11 million victims, no easy solution

This week is National Eating Disorders Awareness week. 

The goal of the National Eating Disorders Association is simple…to eventually prevent all eating disorders from occurring.  But it won’t be an easy battle.

Consider these statistics from the NEDA website:

• It’s estimated 11 million people suffer from anorexia and bulimia.  10 million of those people are women.
• The mortality rate among anorexic girls between 15-24 years old is 12 times higher than any other illness.
• 40% of new cases of anorexia is in girls between 15-19 years old.
• Only a third anorexics and 6% of bulimics receive mental care

As for why girls turn to such drastic measures as starving themselves, abusing laxatives or bingeing and purging, consider this: 81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat.  It’s easy to blame the media and fashion industry for those numbers.  Afterall, models are 98% thinner than the average American woman.  But girls also get their cues from their mothers.  And if their moms are a frequent rider on the diet rollercoaster, odds are the daughters will grow up fearing and dreading weight gain. 

It’s time to break that cycle. 

Click here to learn more about NEDAwareness week and what you can do to help stamp out eating disorders.

Tags: Body Image, Calorie Counting, Eating disorders, National Eating Disorders Association, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Women