I was doing a social experiment about eating disorders. I didn’t realize how bad eating disorders were until I started this article and researching it. It was sad and most of it was from being bullied, body shamed, etc. This needs to stop. People are being hurt because of hurtful words and jokes. I’m going to talk about how it affects lives and people. The following are people that had an eating disorder and decided to share their stories:

• J: “I was bullied for being overweight and I wouldn’t stop eating from my stress. I was so upset and sad with my body till one day a girl told me about her gum and water trick… I started to do it until I was skipping one day. It turned into months and I got sicker and sicker. I feel better now but it hurts.”
• M: “For starters with my dad’s girlfriend’s kids were very fatphobic to the point they would call me fat, ugly, pig, etc. I don’t even know why! I was never rude to them, ever. It hurt so bad mentally, I started to hurt myself, I would stop eating but it kept getting worse till I just stopped eating completely nobody noticed or bothered to ask. I mean I was always in my room anyway I’m better now but it hurt me.” 
• F: “I was worried that if I gained weight nobody would like me or talk to me. So I started skipping 1 meal a day and 1 meal became skipping 2, then the 2 became 3. Then I stopped eating. I became so underweight I got so sick that when I went to the doctors they told my mom I was close to death… It was a really hard time for me and my family..” 
• G: “It started in middle school. I’ve always had my mom and siblings projecting their insecurities onto me. And overtime the things they are insecure about mostly became my insecurities as well. Things like the size of my breast, my waist, hips and butt especially within Asian culture, where beauty standards are very different. It’s hard trying to be something that you are not. It started getting worse and commentary from my family made it 10 times harder. I feel like in America you have different beauty standards. “
• O: ” I started when my mom wanted me to grow up fast and get a boyfriend so she always made me eat less and she would make me run a lot to have a good body. She also made me take diet pills.. I also was only allowed to eat once a day and then I would throw up. I moved with my dad soon after and it’s 2 states away but I can’t get over that diet. My body won’t let me eat 2 things without feeling sick.”
• A: “I was so sick and tired of being overweight. My friends would joke about me being overweight and I would just laugh and pretend to be ok but I wasn’t okay. I stopped eating for months. I have body dysmorphia.”

All this happened over the thought of what other people think of us. We need to be kinder to people. It isn’t funny and it seriously leads to people almost dying! Eating disorders hurt people. Including families saying things that break kids’ hearts. Nobody should go through this. Family affects things as well as people. If you ever need help or are struggling with eating disorder, please talk to your counselor or an adult.  This is all happening because of beauty standards. It hurts the kids growing up; mentally and physically: trying to be something they are not.

If need help with eating disorder please contact:

https://www.psych.theclinics.com/article/S0193-953X(11)00088-8/fulltext 

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