According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders, 91 percent of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting, and 22 percent dieted "often" or "always."

There are many types of eating disorders, but anorexia, bulimia and binge eating seem to be the most common. In fact, statistics say that anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.

Anorexia can start at any age. For me it started in fourth grade. I am now 21 years old, and I can still remember the first time I ever thought about my weight. I was out on the playground for recess and a boy said to me, "You are so fat, you would eat a styrofoam tray." Now I don't blame this boy for my having developed an eating disorder, I mean we were 10 years old. If someone came up to me now and said that to me I'd probably just laugh and say "What does that even mean?" Nonetheless, I was 10 and didn't really stop to think about that as being a nonsense joke. I remember sitting at my desk next to my friend later that day, turning to her and asking her if she thought I was fat. She didn't.

As a 10-year-old, I didn't understand what anorexia was, I thought it was when someone was just naturally really thin. I remember my aunt holding a barbie doll up to me and saying that if she was a real human she would be anorexic and that I never wanted to be that. At the time, I loved food, so I scoffed at the idea and said "Don't worry, I'll never be anorexic." Little did I know that in four years, I would be fighting that exact illness for my life.

Fast-forward to the present day, and I have been "recovered" for about seven years. By recovered I mean I have had no relapses in my illness and have stayed at a healthy weight and in a healthy state of mind. With that being said, I still live with my eating disorder every day. I have thoughts about not eating or thinking I'm fat, and I compare myself to other girls. I have learned not to express these thoughts out loud though, as most people don't understand anorexia. It's not just about food and not eating or exercising. It's so much more than that. The thoughts of not being good enough consume you for hours, and then days, until it's all you can think about. Then you turn to restricting food and over-exercising because you can control that. You turn perfection into a number, and then you try to achieve that on the scale. It's an obsession, it's addicting, but it doesn't have to define who you are. Eating disorders don't have to run your life, you're more than a number.

If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, contact ANAD at their helpline (630) 577-1330. The helpline operates 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday.