In the Mirror...

Have you ever looked at the image in front of you when you stand in front of the mirror and think ‘I’m fat’ or ‘I’m ugly’ or ‘I’m not skinny enough’? Has it ever happened where someone has judged you on the way you look by calling you bad names regarding your body size, color, or race? This kind of thinking has led many teens to find refuge in the arms of eating disorders like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. This social issue has risen tremendously in the past years and has been the major cause of worry among parents because society has made it so that being extremely skinny is something good, when in fact it causes teens to either judge themselves or others. It has come to the point where body size and body image is one of the most important things. Where will this thought process lead those who struggle with eating disorders every day?

I was able to interview people and get their opinion and thoughts on the matter; they answered the following questions:

What do you think is the major cause of eating disorders? Do you think this issue is caused by the media, oneself, people’s comments, etc.?

If you found out a friend or relative was dealing with an eating disorder, how would you deal with it? Would you do anything to help him/her?

What would you tell someone who was dealing with an eating disorder?


In a recent article released by Salem News, they were able to bring attention to Eating Disorders now that National Eating Disorder awareness week has arrived. In this event attention is brought to eating disorders and what can be done to help those experiencing it; this week occurs from February 1-7. This article speaks of the lack of attention that is brought to this epidemic, how compared to other illnesses this is put to be last. It mentions how Ebola has received a ton of publicity, when only a few people in the U.S have received this disease. According to this website if you go to google and search ‘Ebola’ you will receive about 251 million results, while when you search up ‘Eating Disorders’ you only receive 27.9 million. How is it possible that Ebola gets more attention, when eating disorders are a real epidemic as well, is what this article is asking. They go into depth of how anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating affect men and women, and how these eating disorders are slowly taking the lives of many. They especially don’t hide back the disbelief of the lack of attention that is brought to these disorders; change starts with us, their emphasizing.


As I was doing the interviews, I was able to get different opinions from a various audience. My first interviewee was Mrs. Wyrick; the more I interviewed her, the more I saw her going into depth of what we sometimes don’t realize is right in front of us. She was able to recollect the experience she lived with a young teenage girl in her church who struggled with an eating disorder. From what she told me it looks like she would step in to help an acquaintance, friend, or relative; but it’s not just enough to say ‘You’ll get better with time, if you look for help’. Mrs. Wyrick is one of the many people who will use encouragement to uplift the people who may struggle with this issue. “I encouraged her and prayed for her. I told her that ‘What you see on television is fantasyland’; it’s not real. It’s not about what you look like on the outside but on the inside”. The fact is that media, in her opinion, is the main cause for these disorders, and the most shocking thing of all is that we don’t even realize it when it’s right in front of us. That’s right, I’m talking about television. “They project the image that to look good you have to be skinny, with the latest’s fashion, and make up”. The matter of fact is, she’s right; if you place close attention to each commercial, you’ll see that it all revolves around the perfect image.


A student, who would like to remain anonymous, said “We as people sometimes conform to what society say’s is beautiful, when everyone has beauty in them. You don’t have to compare yourself to others because everyone’s different in their own special unique way”. Although we might not know it, many people struggle with this because they want to be like a celebrity or just because one person said just one mean comment, most of the times, one is all it takes. We sometimes think that those around us are the one who are supposed to support us, but in the end they can hurt us. Mr. Wasson, an EGHS teacher said “The ones closest to us might be the ones to bring us down by saying things to be malicious or by saying things that they think might mean well”. This is true in certain occasions, which might be the reason that some people choose to keep it a secret. Another anonymous source said "You need to tell someone, so you can receive the help, comfort, love, and understanding that you need".

Eating disorders are slowly getting to our teens and it’s something that attention should be brought to; the article above mentioned Eating Disorder Awareness week; most of my interviewee’s had never even heard of it, for the reason that it’s not put out in the open. No one deserves to feel like their less than anyone because they don’t look like the female and male models on television or magazines; we’re all different, and that’s what makes us unique. Like my interviewee Mrs. Wyrick said, it’s all a fantasyland, it’s not real. We shouldn’t be defined by what people think or say about our bodies, not even the voices in our heads tell us “You’re not skinny enough”. Beauty is on the inside, and yes, I know that we hear that all the time, but it’s the truth. Once you learn to accept that your body is your own, you can learn to love yourself for who you are…and that is beautiful.