Adolescent Health...who is messing with it?

As someone deeply interested in Student Affairs, and with a major background in athletics and athlete mentalities, I have always had a sweet (or sore...depending on how you look at it) spot for how influences affect adolescents, especially when it comes to their health and their self-worth. Why are so many young people obsessed with their weight? And why do we always assume girls are the only victims? Are young men seemingly unaffected by eating disorders? NO WAY!

The CDC estimates that up to 24 million people of all ages in the US suffer from some sort of an eating disorder.  Freaked out yet? The reasoning behind this lays predominantly in how much of a part media and social pressure plays in our lives.  One study surveyed elementary school students, it showed that approx. 47% of girls in 5th-12th grades reported wanted to loose weight because they wanted to look like the models in magazines. Ands approx. 40% of girls ages 9-10 years old from the study have tried to restrict themselves from eating to loose weight.  9 and 10 year olds are in the 4th and 5th grades usually....that is just plain wrong! Adolescent girls now have something called obesaphobia-a genuine fear of being fat.  

Now one has to stop and think....where are they learning these behaviors? At home? At school? On TV? Young children are restricting their food intake at ages as young as 5! Unfortunately, they see the pictures in the magazines of the rail thin models and they want to look like that, even if they know it isn't healthy.  It can go in another direction though, some adolescents see these images and then start to feel sorry for themselves and revert to food as a solace, so they then over-eat.  Over-eating, isn't any better though, because it brings with it, a whole different set of possible health risks. And if they aren't obsessing over eating too much or not eating at all, then they may be obsessing over exercising.  

How scary is the thought that a little kid is walking around with all of these thoughts and feeling this much pressure? 

They are seeing these images in movies, in magazines, on posters, which they can then put up in their rooms to stare at every day, on the computer, in movies and on television.  

Of course is manifests a lot in the middle and high school years especially because students are reaching puberty and their bodies are changing anyway and kids are more judgmental.  

Parents and families can also add to the problem without even meaning to.  

Comments like:

• "You don't need anymore ice cream" 
• "That is too much butter for your bread"
• "Those pants seem to be a little too tight"
• "Suck in that tummy"
• "Don't slouch"
• "Wow you eat a lot"
• "I'm need to diet" (yes, even you implying that you are dieting can be harmful)

can cause a child to start to feel self-concious and fall prey to the emotions and behaviors connected with an ED, restricting, or depression.  

I will leave you with this thought....If your brother, sister, daughter, son, niece, nephew, or anyone else younger than you started to restrict themselves or over eat-would you know what to do to help them?