Bulimia In America

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

There are many types of eating disorders but the one of the most commonly known one are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. People who suffer from anorexia are underweight due to deprivation of food and people who suffer from bulimia eat excessive amounts of food then purge all of that food via self-induced vomiting or laxatives. Sufferers from anorexia and bulimia experience emotional and physical problems which can lead to a detriment to their health. Though both diseases are different, sufferers of anorexia and bulimia both have low self-esteem. The reason why I find this disease worth looking into because the results of both of these diseases can be be highly dangerous; either leaving permanent damage to the body or damages that are difficult to reverse.

Anorexia is an eating disorder and a mental health condition which can be life-threatening. Anorexia is an irrational fear of gaining weight, it typically involves excessive weight loss and usually occurs more in females than in males.

An equally disruptive eating disorder that has been seen in increasing numbers in recent years is Bulimia. About two percent of American women are affected by this disorder. Bulimia is characterized by a distinctive binging and purging cycle. Individuals with this disorder will often times consume large amounts of food, and the immediate throw it back up. These binging and purging actions have substantial medical risks. Additionally, some individuals consume large amounts of food and then proceed to exercise for exorbitant amounts of time. This can also be a risk to ones wellbeing. Other characteristics associated with Bulimia include the abuse of laxatives and diuretics. Individuals with this disease often times completely lose control over their dietary habits. The massive highs and lows cause emotional instability. The mood swings that

Bulimia has many symptoms. Bulimics have a preoccupation with food and are usually secretive about their addiction to food. A bulimic’s self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight. Bulimics suffer from internal bleeding, including gastric ulcers due to trauma from forceful vomiting. Bulimics have tooth and gum decay caused by stomach acids. They also have swollen salivary glands, and broken blood vessels in their eyes, as a result of self-induced vomiting. Bulimics are typically high achievers.

In this report I have chosen to investigate bulimia and describe the variety of services available and how they support someone suffering from this condition. People who have bulimia try to control their weight by severely restricting the amount of food they eat, then binge eating and purging the food from their body by making themselves vomit or using laxatives. Therefore this can make the individual severely sick and depressed. There are a range of services available for help and support for someone who suffers from bulimia.

According to NEDA anorexia is the “intense fear of weight gain,” which leads to starving oneself to the point of malnutrition ("Types & Symptoms of Eating Disorders”). Bulimia is when a person continually consumes large amounts of food, followed by purging or excessive working out to eliminate the chance of weight gain. Binge eating is similar to bulimia, both consume large amounts, but binge eaters do this and then eat nothing for a while. Their eating patterns go from enormous amounts of food to nothing and back again (“Types & Symptoms of Eating Disorders”). Public awareness about all these eating disorders has been spread, some doctors preach eating right and working out, but few people listen to or act on the doctors words. Eating disorders have become a major problem in American and we need a solution soon.

The woman in this video meets the DSM 5 criteria for bulimia. She engages in binges for 6-10 hours where she will go to multiple restaurants to eat or binge at home where it is common for bulimics to consume 3,400 to even 10,000 calories per episode. Bulimics also engage in compensatory behaviors in order to relieve the uncomfortable feelings of fullness and reduce anxiety attached to binge eating. This patient engages in these compensatory behaviors by vomiting in order to undo the effects of a binge. Lastly, a bulimic pattern will begin after a time of dieting. This woman said her bulimia began after one of her diets ended. She felt happy when she vomited because it helped her to maintain the weight she had struggled to lose.

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).

There is no single cause for bulimia nervosa. However, there are many risk factors that contribute to this problem, including low self-esteem and concerns about weight. Other risk factors include genetic factors like being a female (80% of bulimia patients are female), age (often begins in the mid-teens or early adulthood), psychological and emotional issues (decreased self-esteem, impulsive behavior, depression, negative body image), social pressure during teen years and performance pressure in sports (particularly common among athletes such as gymnastics, ballet dancers and runners) (Edelstein, Haskew, Kramer, 2009). Parents need to identify possible factors that place the adolescent at risk for bulimia nervosa and be aware of any changes that may indicate the presence of an eating disorder.

symptoms but some of the primary ones are: intake of large amounts of food followed by a sense of loss of control over eating behavior. Bulimics make their selves throw up, fast, and become obsessive to exercise at all times. People with bulimia have an extreme concern with their weight, and body shape. Research has shown that people with bulimia have a chemical imbalance in the brain that affects their behavior. Another cause of bulimia may have to do with genetics. Sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and other events such as being rape can cause someone to lead to bulimia. Bulimics have problem with their bodies and they fear gaining weight so they respond by making their self-throw up.

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia are two separate disorders, but share many commonalities and differences. Both of these eating disorders have biological and psychological consequences which can motivate the development of eating disorders. Three is a no adaptive perception of one’s body shape and it is evident that people suffering from both anorexia and bulimia believe they weigh too much, regardless of their actual weight and appearance.

Anorexia is a can be a scary and stressful disorder on the patient and family members. Anorexia is an emotional disorder that is defined by an obsession to lose weight or refusing to eat. When compared to other mental disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rates due to cardiac arrest or suicide (Smith). This is a serious disease that can be difficult to treat.

The underlying common cause of both anorexia and bulimia is low self-esteem. Since society, today, emphasizes the necessity of having a perfect body people with these disorders begin to perceive themselves as being imperfect and make drastic changes in their eating habits. Apart from this there are some more common causes such as depression and emotional, physical, verbal or sexual abuse.

Bulimics often like to hide food and is very good at it. They like to eat alone or away from people. Another symptom is “disappearing after meals” to go vomit or gag themselves, “bulimics patients will often wait around 1 or 2 hours after eating”. “using laxatives” is also another symptom for another symptom for bulimia. Bulimic patients use laxatives to have serious bowel movements, this is very dangerous to and for the body. Therefore bulimia patients will just do about anything to themselves for them to look a certain way or to be a certain size.