders: Dangers and Health Effects of Bulimia Nervosa:
http://www.psychiatric-disorders.com/articles/eating-disorders/bulimia/bulimia-health-effects.php