[68skylark]

It is true that over eating can be very dangerous but it is not nearly as prevelent in our society. Anorexia and Bulimia are far more common.

Well when I look around my town I see a hundred people who look dangerously overweight for every one who looks dangerously underweight. So it will take quite a lot of "studies" and statistics to convince me that my eyes are deceiving me, and that anorexia and bulimia are more of a problem than obesity. Am I wrong?

[underthesun]

You can always tell someone is anorexic by their appearance. Not all anorexics look like the extreme cases shown on talk shows, etc. Some anorexics may be anywhere from 5 to 15 lbs. underweight. They look thin, but they do not have what society considers to be the "anorexic" look. Just because someone does not look emaciated, does not mean they are not anorexic or that their health is not in danger.

http://www.mirror-mirror.org/myths.htm

Don't let your eyes fool you. It is one of the most common myths that all anorexics are extemely thin. It is not about actual body appearance it is a personal body image and the dangerous behavior that accompanies a distorted image of yourself.

[Dianna]

Well when I look around my town I see a hundred people who look dangerously overweight for every one who looks dangerously underweight. So it will take quite a lot of "studies" and statistics to convince me that my eyes are deceiving me, and that anorexia and bulimia are more of a problem than obesity. Am I wrong?

No you are right. The difference is that a person can go through life for quite a few years being chubby and gaining weight. The effects aren't quite so immediate, there is time for a girl to figure out how to fix this. Whereas with anorexia and bulimia the health effects are quickly deadly. And we must intervene ASAP because there isn't time to sort it all out later.

[underthesun]

www.eatingdisorderinfo.org/menu.html

Just something else to look at. This isn't just for you, everyone should learn more about eating disorders. This society has romanticized these diseases for far to long. Women and men are (most young people) are dieing because of an unrealistic goal for a body image that society has created.