An eating disorder is a mental condition, characterized by persistent eating behavior, which has a negative impact on the person’s health, emotional state, and ability to function. Among the most common conditions are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Most eating disorders result from the focus on weight, body shape, and food. Such an attitude may result in the appearance of eating behaviors, which may interfere with receiving proper nutrition, which, in turn, may lead to serious damage to the organism, including the development of the heart, digestive system, teeth, and other problems. These disorders are typical for teenage girls and women, who are concerned with their appearance. Moreover, numerous celebrities, for example, Hilary Duff, also become victims of such health conditions. However, there is an efficient treatment, which allows people to become better and healthier.
Hilary Duff, who became famous when she was 12 years old, faced the problem of an eating disorder when she turned 17. During a few years, she was struggling with anorexia as the result of extreme concern with her extra weight. This condition is “characterized by an abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight” (Mayo Clinic, n.d., para. 1). Later, in numerous interviews, the actress confessed she had this problem. According to her, between 17 and 19, she was obsessed with food and became too skinny as the result of her diet consisting only of steamed vegetables and broiled chicken (Younghans, 2020). Later, she began experiencing limb cramps due to the lack of necessary nutrients in her organism. After she has lost more than 30 pounds, her older sister noticed that her condition becomes worse and the appearance does not look good and asked her to stop. This interference helped Hilary Duff to finally notice that her eating patterns were not right and needed to be reconsidered to stay healthy. Today, the actress prefers balanced nutrition without strict restrictions, which make her feel deprived.
To conclude, the example of Hilary Duff demonstrates one of the negative health consequences, which may appear as the result of an eating disorder. If the person does not receive support from close people or medical treatment in severe cases, the situation may aggravate and lead to serious health issues, which may influence the future life of the individual. The experiences of celebrities prove that fighting with negative patterns is difficult, but brings good outcomes.
References
Mayo Clinic. (n.d.). Anorexia nervosa. Web.
Younghans, S. F. (2020). Hilary Duff says she “regrets” her teenage eating disorder. Distractify. Web.