Anorexia And Bulimia Research Paper

Bulimia is a disorder centered around an individual’s obsession with food and weight. This obsession involves eating large quantities of food, feeling guilty about the food consumption, and taking drastic measures to prevent caloric/fat absorption. Measures vary with each individual and include one or all of the following: forced vomiting, abuse of laxatives or diuretics, or excessive exercise. This disease affects one to three percent of adolescent and young women in the United States, and bulimic behaviors are displayed by ten to twenty percent of adolescent and young women in the United States (http://dcs.engr.widener.edu/galla/gal la.htm).

Anorexia Nervosa is the condition when an individual abstains from food in order to lose weight or prevent more weight gain. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV(DSM-IV) there are four aspects of criteria to be diagnosed with anorexia: a refusal to maintain weight above what is minimally normal for one’s age and height, and extreme fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and (in females) having amenorrhea(missing three or more consecutive menstrual cycles.)(DSM-IV, 2000:589) Anorexia not only affects weight, but also alters bone growth, neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, and electrolytes.

Bulimia, on the other hand, is characterized by the refusal of the patient to maintain a body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for their age or height. This stems from an intense fear of weight gain. Although the exact cause of bulimia is unknown, there are many possible factors that could play a role in bulimia’s development such as biology, societal expectations, and emotional health. Just as anorexia can be divided into two categories, bulimia can be classified as either purging or non-purging. Purging incorporates regularly self-inducing vomit while a non-purging patent will use other methods to rid themselves of calories such as fasting (Mayo Clinic). In contrast to anorexia, a person suffering from bulimia is usually not underweight. In fact, many people with bulimia are overweight or obese

Doctors annually diagnose millions of Americans with eating disorders. Of those diagnosed, ninety percent are women. Most of these women have one of the two most common types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (National Council on Eating Disorders, 2004). People with anorexia nervosa experience heart muscle shrinkage along with slow and irregular heartbeats and eventually heart failure. Along with their heart, their kidney, digestive system and muscles often fail them. The mortality rate of anorexia is twenty percent, which is the highest of any psychiatric disorder. People with bulimia nervosa experience erosion of their teeth, irritation and rips in their throat, stomach,

Since the body does not recieve enough nurishment, many anorexics suffer from severe medical complications. Anorexia Nervosa is the mental illness with the highest mortality rate (“Health”). The systems human bodies feel unimportant, hair and nail growth, reproductive system, and others not vital surviving begin to shut down. Body muscle is lost from the lack of food intake. The heart muscle takes a big impact. Often victims of anorexia suffer from a slow or irregular heartbeat. The weakened heart will eventually slow down and not be able to function anymore, resulting in death (Caseiro, D). The reproductive system also shuts down; when this happens, there is a chance early menopause will occur. Osteoperosis, or the loss of bone density, is also a common side-effect (University). The health consiquences of anorexia nervosa are all threatening to the lives of

“Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by self-starvation to avoid obesity. People with this disorder believe they are overweight, even when their bodies become grotesquely distorted by malnourishment.” (Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia)

Excessive, rigid exercise regimen despite weather, fatigue, illness, or injury, and the compulsive need to “burn off” calories taken in. Also, unusual swelling of the cheeks or jaw area, calluses on the back of the hands and knuckles from self-induced vomiting, and discoloration or staining of the teeth can be seen due to vomiting. The National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders say symptoms of bulimia nervosa include, binge eating. Purging, following a binge, an individual may feel consume with fear, guilt or shame and the need to try to undo his or her behavior. Purging is a way to compensate for binging. Purge behaviors come in many forms: vomiting, taking laxatives or water pills, starving or excessive exercise. And body image, self-evaluation and self-esteem are overly influenced by weight and shape. One in five young women report of having bulimia nervosa (Matthews 27). Bulimia nervosa affects one to two percent of adolescent and young adult women (NEDA). Four percent of college-aged women have bulimia (Matthews 33). Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are female

Bulimics show severe behavioral signs. They eat uncontrollably and have strict dieting plans for themselves. They use the bathroom frequently after meals and do extreme exercises to

Each year millions of people in the United States are affected by serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders. The vast majorities are adolescents and young adult women. Approximately one percent of adolescent girls develops anorexia nervosa, a dangerous condition in which they can literally starve themselves to death. Another two to three percent develop bulimia nervosa, a destructive pattern of excessive overeating followed by vomiting or other " purging " behaviors to control their weight. These eating disorders also occur in men and older women, but much less frequently. The consequences of eating disorders can be severe. For example, one in ten anorexia nervosa leads to death from starvation, cardiac arrest, or

Behavioral symptoms of anorexia may include attempts to lose weight by, Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting, Exercising excessively, Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of food, which may include the use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products, Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them, Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat, Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating, Eating only a few certain "safe" foods, usually those low in fat and calories, Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals, such as spitting food out after chewing, Not wanting to eat in public, Lying about how much food has been eaten, Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body, Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws, Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that are fat, Covering up in layers of clothing, Flat mood (lack of emotion), Social withdrawal, Irritability, Insomnia, Reduced interest in

Our bodies are naturally designed to maintain a normal body weight. Three examples of an eating disorder are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa is a lack or loss of appetite for food; an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. Anorexia was identified and named in the 1870’s, when it appeared among affluent adolescent girls. A too-fat body image underlies anorexia. Bulimia nervosa is insatiable overeating as a medical condition, in particular. It is an emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of extreme overeating followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or

When a person has Anorexia they may be 1001bs and feel as if they weigh 200lbs. There is little to none food intake leading to dramatic weight loss. This disorder includes intense fear of weight gain, obsession with weight. One may continually limit calorie intake and carbs. Self-esteem overly related to body image. Anorexia can affect people of all ages, genders, sexual orientations, races, and ethnicities. Anorexia can be very difficult to overcome. But with treatment, you can gain a better sense of who you are, return to healthier eating habits and reverse some of anorexia's serious

Bulimia, also called bulimia nervosa, is when a person eats over 2,000 calories and tries to find methods to avoid gaining weight. This chronic illness is very life- threatening because it is putting the body at harm. When a person is Bulimic, they stress/ binge eat. After they try to vomit, excessive exercise, laxative use, fasting, and a combination of these methods just so they don’t gain weight. Both genders suffer from this disorder, but it is found that it occurs in woman more. There are two types of bulimia. There is purging which is when individuals vomit, use laxatives, and diuretics after binging. The other type is non-purging which is when individuals use inappropriate methods such as excessive exercising or fasting (Amanda De Cadenet).

Anorexia is often associated with bulimia nervosa. Bulimia is an eating disorder where one eats a large quantity of food and feels shameful and guilty so they try to get rid of the food consumed through vomiting, purging, or fasting. 5% of women who are bulimic are also diabetic. Among 50 women who are bulimic control their weight 100% by vomiting, 95% by dieting, 85% excessive dieting, and many other ways. (table 1)

Is the lack of a fully nutritious diet, Anorexia Nervosa is also a medical condition