You are not alone...5 million teens ages 13-17 suffer from some form of eating disorder-- TALK IT OUT, RESEARCH IT, SHARE A STORY

Being a teenager is never easy.  Trying to figure out who you are and where you fit in leads to lots of stress and pressure.  One of the hardest things that teens have to deal with is their own body image.  Sometimes it can feel like the whole world judges you based on your weight, body structure, and outward appearance.  Obsession with image can become so overwhelming that some teenagers resort to drastic and dangerous measures to change their own perceptions of their bodies – eating disorders.

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Though there are several eating disorders, WARM2Kids will be focusing on four of the major ones – Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Night Eating Syndrome.  While all four diseases are certainly separate entities, they often overlap and interweave.  For example, it is not uncommon for a person recovering from Anorexia to develop Bulimia – instead of not eating enough, the person will eat a normal amount of food and purge by vomiting or laxative abuse. 
 
Eating Disorders are a very serious threat to thousands, killing countless numbers every year.  Though anyone may develop an eating disorder, it is usually teenagers, especially girls, who are the most at risk.  Certain sports also have a high occurrence of athletes affected by Eating Disorders, such as wrestling, dancing (especially ballet), and gymnastics. 
 
Finding out who we are and being comfortable in our own skin can be difficult.  But to resort to drastic and potentially deadly measures to alter our bodies is never the answer.  If you think that you or your friend may have an Eating Disorder, seek help.  Striving for perfection is never worth a life.