Posting Number: 2
Topic: Health
Title: Inside one boy's anorexia: 'How can I burn the most calories?'
Writer: Madison Park
Publication: CNN
Date: December 3rd, 2010
Words: 1138 words
Main Idea:
Eric Ostendorf was in class when he would ask to go to the bathroom and there he would do 45 chin ups. He was 10 then. Children under the age of 12 are now experiencing more hospitalizations because of eating disorders. The reason? Teasing. The growth of the idea that you have to have a certain body image is affecting children as young as eight or nine. There is also scientific evidence of growing dissatisfaction with body image in preschool children. It is not just girls who are experiencing these problems. Younger kids just in general are experiencing eating disorders. They think that by eating less they will become less obese, but they misinterpret what that means. They just need to eat healthier.
Conclusion:
Child obesity rates have soared. Children think that in order to not become obese they should eat less until they are just always hungry, but that is not the case. More younger girls and boys are becoming anorexic and bulimic. Younger children are being hospitalized because society has created the perfect body image. If you don't fit in that category from a young age, you are teased and made fun of. Kids don't realize how many lives they are damaging.
It is not surprising to see that younger kids think that they have to eat less to stay in a certain body shape. We all live in a society that a "Good" body image is defined. For kids that do not neccessary know how to achieve that goal, they simply eat less in order to "not look obese". Education will be an important step to reduce anorexic among people, especially kids.
ReplyDeleteKids these days face two problems: lifestyles that lead to obesity, and the media pushing the slim, toned, perfect body. It would make a difference if there was regulation to lower the media's affects on kids.
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great topic to cover. I agree with what Crystal said as well. If people didnt judge people and set standards or images for the perfect person, we wouldnt be having these problems. I also think it would have been helpful if you included some suggestions about how to fix this problem, though.
ReplyDeleteI think it is a bit shocking that children are becoming more and more self conscious about how they look. I think we should have a more accepting society. One possible solution is for parents of 6-10 year olds talk to them about how important food is for us; parents can also be good role models for their children.
ReplyDeleteIts quite frightening how young boys and girls are beginning to be as self conscious as teenagers have traditionally been in the past. In the past few years, girls have been pushed to be more and more skinny by the media, but boys were always pushed to be big and strong. Now with the extremely fatty American, the media even pushes young children to this anorexic extreme, to be more and more skinny.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised that this has become such a huge issue because of the obesity rates. As more of America becomes obese, people feel like they need to go to extremes to be skinny. I think it's really sad that young children have to treat themselves like this because of American culture. I agree with Jerry that education will help to stop this problem.
ReplyDeleteIt is concerning that this is happening but not totally out of the blue. Kids always want to act like older kids/teens. It all kind of falls back on the eating right issue. If kids eat right and we can put an end to child obesity I believe issues like this will virtually disappear.
ReplyDeletei believe this eating disorder is caused by the media providing a look that is impossible to achieve unless you have lots of surgeries. the modern kid watches a lot of TV and with this they see all the commercials where they see "perfect" people an want to be just like them and kids believe that the only way to do that is through starving themselves. kids are doing this because they are just fallowing examples in the media.
ReplyDeleteThis is a huge issue- on one hand, obesity is a huge problem in the US. Yet we continue to push an impossible standard of beauty and perfection. Being in shape has to do with eating healthy food, not just less food. Body image issues is something that needs to be discussed with all kids, not just girls.
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting article that presents a tough issue. I find it so sad that our society creates so many stereotypes and expectations and if someone does not fit it, they they are not "normal". It is interesting because obseity and the eating disorders are opposites but caused by some of the similar variables. For example, media, which I think is the top variable in both.
ReplyDeleteThe rise in anorexia among young ages may first come as something that people predicted would happen due to the increase in the media's influence, however, it's still shocking to know it is now true. Kids shouldn't have the need to stress over their body-image, let alone other kid's judgements. I think it's extremely poignant to know that one's childhood isn't all about play and fun.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Crystal that the lifestyles that children lead now lead to obesity, and that the media has too much of an influence on young children. It is very scary that kids as young as 10 are getting eating disorders, they are still young and shouldn't have to worry about their weight.
ReplyDeletei think that it is a good thing that this topic was brought up. i think it is one of the two major problems that currently plague todays youth, the other being diabetes. thodays youth is either too concerned with the shape their in or not enough.
ReplyDeleteI think it is so sad that we as humans have come to a place in our lives that we feel the need to be skinny. It is also sad that at such a young age we are exposed to so much now in days. Parents used to shield their children from these types of things, or at least tried too. But it seems now we are throwing our kids into the deep end, hoping they will make it. Its more than a little disturbing that a 10 year old boy was worried about his weight.
ReplyDeleteThis just breaks my heart. That a young boy is self conscious about his appearance at such a young age. Most kids commit suicide because they are being made fun of for their weight. What has the world come to!? Its a terrible, terrible thing and no one should have to go threw it.
ReplyDeleteI think it is very sad that people feel you need to be skinny. Its sad to think that people judge eachother on how they look and how it comes down to kids hurting themself in this way. This makes me sad to think about that there can be so many other kids thinking this.
ReplyDelete