The pressure to be thin is overwhelming these days. The role models for teenagers are supermodels that are six feet tall and have no body fat. Anorexia is not just a Fad, but it's a very real mental disease. This disease does not only affects girls, but also guys. 1% of all teenagers suffer from anorexia nervosa 95% of that 1% are females (according to the anred.com). The person suffering is so afraid to gain any weight at all even if they are bone thin.

Watch closely. Teens can become anorexic very quick. It starts off almost meaningless, a revel in the mirror and a mild complaint about their body image. Then it becomes an hour a day of staring in the mirror criticizing their every glimpse of flabby skin. They start off, cutting back, maybe eating light. They use excuses about being on a diet. The excuses become lies. They'll skip a meal and convince the person questioning them that they ate already or they'll grab a bite somewhere else. They may not want to eat in front of other people when they finally do eat. They will completely become obsessed with weight and image.

They may intake a lot of water or take an excess of laxatives and fiber supplements to keep themselves thin. Eventually, it gets dangerous. They will become dizzy or lightheaded from long-term mal-nutrition. Their skin will change pigmentation and they will begin to lose color. Females may stop menstruating all together. There's a grave possibility that it will take constant hovering just to make sure they are eating.

People who suffer from anorexia are often unaware of the long term effects of the disease. In the worst cases, anorexia can lead to full system failure of all vital organs. The best advice I can give is to try to prevent anorexia by talking to your teen often. Encourage them to accept their body the way that god made them. Make them feel better in healthy ways.

Learn more about this author, Dodger Riley.
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