Threats to Girlhood
Threats to Girlhood
50% of 11 to 13 year old girls identify themselves as overweight.86 95% of eating disorders are diagnosed in girls between the ages of 12 and 25.87 80% of 13 year old girls have made attempts to lose weight.88 pressure to look good.”89
94% of girls aged 14 and 15 report being burdened by “too much pressure to look good”.89 Obesity is the number one health challenge plaguing US children.90 26% of Canadian children, a total of 1.6 million children, are overweight or obese91 22% of children in Spain are over weight or obese.92 1 in every 3 children in the UK is overweight by their final year in primary school (elementary school).93 86 South Carolina Department of Mental Health, “Eating Disorder Statistics.” http:// www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm 87 South Carolina Department of Mental Health, “Eating Disorder Statistics.” http:// www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm 88 South Carolina Department of Mental Health, “Eating Disorder Statistics.” http:// www.state.sc.us/dmh/anorexia/statistics.htm 89 Womack, Sarah. “The Best Years of Our Lives? We don’t Think So.” The Telegraph. February 24, 2005. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1484278/The-best-years-ofour-lives-We-dont-think-so.html 90 Dunlevy, Robert. “Healthy children must be our goal”. The Charleston Gazette. Charleston, W.V.: Jun 15, 2009. pg. A.4. 91 Childhood Obesity Foundation. “Welcome.” http://www.childhoodobesityfoundation. ca/ 92 Epode European Network. “THAO in Spain.” http://www.epode-european-network. com/en/epode-in-europe-detail/103.html 93 NHS. “Nearly one in three Year 6 pupils are overweight or obese, says new report.” The Information Centre for Health and Social Care, December 10 2009. http://www. 21
4 year old girls in Sweden are six times more likely then they were 20 years ago to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30.94 10 year old girls in Sweden are five times more likely then they were 20 years ago to have a Body Mass Index (BMI) of more than 30.95 30% to 40% of children born after 2000 in the United States are at risk of developing diabetes during the course of their lifetimes.96 ncer.97
Overweight girls are more likely to become obese women, a statistically relevant predictor of breast cancer.98
Childhood obesity can cause early onset of pubertal development, a risk factor for adult breast cancer.97 Obese girls have an increased risk of developing asthma.99 ic.nhs.uk/news-and-events/press-office/press-releases/nearly-one-in-three-year-6-pupilsare-overweight-or-obese-says-new-report 94 Holmbäck, Ulf; Fridman, Jennifer; Gustafsson, Jan; Proos, Lemm; Sundelin, Claes; and Anders Forslund. “Childhood obesity on the up in Sweden especially in girls.” April 17, 2007. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Childhood-obesity-on-the-upin-Sweden-especially-in-girls 95 Holmbäck, Ulf; Fridman, Jennifer; Gustafsson, Jan; Proos, Lemm; Sundelin, Claes; and Anders Forslund. “Childhood obesity on the up in Sweden especially in girls.” April 17, 2007. http://www.foodnavigator.com/Science-Nutrition/Childhood-obesity-on-the-upin-Sweden-especially-in-girls 96 Dunlevy, Robert. “Healthy children must be our goal.” The Charleston Gazette. Charleston, W.V.: Jun 15, 2009. pg. A.4. 97 Yen, Irene. “Neighborhoods and Obesity in Pre-adolescent Girls: Part II.” http://www. cbcrp.org/RESEARCH/PageGrant.asp?grant_id=5304 98 Yen, Irene. “Neighborhoods and Obesity in Pre-adolescent Girls: Part II.” http://www. cbcrp.org/RESEARCH/PageGrant.asp? grant_id=5304 99 Hitti, Miranda. “Obesity Raises Girls’ Risk of Asthma; Excess Weight Causes 1 in 4 Asthma Cases in Girls and Young Women.” WebMD Health News. Mar. 1, 2005. http:// 22