Many patients enroll in programs that resemble other addiction treatment programs, where they attended closed meetings and treatment for a month or so to help get rid of their eating disorder. Twin Mary-Kate Olson attended this type of treatment program for her anorexia. All of these eating disorders are treatable, and many young women, who they seem to most affect, grow out of them as they grow older. Many do not, however. ABC News recently reported on the growing number of middle-aged women suffering from eating disorders. They report, "Experts say between 1 million and 3 million middle-aged women in this country have anorexia or bulimia. One out of every 10 eating disorder patients is over 40" (ABC News, 2005). Thus, it seems like the problem is getting bigger, rather than smaller, even though even more Americans suffer from obesity than ever before in our history.

One of the reasons eating disorders have become so prevalent is the media. First, the "ideal" women in modern media are painfully thin and slight, which gives a false body image to most women, who can never measure up to this "ideal." Second, the media has given a lot more coverage to eating disorders, which could actually enhance their appeal to some women. Author Sing Lee writes, "Mass media have repeatedly informed the public of rising trends of excessive weight control behavior, cases of women who died from untreated eating disorders, and celebrities who recovered from anorexia nervosa" (Lee, 2001, p. 41). Young women see the results of eating disorders in their favorite stars. They do not see the dangers, but only the end result, and some may emulate their idols simply...

Studies now show that older women are continuing to experience eating disorders that are even more dangerous as women age. A healthy body image is one way to fight eating disorders, and the media can help by using "real" models and actresses instead of bone-thin women who do not represent most women of the world. More education in the schools can also help, and so can a subtle change in how the media views beauty and attractiveness. A shift in public awareness and understanding can help control these pervasive diseases.
References

Author not Available. (2005). Anorexia also strikes middle-aged women. Retrieved from the ABC Nightly News Web site: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Health/story?id=1215550& page=1-26 Oct. 2005.

Editors. (2002). Eating disorders information index. Retrieved from the National Eating Disorders Association Web site: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=294 26 Oct. 2005.

Lee, S. (2001). Chapter 3 Fat phobia in anorexia nervosa: Whose obsession is it? In Eating disorders and cultures in transition / Edited by Mervat Nasser, Melanie A. Katzman, and Richard A. Gordon., Nasser, M., Katzman, M.A., & Gordon, R.A. (Eds.) (pp. 40-54). New York: Taylor & Francis.

Smolak, Linda, Michael P. Levine, and Ruth Striegel-Moore, eds. (1996). The developmental psychopathology of eating disorders: Implications for research, prevention, and treatment. Mahwah, N.J.: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.