Behind Closed Lockers, Pt.2

Anorexia, bulimia, binge-eating, over-exercising, night eating, and orthorexia: these are all uncommonly known forms of eating disorders, commonly found in school environments. Peers of those suffering from one or more of these disorders don’t always recognize the more discreet of signs. Most recognize their friends and family as having an issue when they are starving themselves, or always dashing to the bathroom after a particularly filling meal. However, what about the teens who never leave the gym, those who constantly count calories and nutrition facts until it becomes a serious obsession? These signs may be less noticeable, but they can reveal a serious form of self-consciousness.

Teenagers these days feel pressure to be the same size as the starved, over-exercised models and TV personalities in society today. One of the biggest issues we need to address is just how beautiful the individual woman is, and how no two body types are comparable. Girls who have naturally fast metabolisms may be envied by others around them who have to work for their body types, but how do we know if those girls are truly thankful for what they have? A friend of mine is constantly complemented on her skinny waist and non-existent butt, but she dreads shopping because she is always forced to look in the Junior section, she is never hit on by boys older than Junior High because she doesn’t look out of Junior High herself, and she is constantly grabbing Twinkies and Ho Ho’s in hopes of gaining that extra pound, a habit that has caused a semi-serious addiction to chocolate and fast food. Why are we all so unhappy being who we are naturally?

I support the idea of a healthy body, healthy mind; however, health is subjective. Those with a size 2 waist may look slim and healthy, but they may be constantly staving off hunger, pale from malnutrition under all their makeup. And those with a size 10 waist may come off as doughy or slightly overweight, but in actuality they manage 3 healthy meals a day, and have a consistent workout routine. Every body is different, and every way our bodies react to diets and exercise is different. I support a long future of healthy children, despite our rapidly increasing overweight society, but we as teenage girls need to realize we can be healthy and beautiful without looking like our favorite characters.