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Eating Disorders: Why Teens Have Weight Issues

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Weight issues are among teenagers’ biggest concerns that stemming from peer pressure and pop cultural to look a certain way. Unfortunately, Pop culture has had a dangerous impact on the American teen to stay thin at any cost, and this pressure is felt by every teenager from skinny to overweight alike. It’s important to recognize the influence peers have on our teenager’s body image to prevent mental and physical problems that can lead to serious health issues.
Why Teens Have Weight Issues
The adolescence stage causes numerous physical changes that affect their overall physical appearance. Teens will gain weight because of hormonal changes leaving them feeling even more anxious and self-conscious of their physical appearance. Their need to fit in with their friends, pressure to look good in front of other people, and desire to be thin all stem from deep rooted confidence issues.
Confidence Issues
Weight-related issues are often rooted in a lack of confidence causing psychological pressures that lead to depression and self-harming behavior. Self-harming behavior like developing an eating disorder, which are on the rise at an alarming rate for the American teens.
Eating Disorders …show more content…

Bulimia is an illness in which a person has regular episodes of eating a very large amount of food (bingeing) and feels a loss of control over eating. (https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000341.htm) Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that makes people lose more weight than is considered healthy for their age and height. Persons with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain, even when they are underweight. They may diet or exercise too much or use other ways to lose weight.

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