In a recent survey of 29,000 young women, 35 percent of them admitted that body image in their biggest concern. They worry more about body image than they do about family conflict, alcohol problems or even the environment.

"But what are the sacrifices that young women are making to attain the unobtainable, and what dangers lie in their obsession with body image?... 'Young women do compare themselves to images they see in the media - but only 1 percent of people could actually look like that,' [Queensland University of Technology psychologist Dr. Evonne] Miller says."

Some experts believe the eating disorder and obesity epidemics are closely tied together. When the body is deprived of nutrition, it begins storing more and more food at fat. When a person then begins to eat more "normally" the body is still storing an increased amount of fat and excessive weight gain is more likely. Read more at News.com.au.

Today's teens deal with so many pressures. Therapeutic boarding schools can help teenagers who feel overwhelmed and find themselves unable to deal with things in positive ways.

Labels: body_image, media_influences, pressures