In a survey of freshman girls at Lincoln two years ago, Burhoe found 20 percent of them were either unhappy with their bodies, had dieted or experimented with eating disorders. Those were just the ones willing to complete the survey. The ethnic breakdown of Burhoe's survey supported the traditional stereotype. Charlene West, Kristen's counselor at Sierra, estimates seven of every 10 girls have dieted or toyed with bulimia or anorexia. West, who once ran a self-esteem and body image group at John R. Williams school, said roughly half the girls she now counsels are unhappy with how they look.
Girls sometimes binge and purge in groups.
Kristen didn't eat at restaurants, telling friends she'd had a big lunch or had no money. She dismissed the dark rings under her eyes as a lack of sleep. You see all these really pretty freshman girls. You just never feel like you're good enough. I look back at pictures and see how disgusting I look.