Bulimia Is The Silent Killer Essay

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Three of the most discussed are anorexia, bulimia, and what researchers call EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). Each of the eating disorders can be fatal in their own way. What are the signs, what do they do to you and your body, and what can be done to treat the problem? Researchers have studied long and hard into these three disorders so that those questions could be answered to the best of their ability. In this paper, the outcomes of the research that was done and the thesis

Image is very crucial for a teenager; the pressure of school and fitting in with there classmates and friends can be very difficult for a teenager. It is when a teenager starts taking image to the extreme and starts harming themselves by starving themselves. More and more teenagers are becoming anorexic and bulimic and it is not only affecting girls but boys are starting to come out and say they have an eating disorder. Anorexia and bulimia is a disorder that can not be taken lightly and needs to have more focus and the dangers to be taught to youth.

Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25).

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

Donna, who suffered from bulimia for 13 years, refuses to have social media in order to protect herself. She was in an online discussion forum in high school where people compared their weights, binged together and helped one another avoid eating which affected her so greatly that it drives her to stay away from social media because she doesn’t want to compare anymore. There is social media pages very much like that discussion forum that Donna was in that motivate those who suffer to get worse by saying things like “Pretty girls don’t eat” and “skip dinner, be thinner” on the pictures they post. There always has been “Pro-ana” (pro anorexia) and “Pro-mia” (pro bulimia) websites but social media has given those type of sites a global platform where they can share their ideas and photographs to support the self-destructive behaviors that they treat as a lifestyle choice, instead of as the serious mental illness it is. The constant stream of images of we are exposed to cause eating disorders to thrive. One study shows that the more time teenage girls spend on facebook heighten the likeliness of them developing an eating disorder. These websites and social media pages may cause triggers but they are never the sole cause of someone’s eating disorder. There is also very many testimonies of recovery on social media that could have a positive effect on someone’s eating disorder as well, but it's

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.

Bulimia has cost the lives of many around the world, but it still does not seem to stop spreading its influence. This type of eating disorder shares similar emotional triggers found in those suffering from anorexia and excess fasting. “This illness is associated with premorbid perfectionism, introversion, poor peer relations, and low self-esteem.” (Garfinkel) Of course, these characteristics are a direct result of the person’s environment. As stated by Pigott once she got back home from her trip to Africa, “ I reverted to my natural state: one of yearning to be slimmer and more fit than I was. My freedom had been temporary. I was home, where fat is feared and despised.” (Pigott, C., pg.93) Bulimia, unlike anorexia, is characterized by a person binge-eating, or consuming a large amount of food in a short time lapse, but then “purging” themselves by either “self-inducing vomiting, taking enemas, or abusing laxatives or other medications.” (“The Eating Disorder Foundation”) This eating disorder is known to cause depression, kidney damage, dental damage, and anxiety disorders if left untreated. (“The Eating Disorder Foundation”) Despite its devastating effects, bulimia cases worldwide are increasing rapidly, showing the public’s ignorance in choosing to conform with the norm rather than taking care of themselves.

Development of Anorexia and Bulimia Anorexia and Bulimia are two very complex conditions that have been around for quite a while, however both anorexia and bulimia amongst other eating disorders are becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society. There has been extensive press and media coverage on conditions related to eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia are two of the most common eating disorders or two of the most prevalent eating disorders around. Conditions relating to eating disorders more than fifty or so years ago were virtually unheard of, this could be due to a number of reasons.

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.

Still, the vast majority are adolescents and young adults. Approximately one percent of adolescent girls develop anorexia nervosa, and dangerous conditions where they will literally starve themselves to death. (National Eating Disorders Info Centre 1) Warning signs of anorexia nervosa include the following: dramatic weight loss, refusal of eating certain foods, frequent comments about being or feeling fat, denial of hunger, constant excuses to avoid meal time, and withdrawal from usual friends or activities. ( National Eating Disorders Association 2) With bulimia a person will binge food and then force themselves to vomit. They also use laxatives to get the food out of their systems. Between eighty and ninety-five percent of bulimics are women.

There are many psychological effects of bulimia on the people who are suffering from it. They tend to feel unwanted, having difficulty in maintaining relationships, irritability, can’t eat with others, withdrawal from daily life activities, stress, depression etc. (Your Bulimia Recovery, 2011). One of the major drawbacks of being a bulimic is the loneliness you feel. Therefore, communities play a major role in positive or negative health outcomes. Disorganized communities, poor health services, no family support and poverty are related to poor health outcomes (Clark, 2001). It can also damage a person’s mental, physical and emotional health and can also affects his/her self-esteem and confidence (Neda Feeding Hope, 2015). The patients suffering

Fully describe the condition called bulimia. In your answers include the physical effects and behavioural signs/ symptoms ?

Bulimia Nervosa has a negative affect on your health like Anorexia Nervosa. Self-soothing with food may cause the individual to become overweight. Individuals with Bulimia Nervosa associate food as the only thing that provides them comfort. The individual with Bulimia Nervosa will purge the food to get their weight under control. Individuals that suffer from Bulimia Nervosa often have self-esteem issues because of constantly keeping their eating disorder a secret.

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

Over time, it can lead to death. This is the major disadvantage of bulimia—the health risk of every individual. However, some people do not know this disadvantage. They thought that bulimia is good and effective that’s why they will influence others. And because our world today is concerned about weight, non-bulimics are easily influenced just to meet the standards of the society. They will also try this kind of diet to be slim. The society will face a great disorder because of the bad effects of bulimia. Bulimia can have a bad impact on business. A healthy society is a wealthy nation. But because bulimia can destroy one’s health, people will have a difficulty in their jobs. Unhealthy persons cannot work productively and sufficiently. If this happens, it will result to the downfall of the business, which later on affects the economy of the country. This may be in a long-term effect but in due time this can happen. Lastly, the major affected is the family of the bulimic person. The emotional and financial problem they are undertaking makes it hard for them to go on with life. It is difficult for them to see a family member suffering from the bad effects of bulimia. In addition, bulimia is not just a physical problem but a psychological dilemma too. Treatment can be a combination of medical and psychological approaches. Treating a bulimic person can take a lot of time and money. It is a burden for the family