While losing weight may make people feel better and give a sense of control, anorexia and bulimia are tragic disorders that consume and even kill teens.

This fatal addiction has become a national phenomenon; one percent of teens currently suffer from anorexia or bulimia. It may start with a few dropped pounds, but after many compliments, the need to lose more weight is often established. People idolize thinness, and teens will go to extremes to achieve this vision.

Peers may feel uncomfortable addressing such a seemingly personal subject, but when someone is suffering from anorexia or bulimia, they are committing a slow suicide. Even if one feels it isn’t their place to comment on an eating disorder, taking a stand could save a life.

Those who succumb to eating disorders are greatly affected by those around them. In some cases, friends and family can actually be linked to the disease’s initiation, whether purposefully provoking insecurity or not.

Someone with a pretty, thin, older sibling often feels pressure to match, becoming obsessed with their weight and appearance. Someone with a friend or relative affected with anorexia or bulimia may see this as acceptable and follow their lead.

While it’s true that pop-culture is filled with super skinny models in magazines, TV, movies, and catwalks, these institutions show people what they want to see. It’s not their responsibility to change the population’s weight obsession.

Some may blame the media for creating an unhealthy body image, but it is society that dictates the need to be thin, giving people positive attention for losing weight.

Anorexia and bulimia also stem from competitiveness in athletics. Sports such as ballet and wrestling encourage teens to focus excessively on weight. This is especially destructive as people literally exercise themselves to death, and exercise-induced anorexia should be addressed as a crucial issue for teens involved in sports.

Stick-thin arms and concave cheeks are not what today’s teens should strive for. This appearance is not healthy or beautiful. Going as far as starvation to meet society’s perceptions of beauty only results in self-destruction and often death, devastating friends and family. To prevent this sorrow, one should intervene and speak out to anyone affected by anorexia or bulimia.