In humanity, food is the biggest asset of human survival. The reasoning is, it provides people (as well as other animals) with energy, essential nutrients and healthy growth development. But, in the western society alone 30 million people suffer from eating disorders throughout their life time. There are all different types of eating disorders but, but one of the most common is Bulimia Nervosa. Bulimia Nervosa is a very chronic eating disorder that can also be life threating. According to J.D outlettes, who is a respected educator, advocate, as well as a mother who has a daughter who is a recovering Anorexic. She states on Mirrormirror.org, “Bulimia statistics tell us that the lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa in the United States is 1.5%in women and0.5% in men. This translates to approximate 4.7 million females and 1.5 million males who will have their lives threatened by this potentially deadly disorder.” Bulimia can potentially be life threatening because a person who is suffering will excessively eat in one sitting( which is commonly known as binging)and then will force themselves to throw up(which is commonly known as purging) or take products that will make them have fast or constant bowel movements or in some cases they also try excessive exercising. With this being the case, it can cause a person to get very physically ill. The main reason is because, they are addicted or self-medicating themselves because they have emotional issues that are not solved and use
Bulimia nervosa, also called bulimia is a possible life threating eating disorder. A person that suffers from bulimia may secretly binge their food. They may eat large amount of food and then purge their food to get rid of the additional calories that they’ve digested. Bulimia is categorized in two ways, purging bulimia and non-purging bulimia. Purging bulimia is when a person regularly self-induces vomiting after eating. Non-purging bulimia is when an individual may use other methods to try to prevent weight gain, such as fasting, extreme dieting, or overly exercising.
Bulimia nervosa is a second eating disorder that needs attention drawn to it. Bulimia was pretty much unknown before the mid 1970’s (Dippel, N. & Becknal, K., 1987). Bulimia consists of binging and purging (eating as much as possible and then throwing it up). In a study that was conducted it was found that after bulimics had attempted several diets without success, they then became aware of vomiting or laxatives as a means to weight loss (Herzog, 1982). The symptoms of bulimia heave to do with preoccupations with food, weight, body image, and ridding themselves of ingested food (Dippel, N. & Becknal, K., 1987). Most people throw up because they feel guilty for consuming all the foods they know they shouldn’t have. They vomit not only to get rid of the food but to get rid of any unwanted feelings and emotions. Most patients begin purging approximately 1 year after the binge eating has started. As scary as the facts may sound, what is even scarier is the affects
Nowadays, when people emphasis more and more on healthy lifestyles, both exercise and food intake have become a big part of the consideration. With the goals of being fit and losing weight, some people eat irregularly or do not eat at all. As a result, eating disorders seem more often on news and reports. However, some people still view it as a joke. With the increasing number of people diagnosed with eating disorders, people should raise awareness on the effects of eating disorders and treat them seriously.
Eating disorders are in no way, to be considered “no big deal”. It affects the lives of many poor unsuspecting human beings and in some cases, fatally takes lives. This topic presents many things that most people don’t know. Such as the fact that bulimia nervosa has similar symptoms to using the drug heroin! Rotten teeth, pale and dry skin, and even failing organs are usually signs that someone may have bulimia. There are always key signs and factors to recognizing an eating disorder. Eating disorders are serious. We all should be aware of the affect it has on an individual, and if anyone knows or sees a person struggling with an eating disorder, outreaching and a simple hand in the right direction can save a life. Eating disorders get in the mind of an individual, then ruin the body, then finally ruin the mind.
Eating Disorders affect over ninety percent of our population today. Yearly, they affect around nine million adults alone. Since it has such a widespread grasp it makes eating disorders the most silent killer of all psychological diseases. The psychological distortion behind it though is considered to be one of the most shrouded in mystery compared to other diseases rooted in mental instability.
