Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders
Reading Level

	edHelper's suggested reading level:	grades 6 to 8
	Flesch-Kincaid grade level:	8.93

Vocabulary

challenging words:

above-normal, anorexia, bulimia, fixation, nervosa, self-starvation, nutritious, self-esteem, binge, dieting, preoccupation, unhealthy, knowing, perfectionist, guilt, calories

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Eating Disorders
By Jennifer Kenny

¹     What do you normally eat during the day? Hopefully, you consume lots of healthy, nutritious food. You probably eat when you are hungry and stop when you are full. Do you know a person, though, who doesn't eat enough or who is dieting to an extreme? Maybe you know someone who eats too much? If you do, that individual might be suffering from an eating disorder. There are several kinds of eating disorders but they all include an unhealthy fixation on body weight and shape and controlling that through unhealthy means. Eating disorders are complex and affect many aspects of the individual's life even beyond the physical part.

²     Have you ever heard the term body image? Your body image is unique to you. It's how you see your appearance, how you feel about your appearance, and how comfortable you are with you. Your body image may feel different to you depending on your mood that day. Your body images can affect how you eat. Those suffering from eating disorders have distorted body images. They don't see themselves as they really are.

³     Many of the people we see on television and in magazines are so thin that some people begin to believe that being very thin is the way to a perfect body. Creating a healthy body image means knowing yourself, caring for your body, and having realistic expectations about your size. Many factors can cause eating disorders to develop. These include genetics, culture, personality, and emotions. Many of those who suffer from eating disorders are overachieving, perfectionist young women. Many believe being thin is the only way to be attractive and successful. Sometimes they are involved in sports that require them to be thin and they take that to an extreme.

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