Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

Eating disorders arise for many reasons, mainly physical, psychological and social issues and require professional attention as soon as possible (Life Span Development 2010).

Many people, both women and men of all ages, suffer from the psychological disorder, eating. Up to thirty million people in the world suffer from some kind of an eating disorder. There a two types of eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, and have several methods of treatment.

When you think of the words “eating disorders”, you automatically picture someone who is thin. This is partly true because people who suffer from anorexia or bulimia are relatively thin, but what you did not know is that there is also an eating disorder that affects mostly those who are obese and it is called binge eating. Eating disorders are any of several psychological disorders characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior (Merriam Webster, 2014), the best-known eating disorders are bulimia nervosa, binge eating and anorexia nervosa (Yancey, 1999). Not only do eating disorders have the highest mortality rate than any other mental illnesses, but it is estimated that in the U.S. twenty-four million

There are so many statistics regarding eating disorders. In general, there are about 30 million men and women who have some type of eating disorder and only about 1 out of 10 men and women will receive some treatment for their disorder. Because of this, it is no surprise that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of all the mental illnesses (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, 2015). The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and

Eating disorders have been around for well over a century, and affect tons of people around your neighborhood, town, county, state, or even country that walk, talk, and act just like you. The two big dogs of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, which affect young boys and girls alike that cannot control their feelings when it comes to food. Some decide that food is not their thing, which is known as anorexia; and, some people have a love/hate relationship with food, better known as bulimia. Both of these disorders have consequences and are tough to give up without help from a responsible adult. The two dominate unhealthy eating disorders, anorexia and bulimia, are vastly spreading, predominately damaging young women across the nation.

“Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health, “… anorexia nervosa has a higher mortality rate than any other cause of death among females between ages 15 and 24” (Zhao, Encinosa 1). An eating disorder is a psychological illness distinguished by a disturbance in eating habits. Along with having a physical and mental effect on an individual, some cases of eating disorders end fatally. The well-known eating disorders include anorexia nervosa- self-starvation to achieve thinness; bulimia nervosa- vomiting to prevent weight gain; and binge eating disorder- uncontrollable eating habits leading to weight gain. According to the National Institute of Mental Health,

Eating Disorders in the United States is a disorder that is difficult to determine from a bystanders point of view, if someone is eating very little or a lot, most people would just assume that they are not hungry or they are very hungry. “In the United States, 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life” (National Eating Disorder Association , n.d.), and many more citizens have a less severe cases that has not been diagnosed. The recognized eating disorders are Binge Eating Disorder, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorders (OSFED), even though each disorder can destroy what a human once was not one disorder is worse than the other.

When the term eating disorders comes to mind, the first disorder that pops up in one’s head is anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Although these two eating disorders consist of symptoms that are very similar to each other, their health risks are really what makes them different. Both of these are common eating disorders in the world. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, they state that approximately eight million people in the United States suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or even some type of related disorder. In our society today, people are willing to do anything over the extremes to achieve perfection in their physical appearance.

Other times, the person who develops the eating disorder has been bullied or have been through and emotional crisis and they need they might take their anger out on themselves. They then may try to control their lives by controlling what they eat, but they end up losing control and getting lost in the eating disorder.

Eating disorders do not only have to do with food and weight. There is a deeper meaning behind the illness that include self-hate, sadness, and the feeling of being completely alone. “Studies suggest that up to 24 million people in the U.S. have, or have had an eating disorder. 90 percent of those are females between ages 12-25.” (Allman 2010) Females are not the only ones that deal with eating disorders males can develop them as well. Eating disorders are seriously abnormal patterns that are also considered to be both psychiatric and a medical illnesses that affect ones physical health. A psychiatric disorder have to do with emotion and mental problems that affect how someone thinks and feels so they behave in

At least “every 62 minutes someone dies” as a direct result from suffering an eating disorder (“EDC 1”). Eating disorders like binge eating, Bulimia, and Anorexia, include strange behaviors when it comes to food.Eating disorders affects their mentality, and how the person visually looks like. Some eating disorders are caused by stress which eventually ends up leading to depression. Many eating disorders are caused because of how the media glorifies them. In all the magazines all the women are extremely thin which causes many women and young adults to get Bulimia, Anorexia or any other types of eating disorders.There is a good percentage of people which are in denial about their eating disorder, because they don

A large amount of research has been done on the subject of eating disorders and their causes. Many eating disorders have proven to emerge during a young age and often serve as the foundations to more serious problems like depression and even death. Although there are no real solutions to eating disorders taking various medicines can help improve it, also going to therapy can help. Many people think eating disorders are not important, but they are very important. Eight million of American population suffers from eating disorders (seven million women, one million men). There are over ten types of eating disorders from anorexia to rumination. The affect this has on women is becoming a dramatic increase and what is being done is not enough.

Eating disorders are serious emotional and physical problems. People do not think that eating disorders have to do with self-esteem, but body

People who suffer from an eating disorder are sometimes or to be fair always get the attention of media. That’s simply because such diseases are hard or difficult to be treated and they get to be a big point of interest and they receive the research attention. So what are eating disorders? And what are the symptoms and signs of an eating disorder? Well, an eating disorder is a definite disturbance of eating habits or weight-control behavior and it’s not a secondary due to any disorder. Over the past decades studies showed that eating disorders are frequent in women than men. Moreover, an eating disorder could result in a psychological, mental, and physical dysfunctions and disabilities. Just like diabetes, eating disorders are classified

Eating disorders are known between males and females throughout the history. It is no secret that they affect people of all ages and genders. One of the most well known eating disorders is Anorexia Nervosa.