Suzanne Abraham and Derek Llewellyn-Jones

In the following viewpoint, Suzanne Abraham and Derek Llewellyn-Jones explain why eating disorders are prevalent among adolescent girls. During adolescence, girls typically gain weight. Meanwhile, they are highly susceptible to cultural messages emphasizing thinness as a desirable physical characteristic. In their attempt to achieve an ideal body image, the authors write, many teenage girls turn to dangerous methods of weight control, which puts them at risk of developing an eating disorder. Abraham and Llewellyn- Jones, both of whom work in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Sydney, are authors of the book Eating Disorders: The Facts, from which this viewpoint is excerpted.

As you read, consider the following questions:

1. According to the authors, what is “the adolescent girl’s dilemma”"

2. How do...