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11 Facts About Body Image

Body image is the way that someone perceives their body and assumes others perceive them. This image is often affected by family, friends, social pressure, and the media.
People who are unhappy with their bodies and do not seek healthy nutrition information may develop eating disorders. Eating disorders are unhealthy relationships with food that may include fasting, constant dieting, or binging and purging.
Approximately 91 percent of women are unhappy with their bodies and resort to dieting to achieve their ideal body shape. Unfortunately, only 5 percent of women naturally possess the body type often portrayed by Americans in the media.
58 percent of college-aged girls feel pressured to be a certain weight.
Studies show that the more reality television a young girl watches, the more likely she is to find appearance important.
More than a third of the people who admit to “normal dieting,” will merge into pathological dieting. Roughly a quarter of those will suffer from a partial or full-on eating disorder.
Body image is closely linked to self-esteem. Low self-esteem in adolescents can lead to eating disorders, early sexual activity, substance use, and suicidal thoughts.
In a survey, more than 30 percent of women and 20 percent of men agreed they would consider cosmetic surgery in the future. The statistics remain relatively constant across gender, age, marital status, and race.
Students, especially women, who consume more mainstream media, place a greater importance on sexiness and overall appearance than those who do not consume as much.
95 percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25.
Only 10 percent of people suffering from an eating disorder will seek professional help.