A little girl finds great joy in playing dress up. She weaves ribbons through her hair, experiments with make-up and gives herself a manicure. She walks in a dress that is 10 sizes too big and her polished fingernails become smudged while she clutches her purse. As she stumbles, the sound of her floppy high heels fill the room. She’s uncoordinated, completely unbalanced, but absolutely adorable.
Dressing up is a common ritual among little girls. They want to look like a princess or a beauty queen. They imagine themselves dancing with a handsome prince and living happily ever after. They don’t mind that their make-up is uneven or if their hair is out of sorts, they just enjoy the event.
As little girls transition into adolescence they no longer look to Cinderella, Snow White or Sleeping Beauty for inspiration. Now they imitate the newest “it” girl on MTV. They covet the looks of those on billboards and in music videos. They change their accessories and hair into styles that make their parents gasp. But this is just a part of growing up. However this is also an age when they are so impressionable. The media and popular public opinion suggests the idea that beauty can only be found in women that are thin. These young girls see the tiny bodies of pop idols, they see the weight drop off of their favorite actress and they see the pages of Vogue and Teen magazines filled with underweight models. They compare themselves to see how or if they measure up to society’s icons.
Anorexia Nervosa is an emotional and physical illness that affects teenage girls and women. Although studies have shown that boys and men also live with the illness it is more common in females. Some estimates say that only 1% of American girls and women have Anorexia but other studies show that it is up to 10%. Regardless of the statistics Anorexia is still life threatening and can lead to dangerous health problems such as damaged organs, loss of hair, irregular heartbeat, osteoporosis, and death from starvation. It is unknown what causes Anorexia but research suggests that a combination of personality traits, emotions, and thinking patterns might be responsible.
The person with Anorexia may struggle with low self-esteem, loneliness, and feelings of being inadequate. Some come from troubled backgrounds or are perfectionists. Not only do they have a skewed self image but they do everything they can to change what they see as imperfections. Many have a preoccupation with food so they limit their calorie and fat intake by going on diets. They exercise excessively, ingest diet pills, abuse laxatives, and resort to starvation. However to them, no matter how much weight they loose it still isn’t enough.
Anorexia is not something that can go away on its own, it has to be treated. In some cases hospitalization is necessary due to severe malnutrition, dehydration, and psychiatric emergencies. Because this is a physical and emotional illness both areas have to be addressed in treatment. Patients must see medical doctors to treat the physical affects that the illness has caused. They see nutritionists to show them how to eat in a healthy way and some require psychiatric care to address the emotional affects of the illness.
Anorexia can be a life long battle. Although patients improve with treatment they still remain vulnerable to relapses. Whether it’s triggered by stress or other uncontrollable circumstances patients can fall back into past behaviors. Because of this it is important for them to participate in group therapy with others that struggle with Anorexia. As well as having a strong support system from friends and family members. The goal is to get the patient healthy so that they can live a life of freedom from this illness; to see themselves through eyes that aren’t skewed and to no longer see the false image in the mirror.
