Not surprisingly, Attie and Brooks-Gunn claim that a disturbed body image is one of the main precursors of eating disorders and dieting among adolescents and young adults (as cited in Serdar, n.d.). Additionally, Striegel-Moore and Franko argue that the importance of dieting and unhealthy eating habits has become an increasingly widespread concern among adolescents and young adults; Research has shown that about two-thirds of adolescent girls report dieting at some point (as cited in Serdar, n.d.). What's even more surprising is the growing number of girls who feel pressured to restrict their diet at a dangerously young age, while their bodies are still developing. Hoffman states that “while 42% of girls in first through third grade want to be thinner, a staggering 80% of girls have dieted before they reach the age of ten” (2004). Concerns about the development of eating disorders are a particularly vital issue, as such patterns have been shown to be a major predictor of clinical eating disorders. “Research suggests that strict dieting aimed at achieving an ideal figure often plays a key role in triggering eating disorders, which affect 5 to 10 million American girls and women” (Hoffmann, 2004). The first signs of bulimia and anorexia nervosa appear in surprisingly young girls. “According to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, up to 10 in 100 young women suffer from an eating disorder” (Hoffmann, 2004). Additionally, approximately 5% of adolescent girls meet criteria for bulimia nervosa (Morris & Katzman, 2003). The appearance of eating disorders among female students is even more surprising. “One in five college students suffers from an eating disorder and one in three exhibits borderline eating disorder behavior” (Hoffmann, 2004). The prevalence of eating disorders in America poses a serious problem