As a dancer and teenage girl, I have watched many of my peers and friends struggle with body image. Constantly being exposed to harmful stereotypes and standards can cause thoughts of self-worthlessness which can lead to deadly disorders. Eating disorders kill over 10,000 people every year, with the leading percentage of those being young women. I often wonder what causes eating disorders and why are they becoming more common?
In recent years many studies have confirmed that eating disorders are growing in numbers, especially within the population of teenage girls. Teenage girls, especially older teenage girls, are susceptible to many societal pressures that can trigger an eating disorder.
Although researchers are not yet completely sure what causes eating disorders, anorexia seems to have a “trigger moment.” This moment could be a friend commenting on your weight, or in Jeanette McCurdy’s case, her mother introducing her to dieting at the young age of eleven. This triggering event can lead to anorexic tendencies and a hyperfixation of body image, which can lead to disordered eating and a very dangerous and unhealthy lifestyle.
While Anorexia is triggered by a moment or event, some researchers claim that anorexia needs a genetic component to be triggered. Like some mental disorders, anorexia is claimed to be a genetic disorder that needs a triggering event to trigger a person actively exhibiting symptoms and behaviors of anorexia.
Anorexia and Bulimia have steadily increased within teenage girls aged 17-19 in recent years. Rates among females in this age group have risen from 1.6 percent to 20.8 percent, in the past 6 years, and the trend doesn’t seem to be dying. The Director of Mental Health at NHS England, Claire Murdoch states, “We have seen a 47 percent increase in young people being treated for eating disorders compared to pre-pandemic.” Researchers are not sure what has caused such a drastic increase, as the pandemic severely impacted many factors in people’s lives.
69% percent of females state that models and unhealthy stereotypes in the media impacted their eating disorder. The impact of surroundings is immense, and by limiting the media that is produced that influences this toxic diet culture we impact the amount of girls impacted by an eating disorder.
This issue widely impacts so many, and more attention must be paid to it. Although this subject has a lot of unknowns, we do know that as a society we need to be taking measures to prevent and help treat these eating disorders. By reducing toxic stereotypes that are constantly pushed into the media and consumed by young girls we can change young girls’ lives, and reduce eating disorders.
Works Cited
Eating Disorders among Young People Up Fifteen-Fold since 2017 – EBSCO. https://research.ebsco.com/c/idf4ib/viewer/html/ua5nskmdvf. Accessed 1 Dec. 2023.
Kristie, Boland. “Women with Eating Disorders ‘Absolutely Let Down’ by System.” Manawatu Standard, 6 June 2023, p. 6. Newspaper Source Plus, research.ebsco.com/c/idf4ib/viewer/html/fjwedwtbar.
Press, Cassandra Szklarski The Canadian. “Pandemic Prompts Rise in Youth Eating Disorders.” Hamilton Spectator, The (ON), 23 Jan. 2021. Newspaper Source Plus, research.ebsco.com/c/idf4ib/viewer/html/5gxsnvpsnj.
Paul, Pamela. Opinion | Girls Are Taking Their Pain Out on Themselves. 20 Apr. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/04/20/opinion/anorexia-eating-disorder-girls.html
Now 1 in 5 Older Teen Girls Have Eating Disorders. – Record Details – EBSCOhost Research Databases. https://research.ebsco.com/c/idf4ib/search/details/6malb4x54n?limiters=FT%3AY%2CDT1%3A2018-11-29%2F2023-11-29&q=eating+disorders&db=n5h. Accessed 29 Nov. 2023.