Obsession over body image has become a big trend over the last few years, and eating disorders are a common side effect.

Hollywood’s influence may not be helping much. Celebrities--young and old, having what seem to be perfect bodies on the cover of every magazine--exert a great influence, especially on young females.

Young stars have a big impact on young women because the stars are seen as role models. Little girls watch their every move and want to be just like them.

“Lindsay Lohan and Hilary Duff, for example, lost so much weight this last year and then they dress and look so much older than they are. All of a sudden, little girls are trying to look older and thinner like them,” said Diane Martinez, a sophomore Oceanography major at Palo Alto.

Studies from the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine indicate that eating disorders start as young as 6 years old.

“With adolescents being so self conscience, these images from Hollywood teach them to have lower values of what their bodies should look like,” said Annette Henke, mother of five and a senior Psychology major at Palo Alto.

Teenage girls are easily influenced by each other, family and the entertainment industry.

“I mean at the time Britney Spears was really in and looking great and, of course, we all wanted to look like that, but what made me start to look at myself and want to change was actually my coach in high school. She made a joke about my stomach when I had my shirt tucked up a little, and I was completely mortified, and that’s how it started,” said Jennifer Knight, a recovered bulimic.

Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge-eating followed by purging. Bulimia is more common with college girls who are likely dealing with more outside pressures, such as gaining the freshman 15, an extra 15 pounds during their first year of college.

Warning signs of an eating disorder are when a person starts to show secretive and hidden behavior, like disappearing to the bathroom after each meal to vomit. Most feel guilty about vomiting after they eat, and don’t want anyone to know. It is estimated that approximately 30 to 50 percent of bulimics also abuse alcohol or drugs, according to Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine. The number is much lower among anorexics, who tend to control what calories go into their body.

Along with bulimia and anorexia, compulsive exercising and diet pills are also dangerous. Diet pills can start a dependency and speed up your heart rate, which can lead to heart problems. Other inappropriate methods of weight control include vomiting, fasting, enemas, and excessive use of laxatives.

Adults need to remember how influenced these young girls are and how they can help prepare their kids for this body image pressure. Online support for those with eating disorders is available at www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.

“Parents need to focus on self-esteem and self-identity early on with their children,” said Henke. “If children have these two qualities and if values are instilled early on, even the media interpretation of beauty will be easier for an adolescent to handle,” said Henke.