Fear of being fat: Startling statistics

CrossCurrents

Eating disorders are the third most common chronic illness in adolescent girls.

Young girls have indicated in U.S. surveys that they are more afraid of becoming fat than they are of cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents.

Among Canadian females, 37% at age 11, 42% at age 13 and 48% at age 15 say they need to lose weight.

52% of girls begin dieting before age 14.

71% of adolescent girls want to be thinner despite only a small proportion being over a healthy weight.

Health Canada found that almost one in every two girls and almost one in every five boys in grade 10 either were on a diet or wanted to lose weight.

Source: National Eating Disorder Information Centre