CHARLOTTE — Teenagers face mounting pressure to look a certain way or try new things to stay thin due to everything between online influencers and diet culture.
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Over 30 million people across the U.S. suffer from eating disorders with 95% of them beginning in adolescence, according to the National Eating Disorder Association.
Two high school seniors spoke with Channel 9’s Union County reporter Gina Esposito about their struggles and how they turned their pain into support for others.
“I passed out in my biology class sophomore year because I hadn’t eaten,” said student Sophie Vasic, senior at Marvin Ridge High School.
Vasic said she remembers skipping meals over exercising, criticizing her body, and feeling “humiliated. I didn’t want to tell people about it.”
Little did Vasic know that her friend, Pari Patel, another senior at her school, was also struggling with anorexia.
“I would honestly contribute my first bad thought about my body to like sixth grade,” Patel said. “She shared a lot of similar thoughts I did, and I just remember feeling nothing but concern for her. And that concern sparked a thought in me. Why am I concerned for my friend and not myself?”
Betsy Thompson, with Teen Health Connection, said she’s seen how eating disorders can consume a teenager’s every waking thought.
“Those thoughts are loud, right?” said Thompson, licensed mental health counselor and manager of Behavior Health Services at Teen Health Connection.
The organization offers many programs, services, advocacy and more to help improve the health of adolescents.
“Our eating disorder work here continues to grow with the trends on social media and diet culture, in general, and just all the other things,” Thompson said. “It is just one more thing that teens are having to navigate.”
Thompson works with dietitians and doctors to create treatment plans for 11- to 25-year-old clients.
Dr. Shamika Dixon said 75% of teens they see are girls struggling with anorexia, which can be deadly if left untreated.
“I always tell parents, ‘You must pay attention,’” said Dixon, M. D., Adolescent Medicine specialist.
Dixon said parents need to know how they can help.
“The ultimate goal is helping you and your child relearn what it is to eat, to nourish and feed their body and to deal with the thoughts and the feelings that led them here, so that they can go on to live healthy lives,” Dixon said.
It often takes more than professional help.
Leaning on each other led to healthier habits for Vasic and Patel.
“Something we did a lot was trying new stuff together to try and motivate ourselves to eat,” said Patel.
The girls also help each other limit triggers on social media and said they no longer compare their bodies to those of influencers.
“I’m glad I get to that point, but I know so many young girls are not at that point,” Vasic said. “They see it, and they get stuck on it. They think, ‘Why don’t I look like that? How do I look like it?’”
The girls started the nonprofit, Love Everybody, which focuses on raising awareness about all eating disorders and connecting people to resources.
Twenty people have reached out with many of them being their peers.
Many of them just wanted someone to talk to and affirm that they are not alone.
They hope that by sharing their stories, others will get help, which could be life changing.
“When I look at Sophie, I don’t ever see who what she looks,” Patel said. “I see my friend who is caring and sweet, who makes me laugh. Losing that person when she was going through the depths of her eating disorder was really heartbreaking and to see who she is now, now that she’s better, is my favorite thing.”
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