Mirror mirror on the wall, who's the thinnest of them all? Not I,? many teenage girls say. Studies have shown that 1% of teenage girls suffer from some sort of eating disorder. Although 1% may not seem like a lot, when you really think about it, that is one out of every one hundred girls. That is a large amount when you think of the vast population. An eating disorder involves some type of preoccupation with control over eating, body weight, and food. Causes of eating disorders include social influences, psychological and biological issues, and even media factors. The surrounding society is what contributes to these deadly diseases.
The most well known cause of eating disorders in teenage girls is the media. There is no such thing as aperfect body,? yet magazines, television shows, and commercials could lead you to think otherwise. Millions throughout the day, no matter where you look, see painfully thin looking actresses. These icons have become role models for girls. The slender appearance of the models in magazines and catalogs have begun to lead girls to think that if their stomachs are not as flat or if their bodies are not as perfect then they are not pretty. If larger women were portrayed as beautiful figures the same way that the twig like girls are, girls in this day and age would maybe feel more accepted for what they look like and not strive to lose all kinds of weight. A 110 pound fashion model who is five feet ten inches tall can wear clothes that few other women can. The average American woman is five feet four inches tall and 140 pounds. Bombarded with cultural pressure to appear thin and fit, we often have to work harder to see ourselves in a positive light.
Social influences are another leading cause of eating disorders in teenage girls. Most teenagers are affected by some type of peer pressure. Exercising the ability to have an eating disorder is one thing encouraged by many.