After reading, “Anorexia Nervosa: Friend or Foe?” by Serpell et. al., in 1998, “Bulimia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? The Pros and Cons of Bulimia Nervosa,” by Serpell and Treasure in 2001, and viewing the documentary, Dying to be Thin, from PBS in 2000, I found several significant points within this research. Specifically, AN is the deadliest of all psychiatric disorders and the most difficult psychiatric illness to treat. As mentioned in the video Dying to be Thin, while detection as well as treatment are critical for individuals suffering from AN and other eating disorders, the potential related health risks may be serious as well as irreversible, including osteoporosis, cardiac arrest, and amenorrhea leading to infertility as well significant
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating as well as by self-induced vomiting and/or laxative abuse (Mitchell, 1986). Episodes of overeating typically alternate with attempts to diet, although the eating habits of bulimics and their methods of weight control vary (Fairburn et al., 1986). The majority of bulimics have a body weight within the normal range for their height, build, and age, and yet possess intense and prominent concerns about their shape and weight (Fairburn et al., 1986). Individuals with bulimia nervosa are aware that they have an eating problem, and therefore are often eager to receive help. The most common approach to
Eating disorders especially bulimia serves as coping mechanisms among women in response to traumas, stress, sexual abuse, poverty, racism etc. The prevention and treatment of bulimia pertains to patient’s access to health services and economic stability. There is high financial cost of treatment and prevention of bulimia that restricts people living in underserved areas, below poverty line and with low income (Reed, 2015). Hunger and starvation kills more people worldwide due to poverty and lack of availability of food in developed nations. It is important to maintain food security because food insecurity for longer periods of time can led to poor food consumption and nutrition. People who don’t have access to food or have limited food options may adopt maladaptive behaviors and may act aggressively or anxiously around food and in turn will develop eating disorders like bulimia. It is not possible to change their socio-economic status, their environment or situations, however, it is important to spread awareness about the various eating disorders like bulimia. It is a mental illness and more treatment options should be explored (Karges,
An eating disorder is an obsessive collection of interrelated behaviors directed towards persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact one’s health, emotions, and ability to function in important areas of life. These compulsive practices and attitudes about food, weight and body shape, manifest into deep psychological fears and an incessant need for control. Some common features of eating disorders include an irrational fear of fat, dissatisfaction with one 's body often coupled with a distorted perception of body shape, unhealthy weight management and extreme food intake. This disordered eating behavior is usually an effort to solve a variety of emotional difficulties about which the individual feels out of control. Males and females of all social and economic classes, races and intelligence levels can develop an eating disorder (Perfect). There are currently three main types of eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Each one as dangerous as the next, but yet heavily overlooked and/or misunderstood in society today (Perfect); A review of nearly fifty years of research confirms that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011).
Eating disorders take the lives of millions of teenagers and adults each year, recently becoming the highest mortality rate of any mental illness – but why? Choosing not to eat appears to be a problem with an obvious solution; how could so many Americans be suffering from something that could easily be avoided? The answer is simple — eating disorders are not weight-loss plans gone wrong; they are serious illnesses that pose great health risks. Simply skipping meals does not begin to describe the different aspects of this disease. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and binge eating are only a few of the many types of eating disorders that effect millions of individuals each year. In most cases, the victims of these illnesses have extremely low self-confidence and view themselves as overweight, regardless of their actual size. Researchers and scientists have gathered different statistics on the causes of abnormal eating habits. While there is no obvious or direct motive, these dietary issues can be the result of
Somewhere across the globe there are children waking up with empty stomachs, scavenging for any scrap of food they can find. For some people in America though, ironically enough, there are those who purposefully do not eat, or push back up what they have eaten. Women and men in the American society are influenced by a beauty ideal so powerful that has taken peoples lives through starvation, despite being surrounded by food. This phenomenon is known as bulimia. Bulimia, as defined by the Merriam Webster dictionary, is “a serious eating disorder … characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed
Like anorexia nervosa people with bulimia nervosa fear gaining weight, desperately want to lose weight and are unhappy with their body. People with bulimia nervosa tend to be a normal weight or even under weight, which makes bulimia nervosa hard to detect. There are, however, warning signs of bulimia nervosa that include weights fluctuations, over-exercise, sneaking of food, unhealthy skin hair and nails (Self Image media Influences). If left untreated, bulimia nervosa can lead to serious and even life-threatening problems, such as depression, anxiety disorders, heart damage, kidney damage, injury to all parts of the digestive system, and severe dental damage (About Eating Disorders). People with bulimia nervosa can develop dangerous behaviors such as alcohol and/or drug abuse, sexual longing, cutting or self-mutilation, and kleptomania, which is the urge to steal even if you have no need for it.
Eating disorders are extremely harmful and rising in prevalence. . The two most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. In this essay, I will compare and contrast these two disorders. This essay will also assess the symptoms, causes, health affects and the most prevalent characteristics of people diagnosed with these two eating disorders.
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
Bulimia nervosa is a terrible disorder that affects many Americans each year. It's a troubling psychological disorder which is often shrouded in mystery. There are a lot of myths out there about bulimia, and in order to help people who struggle with it, it's important to understand what's true and what isn't. Here are some of the most common misconceptions about the illness.