Anorexia

             This is certainly what society would have us believe. Unfortunately, this belief causes many young women to be obsessed with thinness, obsessed to the point of illness, obsessed to the point of anorexia nervosa. .
             Anorexia nervosa is an obsession with being thin even after excessive weight loss. It is the pursuit to reach ultimate thinness usually found among most teenagers and young women. This disorder is on the rise due to cultural, family factors, and emotional, which can also lead to serious threatening results in an anorexic's life.
             Culture plays a significant role in developing this eating disorder. The value culture places on slenderness forces them to diet. Thin has been around for many decades in American culture. Women are bombarded with the message to achieve an ultra-thin body shape. Images of models are everywhere assuming that as the perfect figure. This causes many girls to starve themselves to be the "ideal figure. .
             Another factor contributing to anorexia is the need to obtain perfection. Perfection, for some families, is a must not only to strive for, but achieve. A perfectionist desires excellence in all aspects of their life. When they cannot achieve perfection, they "punish" themselves by restriction or starvation. They see the world has black and white with no shades of grey. Everything is good or bad, a success or a failure, thin or fat. Family conflict, parents who are critical of a child's weight, parental abuse, and childhood obesity are all causes of developing anorexia nervosa. Living with such individuals who overvalue physical appearance can unwittingly contribute to this eating disorder as well.
             Other factors that may play a role are emotional causes such as personal relationship situations, difficulty in expressing emotions and feelings, and depression. It isn't much about the food and weight; it is how food is used to deal with the emotional problems.