A Major Cause Of Eating Disorders In Adolescents - Essay Example

Parental Rejection: A Major Cause Of Eating Disorders In Adolescents Introduction Self-esteem is one of the most important factors in the development of a healthy personality. It is the self-esteem of a person which helps him gain confidence in self and become self reliant while facing the challenges in personal and professional life. Unfortunately, the development of self-esteem depends not only on personal opinion about self but also on the body image and the opinion of other people in the society (Heller 41). In today’s world, print and electronic media is influencing the thinking and physical image of people in a major way (Park Para.3). Constant exposure to thin models in the advertisements and TV serials has made young people to believe that having a thin and fatless body is the only way to achieve success in professional and personal life (Heller 42). This thinking has led young females and males to resort to unhealthy eating habits. Due to this, the prevalence of different types of eating disorders has increased so much that eating disorders have become one of the major health problems in the USA. However, studies have revealed that the real cause of eating disorder is not the influence of media but the attitude of parents towards their children. The unrealistic expectations and ‘conditional’ affection that they get from their family and most importantly, from their parents, are leading to development of eating disorders in young people. Hence, to eradicate the prevalence of eating disorders in young people, it is highly important for parents to change their attitude towards their children. Development of eating disorders can be eradicated only when children get complete support, nurture and affection from their parents. The statistics Adolescents have a tendency to get affected by the opinion and reactions of people around them. The physical, psychological and emotional changes during puberty make them vulnerable to the comments from peers, parents and other people in the society. Sadly, what really affects their thinking and self-esteem is the physical attributes and the body image that they have (Heller 42).Young adults become overly conscious about their bodies and begin achieving the body image that is set by material driven media and society (Heller 42). The attempt to achieve ‘perfect’ body makes them to resort to unhealthy and life threatening eating habits to reduce their weight and gain a thin body. The statistics of people suffering from eating disorders and related problems show how important it is to take immediate actions to eradicate the prevalence of eating disorders in young people. In the U.S. alone, the number of people suffering from eating disorder is nearly 24 million (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). Sadly, only 35% of people suffering from eating disorders seek professional help (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). Eating disorder is considered not only a physical problem but also a psychological problem. The rate of mortality among people suffering from eating disorder is more than the rate of mortality among people suffering from other mental illnesses (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). This shows that eating disorder is not just dangerous for physical and mental health, but is also life threatening in nature. Moreover, surveys have revealed that the age group that is more at risk of developing eating disorder is from 16 to 20 years (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). 86% of young adults have reported that they have developed eating disorder by the age of 20 and in 46% of those the disorder had started between 16 and 20 years of age (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). These statistics show that eating disorders develop at a very young age. Also, surveys have revealed that girls are more at risk than boys, in developing eating disorders. In a survey on college campuses, it was found that 91% of women had tried to gain ‘perfect’ weight through different weight management methods (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). Unhealthy eating habits of binging and purging were followed by 25% of women who wanted to reduce their weight (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). It was also found that different weight control methods like “skipping meals, fasting, smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and taking laxatives” are being practiced by more than one-half of the teenage girls and one-third of teenage boys (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). However, eating disorders are more prevalent in girls than in boys as only 5% to 15% of people suffering from different types of eating disorders are males (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). This difference is because girls suffer immense pressure from different quarters of the society to maintain certain ‘perfect’ weight and are indirectly forced to adopt unhealthy eating habits which lead them to suffer from eating disorders. Unfortunately, even parents are found to treat their daughters in insensitive and strict way, which becomes a major cause of development of eating disorders in them. Role of parents Young adults, especially girls, depend a lot on their parents for the development of a healthy self-esteem, confidence and healthy body image. Transition from childhood to adolescence becomes easy for them if they get support and unconditional regard from their parents. However, when parents act cold heartedly and become unrealistically demanding, then life becomes miserable and painful for young girls. Studies have revealed that 58% of the young women who suffer from eating disorders have resorted to unhealthy eating habits due to pressure from other people (“Eating Disorders Statistics”). Girl’s behavior is influenced directly or indirectly by the interactions and relationships with parents (Graber, Archibald, and Brooks-Gunn 49). When girls find that their parents, who are the only source of affection and love, hate them for the way they look or for the weight they have, then they have no other option but to please their parents somehow and gain their affection. Hence, to make their parents happy and to be liked by them, they struggle miserably to achieve the ‘perfect’ weight even if it means putting their lives in danger, and suffer from depression, sickness and unhappiness. According to Connors and Johnson (1987), rejection and ‘conditional’ support from parents have led women population to feel dissatisfied about their bodies, perceive themselves as fat, and adopt unhealthy weight control behavior in their lives (Connors 285). Humphrey (1989) has found lack of nurturing and lack of openness and sharing by parents indirectly related to development of eating disorders in young women (Graber, Archibald, and Brooks-Gunn 50). Parents forget that if their daughters are not accepted as they are, then they are likely to put their lives in danger in an attempt to gain appreciation and approval from them. It is found that young women develop eating disorders when their self-esteem is shattered due to rejection from their parents for their weight and body image. Hence, it is important for parents to change their attitude towards their daughters Conclusion From the discussion above, it is clear that the root cause of eating disorder in young adults is the disapproval from parents. It is high time that parents start setting a ‘practical’ goal for their children, and accept their daughters as they are rather than force them to resort to unhealthy eating behavior and develop eating disorders. It is clear that the only way to eradicate eating disorder from the society is to develop a nurturing and life supporting bond between young adults and their parents. Works Cited “Eating Disorders Statistics”. anad.org, n.d. Web. 13 June. 2011. Connors, Mary. “Developmental Vulnerabilities for Eating Disorders”. The Developmental Psychopathology of Eating Disorders: Implications for Research, Prevention, and Treatment. Eds. Linda Smolak, Michael Levine & RRuth Striegel-Moore. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc, 1996. Print. Graber, Julia, Archibald, Andrea & Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne. “The Role of Parents in the Emergence, Maintenance, and Prevention of Eating Problems and Disorders.” Preventing Eating Disorders: A Handbook of Interventions and Special Challenges . Eds. Niva Piran, Michael Levine & Catherine Steiner-Adair. Philadelphia: BRUNNER/MAZEL,1999. Print. Heller, Tania. Eating Disorders: A Handbook For Teens, Families, and Teachers. Jefferson: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers, 2003. Print Park, Alice. “How Social Networks Spread Eating Disorders.” Time 7 January 2011. Web. 13 June 2011. Read More