Bulimia Nervosa Dying To Be Thin Analysis

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

The documentary “Dying to be Thin” is about women that suffer from eating disorders and their success stories of how they overcame their disorders. All of the major eating disorders are covered through out the film, which include: Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-eating disorder. These are all represented through real life examples presented in the film. I felt many emotions while watching this film.

Shelly, Polly, Brittany, and Alisa all suffer from anorexia. Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body weight. People with anorexia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with activities in their lives. To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia tends to severely restrict the amount of food intake. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics, or enemas. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively. Some people with anorexia binge and purge, similar to individuals who have bulimia nervosa. However, people with anorexia generally struggle with an abnormally low body weight, while individuals with bulimia typically are normal to above normal weight. No matter how weight loss is achieved, the person with anorexia has an intense fear of gaining weight. All the women in the video were purging.

I watched the documentary Dying to be Thin, which aired on PBS, it followed the lives of young women who have struggled with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. There were many thoughts which raced through my mind. After having watched Dying to be Thin I read the articles Anorexia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? By Lucy Serpell, Janet Treasure, John Teasdale, and Victoria Sullivan. I also had read Bulimia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? The Pros and Cons of Bulimia Nervosa by Lucy Serpell and Janet Treasure. What first captured my attention was when the narrator of the documentary spoke about a young woman Heidi Gunther. The narrator stated that Heidi Gunther died at age 22 due to her heart giving out, which was caused by an eating disorder. I think about this and I think about how her body no longer had enough nutrition for her to live. This made me think about what other women said in the documentary. Katy Tracey said that an eating disorder is “love, glory, power”. These are powerful words. If a young woman is saying that an eating disorder is having love, having glory, and having power then what else is left? It sounded like what the deeper meaning behind those words are would be that that an eating disorder consumes the person who has it until there is nothing left. It is interesting to look at anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and dissect them more closely. From what I have learned from the articles bulimia nervosa has “Two positive themes (BN allowing the

Dying To Be Thin, Anorexia: Friend or Foe?, and Bulimia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? The Pros and Cons of Bulimia Nervosa discuss the eating disorders anorexia nervosa (AN) and bulimia nervosa (BN). Each is valuable to the clinician because they explore the attitudes, both pro and con, of those afflicted with eating disorders.

In the video Dying to be Thin there are many factors, biological (such as brain chemicals) and non-biological (such as modern media), which are mentioned as contributors to why and how people develop eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. In any society there are views, such as the want and need to be thin, which are subtly forced onto the public through media; specifically in the modern society that humans currently live in, the media and advertising which are constantly shown to the public have a profound effect on viewers as the media creates unrealistic expectations of what our bodies are supposed to look like and therefore body dissatisfaction (Smolak & Levine, 1996). Most forms of media also sell idealistic transformation ideas by making the viewer’s believe that they can turn into their role model if they change their eating behaviour by eating less, dieting more, etc. (Ritsko, 2000).

In the film Dying to Be Thin, Anorexia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder are mainly discussed. Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is commonly found in ballet dancers, usually their weight is 15% below their ideal weight (McPhee, 2000). These dancers strive to be thin because their careers depend on it, Katy Tracy, a ballerina, describes that she received better roles and was treated better by her teachers when she was anorexic thin. Ballerinas are not the only group that suffer from AN and other eating disorders, young girls are also developing eating disorders in order to be model thin. The film presents the case of Erin, a 14 year old in treatment at the DePaul-Tulane’s Eating Disorders Unit.

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.

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

The two most common eating disorders are bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Both disorders, primarily affect young women, therefore the majority of the research on eating disorders has been done with women subjects. The onset of bulimia is between adolescence and early adulthood while the onset of anorexia is between early and late adolescence. Not only is the onset different but the disorders are unique. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by loss of control over eating which leads to food binges. These episodes are interspersed with episodes of purging, such as vomiting or laxative abuse, to keep weight down. The goal of anorexia is also to keep weight down , but to a

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are eating disorders that severely affect both men and women around the world. The cause of the eating disorder usually derives from psychological, biological and social forces. Eating disorders have become an epidemic in American society, twenty-four million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the U.S. (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders.\, 2011). There are many ways to address and treat an eating disorder. There have been multiple studies conducted to test the effectiveness of different types of treatment. My central research question analyzes the relationship between the continuation of the eating disorder with the presence of intervention or some

This article is about the effects of therapy on patients that have Bulimia and are going through Bulimia abstinence. The study was done on about 150 patients to see if there where similarities in purging and eating habits. The study shoed that there where similarities between the different groups of people when it came to bulimia habits. I personally thought that this article was lacking in details and specificity.

Negative body image can result in horrible eating disorders that are very unhealthy. Bulimia is a result, when one is self conscious about weight and purges food. It can also lead to a routine. This disorder can be

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.

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