This paper explores the various reasons many
celebrities and athletes develop eating
disorders such as anorexia and bulimia.
The writer of this paper contends that although the causes for anorexia and bulimia are the same for
celebrities as everyone else, celebrities are more prone to eating
disorders due to intense pressure from the media to aspire to "perfection." The public's attitude towards female celebrities is defined by the media, which puts enormous pressure on celebrities to achieve and maintain an unattainable look. This paper examines the eating disorders of several celebrities including Paula Abdul, Karen Carpenter and Calista Flockhart. This paper also contains a brief yet concise overview of anorexia and bulimia, which includes the symptoms, causes and treatments for these disorders.