Have you ever seen Pretty Little Liars? What you’d never know by looking at Pretty Little Liars’s leading lady Troian Bellisario is that she, like most teenagers, developed an eating disorder.

“I would withhold food or withhold going out with my friends, based on how well I did that day in school. Being a teenager is chaotic because you’re kind of coming into your own, but you’re not an adult; you’re fighting with your parents over responsibilities and freedom. I didn’t know what was right and what was wrong, so I think I created this bizarre system of checks and balances to create order in my world. But it really backfired.”

Most magazines have titles like, “Get Skinny Fast!” “Crazy Dieting Tips That Work!” “Cut Down Belly Fat By Never Eating These Foods!” “Skinny Pills That Work!”, and what those magazine companies don’t realize is that tabloids and ads are destructive.

Did you know? Only 1 in 10 men and women with eating disorders receive treatment. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and other eating disorders are mental illnesses. Although both men and women can develop an eating disorder, the number is higher in teenage girls. According to ANAD, (Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders), the cause of eating disorders is not understood completely. “Cultural idealization of thinness and youthfulness have contributed to eating disorders affecting diverse populations.” Anorexia nervosa puts strain on the heart and can cause heart attacks and heart problems, and also can cause bone loss.  Bulimia nervosa is the most common eating disorder, but it is also less life-threatening. Bulimics can also suffer from Boerhaave Syndrome, which is the tearing of the throat, leading to death.

If you would like to learn more about eating disorders, go to www.anad.org. There you can read all about eating disorders and read recovery stories. I got most of my facts from Anad.org and Wikipedia.

Bullying is also a main cause for self-image issues. Self-Image may sound like something that you learned about in your 6th grade health class, but it’s a very serious psychiatric disorder. If you have very low Self-Image or Self-Esteem, you may suffer from:

• Eating Disorders
• Panic Attacks
• Fear and Anxiety
• Hypersensitivity

Causes of low self esteem are:

• Bullying
• Failing to meet standards
• Systematic punishment
• Etc.

I got my Self-Image causes and symptoms from Overcoming.co.uk.

I hope that you have a better understanding of Eating Disorders and Self-Image issues. Remember, think before you speak, and never bully. You never know what’s going on with the person that you’re bullying or picking on.