National Eating Disorders Awareness Week 2010 has officially started and this year's theme is "It's Time to Talk About It."  We need to bring public attention and awareness to the severity of eating disorders in the United States:

1 in 5 women struggle with an eating disorder or disordered eating.
National Institute of Mental Health's (NIMH) guide, Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions

90 % of those who have eating disorders are women between the ages of 12 and 25.
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, The Center for Mental Health Services, offices of the US Department of Health and Human Services.

 

81% of 10 year olds are afraid of being fat. 51% of 9 and 10 year old girls feel better about themselves if they are on a diet.
Mellin LM, Irwin CE & Scully S: Disordered eating characteristics in girls: A survey of middle class children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 1992; 92:851-53.

Time Magazine reports that 80% of all children have been on a diet by the time that they have reached the fourth grade.

Anorexia is the 3rd most common chronic illness among adolescents.
Public Health Service's Office in Women's Health, Eating Disorder Information Sheet, 2000.

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THIS WAY!