“Any of various disorders, characterized by severe disturbances in eating habits” is the modern day definition of eating disorders. Around 24 million people of all genders and races in the United States suffer from eating disorders. 95% are in between ages 12 and 26. (Anorexia 24) Eating disorders seem to be very common in today’s society, and if they’re so prevalent today, imagine what the future will be like. If everyone becomes more aware of these disorders, it will be easier to respond and take action. Many people wonder why people have eating disorders when there are healthy ways to lose weight but what they don’t know is that it goes beyond the mere aspect of just losing weight, and it becomes an unhealthy obsession and/or habit for reasons much deeper than that.


To begin, two common eating disorders affecting teens and young adults are Anorexia and Bulimia. Only 36% of people with eating disorders fully recover. (Bulimia 17) Recovery isn’t easy, but it IS possible. Together, everyone can make a difference by being aware of eating disorders. This isn't just a physical problem, but also a mental one. A person who thinks that using these unhealthy habits to lose weight is a good idea, is struggling with something internally. It may be just the fact that some people are overly self conscious, or it could be something as serious as severe depression. As a nation, we should be trying to STOP people from doing these things to themselves, and not glorifying them on social media. Eating disorders are NOT a trend. It's not a "cool" thing to do. It is an illness that needs to be treated.

To continue, there are honestly no good outcomes of having an eating disorder. Most people are controlled by their disorder when they need to be in control of it. Anorexia can cause osteoporosis, cardiac arrest, kidney failure, possible infertility, ulcers, anemia, hormonal changes, and death. This is not something America can just take lightly and brush it off, while people are dying and being hospitalized from eating disorder effects. (Anorexia 47) Bulimia harms almost every organ from the heart to the skin, causes irregular menstrual cycles, irregular bowel movements, osteoporosis, gum disease, low blood pressure, severe malnutrition, water retention, abdominal bloating, low potassium, esophagus damage, and death. (Bulimia 53) People don't realize that this is as serious as it is. There shouldn't be people out there who think that eating disorders are okay.


Finally, there are shocking statistics on how much of the nation is affected by eating disorders and just how bad they really are. Over 50% of teenagers in the U.S. use restrictive measures to try to lose weight at any given time. This is extremely high and it shouldn't be. Anorexia has the highest fatality rate of any other eating disorder which means that it most likely WILL cause death if people don't get help right away, but according to "Eating Disorder Statistics and Treatment", only 1/3 of anorexics obtain treatment. It is our job as friends, family members, and partners to give these people support and help them recover and get them the care they need. Eating disorders are a daily struggle for around 10 million females in the U.S. There are people struggling all around you, and it's honestly hard to tell who's just skinny or who has an eating disorder. Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression. Having an eating disorder is only going to add to the problem.


To conclude, the last shocking fact that should want to make anyone help people struggling with an eating disorder is that the mortality rate of eating disorders is 12 times higher than any other cause of death for 15-24 year old females. If we help someone with an eating disorder, those numbers will go down. Together, we can become more aware of these eating disorders through education and knowledge to help those who need it.


Works Cited:





Watson, Stephanie. Anorexia.




New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. 2007. Print.





Watson. Stephanie. Bulimia.




New York: The Rosen Publishing Group. 2007. Print.





"ANAD" Eating Disorder Statistics. N.p., n.d., .web. 13 April 2015.




< anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders>





"Eating Disorder Statistics and Research". Eating Disorder Hope RSS. n.p., n.d.,