No large-scale campaign has ever been raised to bring awareness to anorexia nervosa, a devastating disease in which people starve themselves, sometimes to death, because of a distorted body image. These people are often depressed, have low self-esteem, or are pressured by their profession (models, actors and actresses, jockeys, athletes) to fit an unnatural body dimension. We are bombarded every day in the media by images of svelte models, and lithe young men, the image of thinness linked to desirability and success. It is impossible to pick up a popular magazine, and in particular one directed towards women, without finding it full of weight loss tips, potions and pills and diet regimens.
These images have a very intense effect on developing young women, particularly those with a fragile ego or low self-esteem, who take it as a personal criticism of their own body image and strive to attain the unreal, and often the impossible, seriously endangering their health, and even their life, in the process. It is estimated that one percent of the United States female population suffer from anorexia nervosa, and similar figures are found around the world (NAMI, 2003). The cause of the disorder is not known, and it may be a complex mix of psychological problems - low self-esteem, dysfunctional family relationships, and depression.
Although it attacks so many young people every year, and several celebrities have come out and announced they were suffering from anorexia nervosa, and the popular singer Karen Carpenter died from complications of the disorder, it does not get the attention many diseases do. It has not become a popular bandwagon for celebrities to endorse. Most hide the fact that they have it. It is only in recent months that one or two young female stars have admitted to having anorexia nervosa and sought treatment for it. Occasionally there is a story on someone who has recovered from anorexia, but these stories do...