Eating Disorders In Girls

“Do I want to die from the inside out, or the outside in?” In Laurie Halse Anderson’s book, she vividly describes the struggles and hardships different girls with different spin-offs of eating disorders. The impacts these illnesses put onto the girls resulted in great emotional and physical pain. As deadly as they can be, many people can greatly underestimate the power of eating disorders. If not treated effectively and correctly, they can cost individuals and their families great deals of money and difficulty, maybe even sometimes a loved one's life. Eating disorders should be classified as mental disorders because they are biologically based, affect neurochemistry, and should be treated by psychologists rather than medical professionals. Many studies have shown that eating disorders are biologically based. Grandmothers, mothers, aunts, and sisters are more commonly suspected to be affected by these disorders (Berrettini). For example, a mother suffering with anorexia is predicted to be more likely to hand down the genetics of the disorder to their daughter. Since these diseases tend to run in families, there are many ties to genetics that are blamed for the formation and development of an eating disorder (Thornton). Some identical twins (typically girls) …show more content…
Eating disorders have been studies and proved that 15% of eating disorders diagnosed were inhabited in women (Merikangas). Many magazines and clothing companies and brands are making vast efforts to open their arms wider to the petite and plus-sized communities (Zuckerman). For example, name-brand American Eagle Outfitters recently partnered with Iskra Lawrence, a plus size model who advocates body-positivity to the youth of today (Zuckerman). By making these efforts, society may slowly turn and begin to diversify throughout body image standards and help people who suffer from these brutal mental health issues; eating