Fifty Shades of Gray #1: Eating Disorders

Hey beautiful ladies! I just wanted to introduce my latest project, Fifty Shades of Grey to you. Under this project, I’ll be touching upon subjects like Eating disorders, female infanticide and the likes of it. So stay tuned, and stay beautiful.

Love,

Serena xoxo

 “Want to lose weight? Why don’t you try out a diet?”

In a world where everyone wants to be a size zero, the number of diet plans in this world has taken a sudden escalator ride. But in this chaotic world of dieting, are we forgetting the true meaning of the word dieting?

Dieting is the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake. However, in this weight obsessed world, dieting takes a new meaning, translate - starving yourself.

The obsession with ones weight starts from around the age of twelve or thirteen and girls are the ones who are hit the hardest. It starts out innocent enough but turns into a nightmare when the teen starts starving herself which is almost always the beginning of an eating disorder. An eating disorder begins when a diet doesn't end. These disorders not only harm the teen’s body but also cause psychological problems. As quoted by an expert, “Eating disorders do not end when a weight goal is reached because a new goal will always be set.” Over time, the teen’s attitude towards life and others becomes totally dependent on the weight and appearance of the individual.

Eating disorders turn fatal when the individual pushes herself to such a limit that she ends up starving herself to death. When proper nutrients are not supplied to the body, the heart muscles start to weaken and cardiac irregularities lead the individual towards a heart attack. Two of the most common disorders suffered by teenagers are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In Anorexia Nervosa, the individual starves herself and her body of essential nutrients which lead to the failure of her kidneys and liver. In Bulimia Nervosa, the individual binges on food before practicing self induced vomiting. This practice leads to the severe damage of the individual’s mouth, stomach and esophagus. Esophageal and Gastric ruptures are also very common.

Eating Disorder Statistics:

(Taken from South Carolina Department of Mental Health (http://www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm)

Frequency:

1)      It is estimated that 8 Million Americans suffer from an eating disorder – 7 million women and 1 million men.

2)      One in 200 American women suffers from Anorexia.

3)      Two to three in 100 American women suffer from bulimia.

Mortality Rate:

1)   Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate when compared to any mental illness.

2)   A study reported that 5-10% on anorexics die within ten years after contracting the disease while 18 – 20% of anorexics will die after twenty years and only 30 – 40% of them will ever recover fully.

3)   the mortality rate associated with anorexia nervosa is 12 times higher than the death rate of ALL causes of death for females 15 – 24 years old.

4)   20% of people suffering from anorexia will prematurely die from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problem.

Signs that an individual is suffering from an eating disorder:

Treating eating disorders needs professional help. The earlier a disorder is found, the better are the chances of recovering fully. If you suspect that your friend or child is suffering from a disorder, make sure to look out for the following signs:

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IIf the individual doesn’t need to lose weight and yet there are drastic changes in her weight, it might imply that she has a disorder.

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There’s an unusual change in her eating habits, like cutting food into tiny pieces before eating or skipping every other meal and/or visiting the bathroom after a heavy meal.

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The individual’s menstrual cycle ceases.

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The individual complains a lot about how she looks and obsesses over various diets.

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Exercises excessively or at odd hours.

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  Calluses start to appear on her knuckles. The calluses indicate that she may be practicing self induced vomiting.

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You can also ask the dentist about the health of the individual’s teeth as vomiting leads to the reduction of tooth enamel.

Twenty – six celebs who suffered from Eating disorders:

1)   Karen Carpenter

2)   Paula Abdul

3)   Fiona Apple

4)   The Barbie Twins

5)   Justine Bateman

6)   Portia de Rossi

7)   Daniel Johns

8)   Calista Flockheart

9)   Jane Fonda

10)          Lady Gaga

11)          Tracey Gold

12)          Joan Rivers

13)          Snooki

14)          Tara Reid

15)          Meredith Viera

16)          Richard Simmons

17)          Kate Winslet

18)          Alanis Morisette

19)          Mary Kate Oslen

20)          Nicole Richie

21)          Sharon Osbourne

22)          Geri Halliwell

23)          Wyonna Judd

24)          Oprah Winfrey

25)          Isabella Caro

26)          Candace Cameron Bure

If you ever observe signs in a teenager or anyone, for the matter of fact, which makes you believe that they’re suffering from an eating disorder, you should get professional help immediately. Delaying for help may prove fatal for the individual. So, stay alert and lead a healthy life!

Love,

Serena xoxo