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The Mid-county Memo is your newspaper. We want to hear from you. Discuss an important issue or address a concern you want to call to the attention of the community. We prefer e-mailed letters to the editor sent to Darlene Vinson at editor@midcountymemo.com. Please put “Letter to the editor” in the subject line. You may also mail your letter to 3510 N.E. 134th Ave., Portland, OR 97230 or fax it to 503-249-7672. Deadline for the December issue is Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Parkrose grad challenges educators to teach healthy body image

To the Editor:
According to the Department of Mental Health, 7 million women and 1 million men in the United States suffer from an eating disorder. Of those 8 million, only 10% will receive the help they need, either because they have no resources, or the people around them are not educated enough to recognize the signs of an eating disorder.

Our culture glorifies self-control, unhealthy body images, and a media that bombards our youth's minds with the idea that if you are not thin, there is something wrong with you. Yes, a healthy body weight is ideal, and leads to generally better health. But why do doctors only discuss weight with those who are overweight, and never those that are underweight?

Being underweight is not healthy.

In today's public school curriculum, eating disorders and body image are glanced over, or completely ignored. Weeks are spent on obesity, heart disease, getting enough exercise, and balanced diets. What about the girls who are so thin that they have stopped their menstrual cycle? What about the boy who runs twelve miles a day on 500 calories? What about the girl who only eats spinach because she thinks her 105 pound body is grotesque? This may sound ridiculous, but this is the truth.

Eight million people are suffering in silence because our culture glorifies an unhealthy body image.

Educate our youth.

Teach them to love their bodies.

Prevent the next generation from suffering because of our ignorance.

Sincerely,
Becci Read
Pacific University
2010 Parkrose High School graduate
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