This can result in serious medical consequences. With the number of students in our Year 12 grade, just think, two girls might have developed this disturbing disease. Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterised by restricting food intake, which leads to uncontrolled consumption of food, which is closely followed by induced vomiting. Bulimia could be found in as many as 30% of adolescence. Binge eating disorder is also known as "compulsive overeating" and is very similar to Bulimia Nervosa, but without purging behaviours. Obesity is diagnosed to people whose diets predominantly consist of high fat, salt and sugar content. Today's youth needs to become aware of all the facts, including the dangers of eating disorders. This, however, is hard to achieve when the media is screaming the message; "Thin is in!" .
Is thin really in? We live in a culture with a multi-million dollar fashion and cosmetic industry that profits by telling people they need to improve the way they look. Everywhere we look, we"re surrounded by the "so-called" perfect bodies through advertisements such as billboards, fashion shows, movies, magazines and beauty saloons. This has a huge influential impact on the youth and, in turn, brainwashes them with the need to achieve the ideal image, which is largely to blame due to the increasing occurrences of eating disorders. The media is not giving correct information regarding healthy eating decisions. For example, a study of one teen adolescent magazine over a course of twenty years found that, in articles about health and fitness, 74% cited that, to "become more attractive," diets and excessive exercise were necessary. Additionally, 51% noted the need to lose weight or burn calories. First of all, diets don't work. Even if you lose weight through cutting out certain foods, you are most likely to gain it back. Diets don't improve your health. They don't make you beautiful.
