"The Truth About Eating Disorders" is not a formal piece. The author talks from personal experience about how people view themselves. In the program she was put in, she had to eat with Eva, another girl with eating disorders. The author was comparing herself to Eva: her stomach, her chest, her cheeks.  There are approximately 30 million people in the United States who suffer from an eating disorder. Many teenagers, especially girls, are part of the 30 million. They choose salad over pizza; some throw up or refuse to eat, which starves their body of nourishment. The author understands them because she used to think in the same way.
     Parents and teachers say there is natural beauty inside of us. However, many clothing companies make it clear they don't want fat, obese kids wearing their products. More and more people are developing eating disorders and companies still want their products to be worn by skinny people. At the author's worst point of her eating disorder, she looked up eating disorders to try to understand herself. All she found was doctors explaining the medical side and celebrities having eating disorders and losing weight.
     I can't really connect in same way with the author because I don't have an eating disorder, but I do criticize myself. Even people without the disorder do criticize themselves. Many, including me, compare themselves to colleagues, friends, family, or teachers who are much slimmer than they are. We think comparing ourselves doesn't make us stop eating, sometimes it does. However, constantly critiquing yourself damages you confidence. Everyday, you question yourself. Does this shirt make me look fat? Do boys like me when I am skinny? Am I skinny enough?