What's the Skinny? People Literally Dying to Be like Celebrities!

Open up a magazine, turn on the television everywhere you look today there they are. Super skinny celebrities gracing the covers of magazines, strutting their stuff on the runways, and taking the world by storm. How does society relate to this? We do the "in" thing...we do whatever we can to be just the like rich and beautiful women we see leading the industry of fame and fortune. We turn to bad habits, terrible dieting regimens, binging and purging, refusal to eat at all, excessive exercise, and the help of diuretics and diet and weight loss products nationally endorsed by celebrities.

Eating disorders are becoming more prominent in women of all ages, approximately 1 in every 100 young women ranging in age of 10-20 years old, starve themselves. Even higher statistics, 4 of every 100 women are of college age. These eating disorders strike mostly females of the younger class is also shown to be a current issue for males as well. Society and the media in general is promoting the idea of an unrealistic body image, that teens and young adults would be willing to die for and it is literally killing our youth.

Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa are the most common eating disorders that we hear about. So what are the differences between these two disorders? What are the signs that someone may have a problem with an eating disorder? What can you do, and are there places to turn to for help in diagnosing and treating disorders such as these? The best thing we can do as a community is to educate ourselves against the evil things that the media portrays as just another pretty face on a magazine, or "the perfect woman" walking down the red carpet wearing a size 00. Is there really such a thing as a size 00? Unfortunately, the answer is yes.

Anorexia is psychiatric condition that is characterized by low body weight and a distortion in which the individual views their body. Present is an intense fear of gaining weight. People suffering from anorexia often control their weight by starving their self, self induced vomiting, participating in excessive amounts of exercise, and often turn to over-the-couter diet aids such as diet pills, diuretics, laxatives and/or enemas. This primarily affects young women. Some symptoms to look for are divided into three categories. Physical, Phsycological, and Mental. If you notice these signs please contact your family physician for further testing to correctly diagnose the problem and to start receiving proper treatment.

Physical signs may include: Extreme weight loss. Cessation of menstrual cycles in females. Reduced immune system functioning and often a reduction in white blood cell count. A pale complexion and sunken eyes. Tooth decay from the acids of the stomach originating from self-induced vomiting often found on the backside of the front teeth. Constipation. Chapped lips and dry skin. Brittle nails and thinning of the hair. A reduction in the body being able to control body temperature, a person will often complain of feeling cold often. These people will also bruise more easily than others. Look for unexplained bruises.

Behavioral, mental and emotional symptoms may inclue: A secretive type behavior toward eating and/or exercising. Gets very defensive about weight references made by other people. They may exercise excessively with a minimal food intake. They become very agitated and sometimes even hostile about being forced to eat foods that they have labeled as "forbidden". They often show signs of depression and a low self esteem. They have a distorted body image of themselves. They are often considered a perfectionist and may believe the thought that in controlling their food intake that they have some control over their life and perceive this as independence.

Anorexia has a very high mortality rate of approximately 10-15% of diagnosed anorexics dying from anorexia related causes such as: heart failure, reduced blood flow, chemical imbalances in the body and even starvation. There are support groups for individuals suffering from anorexia, as your doctor for more information.

Bulimia Nervosa also well known as Bulimia is also a psychological condition in which the person indulges in binge eating and self-induced vomiting recurrently. The self-induced vomiting, also known as purging is done to compensate for an excessive intake of food. Purging can take on many forms as in the same way the anorexic purges. Bulimia is often less of an issue about food as it is underlying psychological problems and a feeling of lack of control in ones life. Bulimic episodes of binging and purging can some times become severe. Their stomachs will most likely hurt from over extension of the stomach muscles. This type of cycle may be repeated anywhere from several times a week or in very severe cases several times per day. This eating disorder is especially common in young women that appear to have a normal body weight. After a bulimic cycle the person may have feelings of guilt and depression. Bulimics may hide food and binge when they stressed, worried, or upset about something in their life. They may experience loss of control during a binge and eat very large amounts of food. Other bulimics may eat socially and suffer from their bulimia in private. Some people do not realize or choose to admit they have a problem. They feel that they are controlling some aspect of their life. Most bulimics appear to be of normal weight. However, when the urge to purge hits them, they will go to great extremes to purge, as if this is something they "have" to do. This binging and purging can lead to dehydration and imbalances of electrolytes within the body.

Bulimia can cause any of the following health conditions. Dehydration and malnutrition. Tooth enamel erosion and cavities. The possibility of gastric rupture from purging. Calluses or bruises on the tops of the fingers from gagging oneself. Low or high blood pressure. Iron deficiencies and elevated blood sugar. Arthritis, seizures, paralysis, kidney and liver failure. These are just a few of the complications that bulimia can have. Bulimia effects do not also include physical symptoms, but has proven time and again to be fatal; malnutrition takes a tremendous toll on the organs in your body, and may cause irreversible damage. Individuals who are more prone to bulimia may include: Athletes, people who may have suffered traumatic events in their life including such things as child abuse and/or sexual abuse, perfectionists, highly intellectual people, and these people generally fall into the age range of 8-25 years old. The mortality rates are lower than the anorexic individuals; however, it's is becoming more common to see both disorders being diagnosed in a single individual. Treatment for a person with bulimia is often best treated in a long term residential treatment center. This option can offer support, counselors trained in these disorders, and help in learning how to beat an uncontrollable habit.

Don't be like the celebrities that the media presents as the "perfect woman". Take a stand and be yourself, be healthy. If you suspect that you or someone you know may have an eating disorder, seek professional help immediately. It just may save a life. There are numerous support groups available to people suffering from these disorders and also for the families that have someone who has the disorder. Contact your family doctor and they can provide you with a list of these support groups to aid you in your time of need.