Eating Disorders

There is a 10 percent mortality rate among those diagnosed with eating disorders. Society contributes to this disorder. The message we send about the health risks of overeating and obesity could actually encourage young people to begin the slide down the slope to the other end of the spectrum to anorexia nervosa, bulimia and binge eating. Together these disorders have the highest mortality rates of any mental illness. The more we focus on weight loss, the more we may be encouraging unhealthy eating habits. UCSD professor and clinical therapist Danielle Beck-Ellsworth stated, “Instead of focusing on weight, we need to be promoting a healthy lifestyle.” Teenagers and college students are most at risk, but the powerful message we send even affects preteens