Anytime you turn on the T.V. or look through a magazine, what do you see? The media will use whatever it takes to get and keep their viewers and readers. Unfortunately, what sells are thin, super model figures that look like they have been photo shopped because they are flawless. These are what our teens are constantly exposed to and what seems to be society’s “ideal images”. This is what is poisoning our teenage daughters minds, making them think that the only way to be accepted and successful in today’s society is to look just like the models in the magazine. They will do whatever it takes to achieve that, even if they have to harm their bodies along the way. Though many times once they start, they can’t seem to stop. They will never see themselves as the “ideal image”.
Peer pressure is a huge weight on every teenagers shoulders. Many of their decisions and actions are influenced by their peers. It is the desire to be accepted into the so called “popular” groups. While some girls are born with a high metabolism that gives them their thin figure, it is those others that are not so lucky that end up developing an eating disorder. There has been an increase in the number of teens with Anorexia and Bulimia. We need to stop this increase before we lose our teenagers.
Although when we talk about eating disorders, we automatically think of only our daughters because it is more prominent in the female gender. Girls are 10 times more likely to develop an eating disorder than boys are, but boys are not exempt from this disease. Boys can also become Anorexic or Bulimic, but not for the same reasons as girls do. They are more likely to do it for a sport that they want to achieve. It could be for swimming to have a leaner body. A lot of boys do it for wrestling so that they can qualify for a certain weight category.
Many times it goes unnoticed until it is so far along that you start seeing their ribs sticking out of their bodies. By that time, their mental image of themselves is so warped, it will be a long and hard road to recovery. So it is important to always be an active part in your childs life. Some signs to cause concern can be if your daughter’s menstruation stops. Also, if they are being secretive or defensive when you bring up the subject of dieting. Knowing what the signs are and not to ignore them can save your teen from a long hard life lesson that no one should have to go through. Be an active positive role model in their life. Always be involved and know what is going on and what they are doing. Always praise them, never letting their self esteem go down. Not only be there for them as a parent, but also as their friend.