And let's not forget the affects of pregnancy on an anorexic, or even a recovering anorexic. Most women gain between 20-25 lbs during their pregnancy. How well do you think someone with an eating disorder would react to this?

Depriving your body of food while you are pregnant can take away nourishment from your unborn child and put his or her life in jeopardy. Children who are born to anorexic mothers may develop heart disease, underactive kidney and liver, and have weak bones and teeth. No child deserves to be handicapped unneccesarily even before they are born!

If anorexia goes undiagnosed and untreated for too long, the effects of this disorder become much worse. Some long term effects include:

Lowers Average Body Temperature
Loss of Minerals
Bone Shrinkage
Irregular Heartbeat
Increases the Risk of Developing Osteroperosis and Bulimia

Why do so many people develop anorexia and eating disorders?

The answer is quite simple. Tragic, but simple. We live in a society that equates skinniness with success, happiness, and beauty. When young children are bombarded with these images daily, they develop the idea that they too must look a certain away in order to be accepted by society and be happy. Without the proper education about healthy eating and weight maintainence, many will do whatever it takes to lose weight. Here are some eye-opening statistics about anorexia, and eating disorders in general.

1% of American women binge and purge as a way to lose weight (bulimia)
10% of female college students have been diagnosed with a full or borderline eating disorder
Only 5 - 10% of all people with an eating disorder are males
10 - 15% of people who suffering from an eating disorder will die because of it
40% of 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade girls want to be skinnier
80% of 10 year olds worry about their weight
Many children have begun to diet as early as age 9