As stated by Fox News, over half a million teens have eating disorders and are not being properly treated. According to Webster Dictionary, an eating disorder is a life threatening disorder usually seen in young women. Many teens are having very unhealthy diets. Eating disorders are caused by many problems in people’s lives and we need to find a way to stop them. Important issues to be discussed are causes of an eating disorders, consequences, and how we can help stop them.

Mayo Clinic claims that there are many causes of eating disorders. One of the causes are low self-esteem. Teens may use their eating habits to have a sense of control over their life and body. For example, teens may think they will become happy and more popular if they lose weight. Also teens may not take care of their body the way they should. For instance, they may extremely overeat, without thinking how unhealthy it is for them. Another main cause is societal pressure. Many teens are obsessed with being thin and always have the idea that they're fat and not good enough for society. Wanting to be thin is usually caused by the image media puts out there as the example of a “perfect” body. People may also have an eating disorder because of sports; such as wrestling or ballet. In wrestling, the athletes are pressured to lose or gain weight to be in particular weight classes. While in ballet, the average dancer is stick thin. If this serious problem never gets treated, there will be health consequences.

Early and long-term are the two consequences that come from having an eating disorder. Early consequences are the first symptoms of eating disorders, for example: dizziness, weakness, trouble sleeping and lack of energy. Long-term consequences are much more serious, for instance: muscle wasting, bone loss, thinning hair, depression, potential heart problems, and even death. These consequences are common from anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. According to WebMD, anorexia is refusing to eat anything, bulimia is overeating then vomiting, and binge eating is extreme overeating. Eating disorders are much more than just a diet, one’s health could be in danger.

Eating disorders are a problem that can be treated if one gets the right kind of medical and mental treatments. As stated by National Eating Disorders, some things we can do are provide teens with help from a doctor, therapist,or nutritionist. Another great option is to have more speakers in schools to inform students about how these disorders can be prevented. Along with how to be healthy, many teens may think skinny means healthy, which isn’t always true. Being healthy depends on one’s body type and height. Maybe teens don’t know what kind of lifestyle is healthy for them. Being skinny doesn’t automatically make you more desirable and overeating won’t always bring you happiness. It’s better to be healthy than to starve yourself or overeat.

These are just some of the issues with eating disorders. The main points were causes of eating disorders, consequences, and ways to stop them. Eating disorders are caused by many issues in people’s lives and we need to find a way to stop them. Eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are issues that affect so many teens each day. One may think they are making themselves feel or look better by starving oneself or extremely overeating, but it is extremely unhealthy. Many teens with eating disorders are not being treated. This is not just a diet; people’s lives are at stake.