Eating Disorders

This article says “Improving Body Image Key to Treating Eating Disorders.” I can understand that. I do think that too many girls feel they are overweight when they really are not. Or they feel their weight and appearance are problems when they really are not. Or they receive messages from society or their families that lead to unhealthy obsessions with their appearance. Or they are somehow led to reject their natural appearance and try to make themselves over with a different appearance. Psychological intervention might help all that.

Eating disorders are complex problems, though. The woman in this article says, “It wasn't about body image for me but having some control.” So this is another perspective.

While we’re on this subject, this article says that some people may have a genetic predisposition to develop anorexia, so that is another perspective, which may be true as well. Very complex.

The thing is, all this does not have to be either/or. It is probably all correct. Eating disorders are probably about body image and control and genetics and other things as well. So when we are raising our girls, we need to help them feel good about themselves. And if they somehow get off track, then we need to get them some help. This is very important. We’re talking about lives possibly being ruined here.


eating disorders, bulimia, anorexia nervosa, girls, body, self, image, control, exercise, fat, food, health, mental health, therapy, obsession, appearance, genetics, weight loss, women,