Looking into the mirror, a beautiful young girl.........What does she see?
The ideal female body as portrayed by the media has become progressively thinner and has stabilised at 13-19% below what is the physically expected weight.
Many young girls find it difficult to feel comfortable in their own skin and given the above statistic it’s no wonder why!
It is estimated that a young woman sees more and more images of outstanding female beauty every day.
Everywhere you look the media is portraying an unrealistic beauty and expectation of young girls, and how do they aim to look as good as the girl on the cover of their favourite magazine.... the cure Dieting! Shakes, soups, low carb, south beach, calorie counting, hundreds of diets thrown at you everyday with the magical cure that will make you slim, beautiful and fantastic....WRONG!
Dieting can be the gateway to an Eating Disorder! Girls who have gone on fad or extreme diets have a high risk of developing an eating disorder.
That’s how it starts a diet usually in response to low self esteem or acceptance. Peers begin to notice the difference in weight loss and praise which leads to further restrictive eating, feelings of success become far more important than feelings of hunger.
Intense fears of fatness build up and weight loss behaviours are repeated and increased to lower anxiety. They start to withdraw and lose touch with reality and family concerns are seen as jealousy or a conspiracy to make them fat, an Eating disorder has developed.
Working with young girls who have developed an eating disorder is tricky and difficult.... they don’t see themselves as you see them, their perception of themselves has been distorted and the eating disorder takes over their lives and their thinking.
Over the years as a School Counsellor I have worked with many young girls who have had low self esteem, unrealistic views about beauty and weight and at the severe end girls who had developed serious eating disorders.
The impact of an eating disorder on a young girl and her family can be devastating. You’re not only working with the young girl who has a strong alliance with her eating disorder but her whole family to cope and support her in recovery. This adds a massive amount of stress and pressure on the family to adapt to new routines, rebuilding trust, and reducing anxiety, not to mention the access and high cost to treat the eating disorder which can leave some families financially devastated a risk many of them are willing to take.Families sell their houses, cars, asserts to pay for treatment and therapy, they quit their jobs and at times move town to help their child recover from an eating disorder that could potentially take their life.
So what can you do?
- Adults are powerful influences on children and young people. Our views about ideal weight and shape, food and eating, health and beauty can shape young peoples attitudes about themselves and others.
- So be a positive role model and have a balanced attitude towards food, exercise and body image you never know who is watching.
- Join our campaign and help raise awareness of eating disorders.
- Support The Butterfly Foundation
1 comments:
Great work blog team - well written. You'll find people who never get over eating disorders, even in their 50s. I was talking to a gentleman who doesn't think his sister has ever gotten over the disease... she must be at least in her 50s!
Read back to the Murray St community project - PMH teenage ward. TBS Australia had a father write to us about his daughter, was very touching.
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