Barbara Fleming, coordinator of the National Eating Disorders Organization in Tulsa, says she used to see eating disorders primarily in young college-age girls, but now it's not uncommon to see anorexia or bulimia in middle school or even elementary school girls (C). The age at which the disorders begin is increasingly lower, which shows that even younger girls are being influenced to change themselves to become more "perfect" as the media conveys. These feelings can begin as young as 3-5 years old. Experts have found that even some children's toys, such as GI Joe and Barbie, have unrealistic proportions (A). Toys are made to look better visually and fit what people want to see, but it's not even possible to make them. The toys are supposed to represent people, but the body proportions are not the same as a person, and the dolls have changed over the years to fit the modern style. Researchers at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine examined the attitudes and preferences of preschoolers. Their studies showed that 91% of children would prefer the thin doll over a thicker doll. Even the overweight children mostly chose the skinny doll (B). The desire for a certain body image begins to influence younger ages, but the desire to act on those feelings increases with age. While younger children may feel that there is a certain body image that is right, they do not take their reaction to the same extremes as teenagers. McCarthy states that when teenage girls have a poor body image, it leads them to diet, which in itself leads to powerlessness and depression (B). Girls already go through hormonal swings and feel insecure, and the influence of the media makes these things worse