In his eye-opening documentary "America the Beautiful," director Darryl Roberts exposes the unhealthy influence of the fashion industry, and also reveals some unpleasant truths about the health & beauty industry and the use of sex to sell magazines.

Kathy Flanagan of the Milwaukee Wisconsin Journal Sentinel wrote the following in her Nov. 20, 2008, review of the film:

[Roberts] weaves a convincing story in his behind-the-scenes look at the beauty and fashion industry and threads the movie with the story of Gerren Taylor, a striking 12-year-old African-American girl.

Roberts follows Gerren and her stage mother on her zenith ascent to New York runway model. One moment she's a middle-school student, the next she's touted by designer Marc Jacobs as a beautiful new face. Almost as quickly as she makes it to the top, Gerren is pushed back to the bottom and implodes.

This beautiful tall, thin girl with the beguiling smile says she's fat and ugly. ...

Too bad "American Beauty" is rated R. Impressionable young girls should see this.

Labels: fashion, beauty, unhealthy eating

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A study conducted by the University of North Carolina found that 60 percent of women surveyed exhibited some type of disordered eating. A Sept. 19 article by Jean Enerson of Idaho's King 5 News provided the following details:

Secret eating can be just a guilty pleasure or a serious eating disorder. It all depends.

"Eating a large amount of food in a certain discreet period of time, feeling a sense of loss of control, as if you can't control your eating or stop and then a host of criteria - that several have to be met - such as eating in secret, eating until uncomfortably full, and feeling negative about it during or after the eating episode," said Dr. Jay Ashmore, clinical psychologist.

There is a difference between unhealthy eating habits and an eating disorder, but both can cause significant and lasting damage. If you or someone you love is suffering from either of these problems, contact an eating disorder treatment expert to evaluate the problem and determine the best course of action.

Labels: research, women, unhealthy eating

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Most people choose vegetarianism or veganism for a variety of genuine reasons. Some, for example, have a philosophical problem with eating animals. Others cite nutritional benefits.

But for some, these dietary regimens are covers for eating disorders.

“When she was just 13, [Jill] became a vegetarian, in part for philosophical reasons, but mainly as an excuse to avoid her mom’s New Orleans-style chicken-fried steak and jambalaya. As she forged a career in yoga instruction, she further restricted her diet by going vegan, all the while struggling with an eating disorder that she kept under wraps.” [Source: The Daily Beast]

The veganism gave Jill an excuse to restrict her food intake, and it would be more than 15 years before she acknowledged the damage she was doing and started to change her eating habits.

Medical professionals who help treat eating disorder patients say there are a disproportionate number of vegans and vegetarians among them, as compared to the rest of the population. Parents are encouraged to be cautious and observant if a child suddenly announces that he or she is becoming a vegetarian or vegan.

Labels: unhealthy eating, vegetarians

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