Eating Disorders : Eating Disorder

Eating disorders are a very serious psychological condition that affects your mind so that you are more focused on your food and weight than you are on everything else. The most known and most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder; however, these are not the only eating disorders. Eating disorders cause psychical and psychological problems, which at their worst can even become life threating. Statistics show that more women are affected by eating disorders, but men none the less can still be affected. “Age (most common from teens to early twenties), Family history (hereditary), emotional disorders (people with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder are at a great chance), transitions (moving, heading to college, or anything that can bring emotional distress), and sports (ballerinas, gymnasts, runners, and wrestlers are at a higher risk) also can play a role in who is being affected by an eating disorder” (Eating Disorders).

There is an estimated eight million Americans that have an eating disorder, seven million of them are women and one million are men (MDH). There are three common types of eating disorders anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Anorexia nervous which is mostly called anorexia, is an eating disorder generalized by extremely low body weight, fear of gaining weight, and a distorted self-image of their body’s (WebMD). With anorexia nervosa people will limit the amount of food they consume, and try to control their food intake by vomiting after they eat, using laxatives, or enemas, and by exercising an excessive amount. With bulimia when the person will eat enormous amount of food then try to emesis the food up or try to exercise to get rid of the calories they just consumed.

An eating disorder is an illness that causes serious disturbances to your everyday diet, such as eating extremely small amounts of food or severely overeating. A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger amount of food, but as some point, the urge to eat less or more has gotten out of control. Severe distress or concern about body weight or shape may also signal an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and a binge-eating disorder. Eating disorders do not discriminate on whom it may affect. Everyone is susceptible to the life altering disease. Men and women, straight or gay, old or young, black or white, all are able to be a victim. Media is more commonly known to push for the practices of an eating disorder. We live in a society that reinforces the idea to be happy and successful we must be thin. Today, you cannot read a magazine or newspaper, turn on the television, listen to the radio, or shop at the mall without being blatantly or subconsciously given the message that fat is bad. Eating disordered behavior can be seen as a defense mechanism, in many cases a way to express something that the individual has not found another way to express. Much like how alcoholics depend on alcohol, individuals with eating disorders like bulimia or compulsive overeating syndrome us binging or purging as a way of coping with emotions and feelings that they cannot control.

So what exactly is an eating disorder and what kind of behaviors are characteristic of them? According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an eating disorder is simply described as an illness that results in serious disturbances to a person’s daily diet and eating patterns. However, eating disorders are much more complex than that and can “arise from a combination of long-standing behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal, and social factors” (Eating Disorders on the College Campus). Eating disorders are serious illnesses and have the highest mortality rate of all

Eating disorders are serious disorders that can be life damaging. Eating disorders affect five percent of women and one percent of men in the United States. Reports show that five to ten percent of women who have an eating disorder will die within ten years of having the disease. People need to be taught to be more aware of the dangerous effects of eating disorders.

There are different types of eating disorders such as Bulimia and Anorexia. Anorexia is a lack or loss in appetite while Bulimia is more of an emotional disorder.

There are many different types of eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Bulimia is a life threatening cycle of binge eating and then self-induced purging, vomiting or taking laxatives, to compensate for the effects of the overeating. Too many times, a combination of internal and external factors play a role in the development of these disorders.

There are many different kinds of eating disorders. There is Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating

An eating disorder is a physiological illness that involves excessive eating habits. The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia

Most people experience concerns about their weight or body shape at one time or another; however, an eating disorder is a complex psychological disorder which modifies a person's eating habits and does not represent normal issues with food (Becker, Grinspoon, Klibanski, & Herzog, 1999). Typically these disorders involve eating extremely small amounts of food, no food at all, or overeating severely. An eating disorder may begin as a desire for weight loss or physical attractiveness but somehow in some people this desire gets out of control. A person who develops an eating disorder may have started by eating smaller or larger amounts of food, but then the urge to eat more or eat less became uncontrollable at some point. Marked distress or over concern about one's weight or body shape also often typifies an eating disorder (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2011). Most eating disorders develop during the teens or during early adulthood; however, these disorders can develop between childhood up through later adulthood (Sadock & Sadock, 2007). Each year millions of people are affected by varying types of eating disorders, many of whom go untreated. In certain cases these disorders can become life-threatening. The major eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge-eating (compulsive eating), and pica. These disorders affect people from different age groups, social economic statuses (SES), adults, and children (American Psychiatric

Eating disorders are a sickness that can come from psychological issues and it can disrupt the everyday diet. “A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger amounts of food, but at some point, the urge to eat less or more spiraled out of control.” The common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is when someone see’s themselves as an overweight person, so they watch what they eat since, they have a fear of becoming overweight. The disorder takes over them and their focus is to avoid becoming overweight. Bulimia nervosa is when someone eats large amounts of food at one time and not being able to control how much they take in. “Researchers are finding that eating disorders are caused by a complex interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors.”

When one thinks of the topic “eating disorders” the image of a very sickly looking and thin women comes to mind. Yet, eating disorders come in all ranges affecting both males and females. Anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder are three diagnostic categories, anorexia and bulimia being the most common. These disorders include extreme emotional and behavioral problems surrounding food and weight issues. Eating disorders are very dangerous and can be life threatening.

Eating Disorders are illnesses that are obtained by irregular eating habits. This can affect how an individual sees him or himself. How much or how little an individual eats can damage his or her body. The most common forms of eating disorders are:Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Eating disorders can affect both genders from any age group however children and adolescents are mainly targeted. Eating disorders are labeled as a medical illness and can be treated. Although eating disorders can be treated, this illness if not treated over a long period of time can lead to death. Eating disorders can go hand to hand with other illness such as: anxiety, depression, and or substance abuse.

Did you know millions of people are affected by eating disorders? Well if you did not know, eating disorders are a mental illness and a physical illness in one. There are many young people struggling in the world with these disorders. “Statistics show that twenty-four million people of all ages and gender are suffering from eating disorders; 47% of girls want to lose weight because of media, but they fail to consider the number of eating disorders that comes from other aspects in life” (Renfew Center Foundation ANAD) Based on cast studies and articles there are a lot of things that contributes to eating disorders including abuse, peer pressure, media and depression. Eating disorders are also very dangerous and harmful to your body.

Eating disorders plagues the lives of many people mentally and physically. Eating Disorders are very common in the United States. More than eight million American men and women including children and adults suffer from eating disorders. There is more than one type of eating disorder. The following eating disorders are the most common ones found in the United States and other countries worldwide: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating disorder. There are many factors that contributes to eating disorders and the treatments being done to help people who are suffering from eating disorders.