Eating Disorders Essay

Around 10-15% of all Americans suffer from an eating disorder. “More than 7 million women suffer from an eating disorder whereas only one million men suffer from an eating disorder” (Mirasol). In modern society, we are surrounded by media and images. Both men and women struggle to meet the expectations set forth in magazines, websites, and on television. The pressure to imitate the ideal body can lead many down unhealthy paths. Teens today face a lot more challenges which leads them to illnesses like Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge eating. Although there are a lot of similarities in this disease, the differences can also affect people differently, which means different treatments are required.

To be diagnosed with eating disorder, someone must meet certain criteria. The criterion for diagnosis slightly varies depending on if you are referring to people who (A) fear gaining weight, and have significant weight loss,(B) eating a huge amount of food , then use laxative to remove the binged food, (C) the use of excessive exercise and fasting in order to remove or to reduce the amount of calories consumed, and (D) distorted body image, no matter how thin they become, they still see themselves as fat, or not thin enough. The onset of of symptoms begins usually in early adolescence with the diagnostic of disturbed Body image.

Anorexia nervosa is starving oneself, sometimes even to death, because of a personal believe that one is unattractive or unlovable. People with anorexia have a six fold increase in mortality rates compared to people who aren’t. And many of the deaths are sudden due to irregular heartbeats or coma induced by low blood sugar. Bulimia nervosa is eating and then Vomiting soon afterward or using a laxative to get rid of food in order to avoid weight gain. About 1 to 3 percent of adolescents and college aged women have bulimia. Binge eating disorder involves binge eating but not purging afterwords. About 3.5 percent of all women have this disorder, and it is more common in obese people.

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.

According to NEDA anorexia is the “intense fear of weight gain,” which leads to starving oneself to the point of malnutrition ("Types & Symptoms of Eating Disorders”). Bulimia is when a person continually consumes large amounts of food, followed by purging or excessive working out to eliminate the chance of weight gain. Binge eating is similar to bulimia, both consume large amounts, but binge eaters do this and then eat nothing for a while. Their eating patterns go from enormous amounts of food to nothing and back again (“Types & Symptoms of Eating Disorders”). Public awareness about all these eating disorders has been spread, some doctors preach eating right and working out, but few people listen to or act on the doctors words. Eating disorders have become a major problem in American and we need a solution soon.

There are many things that people think of when the words eating disorders are said. Many people do not know what an eating disorder actually is and what actually happenes when you have an eating disorder or how to detect a eating disorder. There are many types of eating disorders but they all have one thing in common, phsycological disorders. The main types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Bindge eating but are not limited to these. The main focus in theses eating disorders are food. Many eating disorder patients have problems with self body issues and/or self confidence. There are many problems with these eating disorders and it is a huge problem in the country today. This paper will tell you what a eating

Sports are a factor that can lead to eating disorders. Gymnasts and dancers must maintain a smaller frame than most people are required to. But, there are many other sports where athletes develop eating disorders from trying to stay in shape. Some examples of these sports are track, swimming, cross-country, and youth football, with the addition of a few others. In order to maintain the same weight, people with eating disorders eat less and exercise more. Another problem that causes someone to develop an eating disorder would be a professional or career that promotes being thin and losing weight, such as

Young girls are more easily attained to anorexia and said to be more influenced by an obsession of appearance and thinness. Due to fashion icons, friends and self esteem. Young boys who engage in sports where weight is a main concern and has limits, also may be compelled to restrict food intake to make “the weight.” Eating disorders are a series of emotional and physical addictions. They show conditions of food obsession, weight appearance to where it affects their job, daily routine and relationships. Causes can be mood swings, physical, and mental problems. Aswell, as death(eatingdisorderfoundation,n,p) Eating disorders has affected about 10 million females in the U.S of all ages(eatingdisorderfoundation,n,p). Whether a person restricts food intake, binges, abuses laxatives, excessively exercises or overeats, they often develop a dangerous impulsive and self destructive behavior that leads to psychological damage. THe Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality published results proving that children under 12 years of age with an eating disorder doubled between 1999 and now. It is an obvious yeary growing issue that must be

