The Eating Disorder Quick Poll Results

Smart girls decide for themselves.™

We asked you about eating disorders. 737 girls and 8 boys, ages 9-41, responded. (14 respondents chose not to reveal their gender.)

SmartGirl asked, "Do you think you are the right weight for your body right now?"

58% said, No, I could stand to lose a few pounds.
9% said, No, I could stand to gain a few pounds.
33% said Yes, I am just fine right now.

Even though 33% feel they are the right weight, even fewer (only 14%) are always happy with their body size and shape. SmartGirl asked, "Do you ever feel unhappy about your body size or shape?"

52% said yes
34% said a little
14% said no

SmartGirl asked, "Why are you unhappy?"

15% felt overweight.
18% felt bad when comparing themselves others (including models).
6% felt unhappy about their bodies because of comments made to them by others.
4% felt bad when trying on new clothes and not looking as good as they would like.
4% felt underweight.
1% felt unhappy about their bodies if it had been an overall bad day.
1% felt unhappy about their bodies after eating too much.

Here are two typical responses from SmartGirl members:

• "The media and stick thin models/actresses make me feel ashamed about my body. Also, whenever I eat I feel worried that I will gain weight. As a result, I feel very upset about my body."  

• "Boys make me feel this way because there is a lot of pressure to be perfect for their benefit."

But, even though many of you were not always feeling perfect, most respondents found ways to take their mind off their troubles and cheer themselves up.  Only 6% mope about their bodies and let it get them down. Smart Girl asked, "When you feel unhappy about your body, what do you do to cheer yourself up?"

16% tell themselves that there are far more important issues in the world and accept their bodies as they are.
10% engage in other activities like reading, listening to music, shopping, changing their hairstyle, or surfing the web.
7% talk to friends or boyfriends about it.
7% try to exercise and eat healthy.
5% ignore their feelings and think of other things.
5% diet.
2% eat .

The following graph shows the results to the SmartGirl question, "As you pass your reflection in windows and mirrors, do you like or dislike what you see?"

SmartGirl asked, "Have you ever avoided situations where others can see your body? (beach, pool, dressing rooms, etc.)" 

One respondent summed it up for those who have avoided such situations when she wrote:

• "Yes, I have missed out on fun things a lot of the time because of my appearance."

SmartGirl asked, "Have you ever avoided a social situation (party, dinner with friends, etc.) because you were afraid that you might eat too much?"

81% said no
15% said yes
4% said sometimes

On Eating Disorders: 

Unfortunately, almost half of the respondents knew someone with an eating disorder and 1% admitted that they themselves binge and purge.

SmartGirl asked, "What do you think causes girls to develop eating disorders?"

30% thought peer and/or family pressure causes eating disorders
30% thought pressure from media images (including ultra-thin models)
23% thought a poor self-image causes eating disorders
4% thought psychological problems were a major cause
2% thought the need for control over something in life causes eating disorders

SmartGirl asked, "If you had a friend who had an eating disorder, what would you do? Would you try to help out? Why or why not? Whose responsibility is it to step in, or should no one step in at all?"

67% said, "I would try to help out."
13% would tell an adult.
9% said, "There is nothing you can do to change a person's mind.  They have to decide for themselves."
5% would offer support if the person asked for it.
4% were unsure what could be done.

One respondent summed it up for most, 

• "If I had a friend who had an eating disorder, I would try to help them, of course, but it would take both of us to get through it. The first thing I would do is ask, WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO YOURSELF?! I would also try to get their parents involved and get my friend professional help.  And wish for the best."

When SmartGirl asked, "Do you think that you learn enough about eating disorders in school?," Only 23% said yes.  The most common place to learn about eating disorders was health or physical education class.  24% said they had learned a little at school, but felt that teachers should go more in depth about the consequences and how serious an eating disorder can be.  Others thought the topic should be covered by 6^th or 7^th grade instead of waiting until high school.  Some suggested the schools schedule special assemblies and distribute pamphlets with information and help-line phone numbers to increase student awareness. 

Several respondents suggested these books for further reading on the topic: "Fat Chance" by Leslea Newman, "Life in the Fat Lane" by Cherie Bennett, and "The Best Little Girl in the World" by Steven Lovenkron.

On Diets:

63% of respondents diet with varying frequency.  Respondents who are unhappy with their bodies are much more likely to be dieting than those who are happy.  Those who diet, do so for the following reasons:

42% say they diet for themselves.
16% diet because of exposure to media images.
5% diet because of friends' influences.
4% diet because of family influences.
The remainder say diet for other reasons or  they don't diet.

SmartGirl asked about diet pill usage:

24% have purchased diet pills.

On Exercise:  

Interestingly, while respondents unhappy with their bodies were more likely to diet, they were not more likely to exercise.  Unhappy and happy respondents exercised at the same rate.  SmartGirl asked, "Do you feel guilty if you don't exercise?"

42% said yes.
33% said no.
19% said sometimes.
7% said no, because I never miss a day.

SmartGirl asked, "Is your happiness or confidence level ever related to how much you have eaten or exercised that day?"

Girls tend to express two opposing opinions about your happiness level in relation to eating and exercise:

• "Exercise definitely makes me feel happier.  I usually play soccer or basketball with some friends.   So it's exercise and fun."  

•  "The reading on the scales [not the amount I exercise] determines how happy I will be that day."

SmartGirl asked, "Do you exercise over 45 minutes a day?"

SmartGirl asked, "Do you try to exercise to burn off every calorie that you have eaten that day?"

One respondent wrote:

• "Of course not. People NEED calories, but they don't know it!!!!"

On parents:

53% of parents diet at least some and 58% are at least a little concerned with diet and exercise.  SmartGirl asked, "Do your parents annoy you about your weight? (too fat, too skinny, tell you to diet or exercise, criticize your appearance because of your weight)"

Most respondents don't hide the amount of food they've eaten, but those whose parents do annoy them about their weight are much more likely to hide the amount of food they've eaten or to hide food to eat later.

A few more interesting statistics:

And, one boy who responded said he feels that a guy's body shape can be a disadvantage to him socially because:

•  "These days, girls are pretty concerned about the appearance of guys, not only their personality."

 And Finally...

SmartGirl asked, "Do you feel that the models you see in the media (teen magazines, television, movies, etc.) reflect realistic body types?"

60% said some models are realistic and some are not.
30% said, no, they are not realistic.
10% said, yes, they are realistic.

Those who said they thought models bodies are realistic or at least somewhat realistic are more likely to be unhappy with their own bodies.