An eating disorder is defined as a preoccupation with dieting and thinness leading to excessive weight loss. Ten years ago, the number of teenagers who suffered from eating disorders was less than 500,000. Today, there are more than three million teenage girls, in the U.S. alone, being stricken with diseases such as anorexia and bulimia. The alarming fact is that more than 15% of these girls will die. There are a number of different causes behind …showed first 75 words of 653 total…

…showed last 75 words of 653 total…appearance and begin to love themselves for who they are and not what they look like.” (Crosby, 3) Works Cited 1. Costin, Carolyn. The Eating Disorder Sourcebook: A comprehensive guide to the causes, treatments, and prevention of eating disorders. 2nd edition: Lowell House, 1999. 2. Moe, Barbara. Understanding Negative Body Image (Teen Eating Disorder Prevention Book). 1st edition: Rosen Publishing, 1999. 3. Crosby, Johanna. You Can Be Too Thin: Society shapes girls’ body images- in dangerous ways. Cape Cod Times, March 11, 1999.