According to Golisano Children’s Hospital, “Anorexia nervosa often begins as simple dieting to "get in shape" or to "eat healthier" but progresses to extreme and unhealthy weight loss.” This is significant because it shows that people might just start working out and it seems normal because they’re just trying to get into shape. However, when that person starts working out every single day, and not eating as much food, they may have started to have an eating disorder. Anorexia may be easier to define on someone because of what they look like. However, with Bulimia it is harder to tell if someone has this eating disorder. For example, when someone is bulimic, the people that are around that person may just see someone who was on a diet and then just gave up. Yet, that person may end up being bulimic. If someone has scars on their knuckles or hands, it could be a sign of them being

It is highly likely that you personally know or know of someone who has been affected by this disorder. The specific disorder that is being referred to in this paper, an eating disorder, is Anorexia Nervosa, the restricting type. An eating disorder “involve[s] disordered eating behaviors and maladaptive ways of controlling body weight” (Nevid, Rathus, & Greene, 2014, p. 335). Another well-known eating disorder is Bulimia Nervosa which is characterized by binging and purging (Nevid, Rathus, & Greene, 2014, p. 338). Bulimia is different than anorexia since victims of bulimia are often normal weight while anorexia victims are well below the average weight.

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).

Many people think that bulimia and anorexia are very similar, which is entirely untrue. Anorexia is a mental condition where the victim has an extreme fear of gaining weight. They also perceive themselves as a lot more unhealthy and physically bigger than they actually are. This can make them lose all of their self-worth, says NEDC. According to the same source, it is also widely accepted that anorexia is more commonly diagnosed in females, but recent studies suggest that it is equal in both genders.Unlike anorexia, bulimics still eat. They eat a lot more, though. Bulimics will often binge and purge. When they binge they eat a lot of food. According to bulimia.com, they usually eat more than 1000 calories in a very short amount of time. They will then purge it. Purging is when someone uses laxatives, drugs, or other techniques to throw up right after binging. The goal with bulimia more often is to maintain a weight, but the methods they use end up hurting them in the long run, we can get to that later, though. As you can see they are very different. They both end in deadly effects,

In US today, over 30 million men, women, and children suffer from an eating disorder. The most common eating disorders are; Anorexia, Binge eating, and Bulimia. Why do people resort to something so life threatening? Many people are turning towards eating disorders because they don’t accept who they are. Eating disorders are a mental illness that can have dangerous effects on the human body, and several people are involved in this bad habit.

According to Fairburn and Cooper, “More than 50% of cases in the community fall into the category termed eating disorder not otherwise specified (or atypical)” (107). Eating disorders are developed by college athletes often. College athletes are under the care of what is known as the, The National Collegiate Athletic Association, NCAA, which is the governing body for intercollegiate sports and are in charge of student athletes inside their sport and also outside their sport, such as academics, and are the rule makers. The NCAA controls numerous things but most importantly medical conditions in athletes, including eating disorders. There are many factors that contribute to the development of eating disorders. According to Kirk, Ginger, Kusum Singh, and Hildy Getz, “The most frequent commonalities found in individuals with eating disorders include a high drive to achieve, perfectionism, low self-awareness, enmeshed or dysfunctional families-of-origin, and self-worth linked to external validation” (122). Eating disorders can be developed by

Anorexia is a loss or a lack of appetite for food. Bulimia is over eating and can follow with vomiting or fasting. Bulimia comes with a lot of emotional issues too. Some people refer to Anorexia and bulimia as “women diseases.” These two medical conditions are more commonly seen in women, but that does not mean men do not suffer greatly. Research was taken and they found these cases affected seven million women and only one million men. It is actually a fact it is more dangerous for men to develop an eating disorder than women. The reason for this is because men will get down to the lowest weight and begin to lose valuable muscle and tissues. This is different than just losing fat.