ChristiaNet.com (http://www.christianet.com), the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, has just launched a directory of health related articles that include information about eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. "We want to offer concerned parents or young women struggling with eating disorders the opportunity to get informed about the disease because we know that getting good information leads to making good decisions," stated ChristiaNet's president, Bill Cooper. (http://www.christianet.com/anorexia/)
Cooper also stressed the importance of recognizing symptoms early and getting help immediately. "Because of the activity and the amount of visits to our website, we are fully aware of the problems plaguing parents and young adults today. We want to be supportive and encourage parents to take action quickly." Early intervention could be the difference between life and death and is crucial to overcoming eating disorders and restoring health.
Today's female population is at great risk for serious mental and physical health issues. The onslaught of young girls who are diagnosed with one of the major eating disorder recognized by the psychiatric community seems to be growing at an alarming rate. Although mental health disorders are not contagious, ask any parent, youth worker, or teacher who knows of one girl struggling with a bad body image and you'll likely find an entire group of girls obsessed with their image and trying to correct it with unusual eating habits.
Epidemic is a word that has been used in reference to girls ages 14 to 24 with eating disorders. While the exact causes are unknown, those diagnosed with anorexia say, "It is linked to self image, stress or anxiety." Some early warning signs of anorexia include dieting to the point of starvation, obsessing over food content and excessive exercise.
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that between 5 and 10 percent of the female population suffers from some type of eating disorder. The Institute believes the percentage of women with an unhealthy attitude toward food and body image could be even larger. "Estimates suggest that as many as 15% of young women adopt unhealthy attitudes and behaviors about food," states the Institute. This figure represents over 15 million females in the US.
Regardless of the diagnosis, eating disorders lead to more serious problems and are linked to dangerous conditions such as heart problems, kidney failure, depression, substance abuse, and even death. Complications from anorexia are the leading cause of death for women between the ages of 15 and 24. For more information, visit: http://www.christianet.com/articles/
About ChristiaNet
ChristiaNet.com (http://www.christianet.com), the world's largest Christian portal with twelve million monthly page loads, receives around one million visitors per month and has 400,000 email subscribers who have access to an online shopping mall, job bank, Biblical and life application resources, free ecards, Christian blogs and friendship communities.
