Fat phobia is a leading cause of anorexia, and 81% of ten-year-old girls fear becoming fat. A body image complex is a very serious mental problem that is becoming more and more important in today's society. The media should not be able to show just one “perfect” view of the female body. Media influence has a negative effect on eating disorders and ideal body image, and causes models to harm themselves in the process. Eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, are very unique and complex mental disorders. They cannot be reduced to a single cause, such as the influence of the media (Goldring). However, many statistics show that the media significantly affects girls, especially young people. As the third most common illness among adolescents, anorexia should not be taken lightly. According to the National Association on Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders, 86% of college students experience the onset of an eating disorder before the age of twenty. Among these students, 43% say they began developing the illness between the ages of sixteen and twenty (“eating disorders”). Suffering from an eating disorder, especially in young people, can cause serious and irreversible damage to many vital organs: anorexia can cause infertility and heart problems. In fact, 20% of women suffering from anorexia die prematurely as a result of their disorder, including heart or organ failure, malnutrition or suicide (“Eating Disorders”). Women intentionally harm themselves, usually knowing what the consequences might be, in order to be accepted as "beautiful." As eating disorders become more prominent in society, what the media shows to impressionable young women (and men) should be censored. Instead, pop culture constantly depicts a body that is "naturally possessed by only 5% of ...... middle of paper ...... should make no more effort to control what it looks like." is acceptable to look like in society. Quoted “Eating Disorder Statistics”. anad.org. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders, nd Web. January 20, 2014. Goldring, Megan and Steven Lopez, Ph.D. “The Cultural Implications of Eating Disorders: A Comparative Study Between Argentina and the United States.” scf.usc.edu. University of Southern California, May 26. 2013. Internet. January 20, 2014.Hardy, Leah. “A big (and very dangerous) lie: Former Cosmo editor-in-chief lifts the lid on airbrushing skinny models to look healthy.” dailymail.co.uk. Courier en ligne, May 20. 2012. Internet. January 20, 2014. McIvor, Sarey Martin. “PHOTOSHOPPING OUR SOULS AWAY.” cherimagazine.org. Darling Magazine, November 1, 2011. Web. January 20, 2014. “Modeling and Talent.” newyork.bbb.org. BBB of Metropolitan New York, nd Web. January 30. 2014.