When we open the pages of Vogue, Elle, and Essence magazines, we see beautiful people….
Way too often young men and women try to emulate these fashions and waif-like sizes, by adopting very unhealthy habits. Eating disorders are very real and equally dangerous.

“In the United States, as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are fighting a life and death battle with an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia. Millions more are struggling with binge eating disorder” (Crowther et al., 1992; Fairburn et al., 1993; Gordon, 1990; Hoek, 1995; Shisslak et al., 1995).

National Eating Disorders Awareness Week “highlights the fact that body size and shape are strongly influenced by biological factors – such as genetics. While you can adopt a healthy lifestyle and aim to be fit for your particular body type, you cannot change your genes...”(1)
National Nutrition Month® is a “nutrition education and information campaign created by the American Dietetic Association. The campaign is designed to focus attention on the importance of making informed food choices and developing sound eating and physical activity habits”. Their website is a great resource for diet and exercise tips, whether you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, or you just want information on getting or staying healthy. (www.eatright.org)

In Scenarios’ film A Memoir to my Former Self a girl takes the hard steps toward improving her self-respect and tackling her eating disorder…check it out!

(1) http:// www.nationaleatingdisorders.org