Eating Disorders: Transition Into Adolescents

1) Colleen Thompson, an expert on eating disorders, explains, “Many teenagers need a role model and someone to look up to. Unfortunately, too many of them choose fashion models or actresses as role models, they paste picture of them all over their rooms, and some will resort to dangerous methods of weight control to try and look like their idols.” (J1)

Eating disorders in children, like in adults, are generally viewed as a multi-determined syndrome with a variety of interacting factors, biological, psychological, familial and socio-cultural. It is important to recognize that each factor plays a role in predisposing, precipitating, or perpetuating the problem.

Adolescence is a developmental stage, which is not defined merely by age. Some may even argue that many young adults with eating disorders are still in the midst of addressing the challenges of adolescence and indeed adolescent developmental difficulties have been thought to underlie the etiology of anorexia nervosa in particular. The essential features of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are consistent across the age spectrum – in terms of characteristic behaviors (dieting, bingeing, purging), specific psycho- pathology (over-evaluation of the self in terms of weight and shape) and non-specific features (low self-esteem, perfectionism, poor interpersonal confidence) (American Psychological Association, 2000). Much of the literature reports combined adolescent and adult case series without separate analysis. This makes it difficult to pinpoint exactly what differences are between children and adults as well as have an understanding of the developmental

Anorexia nervosa as stated in the Webster dictionary is a voluntary weight loss of at least twenty-five percent of body weight. The dramatic change in thinness may lead to other health problems such as cessation of menstruation. Another popular eating disorder is bulimia. Bulimia, as stated in the Webster dictionary, is an eating disorder characterized by binges, purges with laxatives, and self-induced vomiting. Some people have alternating patterns of the two problems. A prolonged period of either eating disorder can result in serious health problems or in severe cases death. In today’s society more and more adolescence feel the pressure to be perfect, to be thin. Anorexia and bulimia is the leading types of disorders that adolescences face.

Disordered eating can consist of anorexia, nervosa and bulimia. The images of being thin portrayed by media can result in teenagers feeling depressed, anxious and incline in self-worth. These feelings can then lead to depression, low self-esteem and anxiety, causing teenagers to lose self-worth.

Girls are indoctrinated at a very young age that the well known Barbie doll is how a woman is supposed to look, which includes no fat, but large breasts, and due to that false view of a woman’s body, it is more than likely that young girls today will approach puberty with a negative body image. Although children can develop eating disorders as early as 6 years old, it is typically the teen years where it becomes out of control. Dr. Jonathon Rader says that “more than half of teenaged girls are, or think they should be, on diets. They want to lose all or some of the forty pounds that females naturally gain between 8 and 14. About three percent of these teens go too far, becoming anorexic or bulimic” (Rader). Almost everyone has heard of the terms “anorexic” and “bulimic” whether it was on TV or in a magazine, but not many people know the true facts and dangers that go along with them. They also might not even realize that there are other types of eating disorders that people are dealing with, some of which are not even specified. Exactly what are eating disorders?

Eating disorders are mental illnesses that affect more than 7 million American women and usually develop in girls ages 12-25. The most common age for a girl to begin having an eating disorder is 17 years old (Discovery Health?). The National Eating Disorders Association states that eating disorders are conditions that arise from factors including physical, psychological, interpersonal, and social issues. Media images help define cultural definitions of beauty and attractiveness and are often acknowledged as one of the factors that contribute to the rise of eating disorders (NEDA). It is evident that the media influences teenage girls to develop eating disorders based on these reasons: the

An eating disorder is an illness that involves an unhealthy feeling about the food we eat. “Eating disorders affect 5-10 millions Americans and 70 million individuals worldwide” (www.eatingdisorderinfo.org 1). They also affect many people from women, men, children, from all ages and different races. People who have eating disorders usually see themselves as being fat when they really aren’t. This usually deals with women or teenage girls mostly. They watch television, movies, read articles in magazines, and see pictures of the celebrities whom they want to be like because they have the “ideal body” that everyone wants and craves for. The media makes us all think we need those types of bodies to be happy with ourselves, be more successful

Eating disorders: noun. A group of psychological ailments characterized by intense fear of becoming obese, distorted body image, and prolonged food refusal (anorexia nervosa) and/or binge eating followed by purging through induced vomiting, heavy exercise, or use of laxatives (bulimia nervosa).These ailments are not pretty. In this society, where only the fit and thin bodies are accepted and appreciated, eating disorders are more common than they should be. Children, starting at a young age, see skinny people on television and in magazines. They hear comments on how their bodies look, then hear the same people turn around and make nasty comments on someone else’s figure. This is not okay, because it is teaching young people that anything

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

This research task is based on the prevalence of eating disorders amongst teenage girls in our School amongst the ages of 15-18. This is a valid topic as being a teenage female in an all-girls school; it is a very easily relatable topic. I am interested to find out about the prevalence of eating disorders in my school and ultimately in helping the girls who are suffering from a disorder and are not getting the sufficient help that is needed when one if suffering from Bulimia or Anorexia Nervosa.

Eating disorders, a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits is a growing problem. The three most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, and Bulimia Nervosa. Eating disorders currently affect 25 million Americans. (allianceforeatingdisordes.com) Children under 12 who were hospitalized for an eating disorder increased by 119% between 1999 and 2006 (Fox News). While males are affected by eating disorders, 75% of people affected are female. One group of the population that is largely affected are teenage girls.

Eating disorders in children and teens cause serious changes in their health. Eating disorders are characteristics and cause by eating behaviors, also people with this disorder use eating, purging or restructuring with their issues. Eating disorders is divided into three parts as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, etc (Eating Disorders,n.d.).Eating disorders can overlap between and alternate of anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders around the adolescence, but it can also start in childhood. Girls with bulimia nervosa fall within their normal range of body weight, but to them some girls feel that they are overweight. Almost 25 percent of females have bulimia in their lifetime. There are many celebrities who suffer from eating disorders while coming up in Hollywood or currently battling the disorder. Like, former pop singer/ performer Lady Gaga struggled with bulimia and anorexia while beginning her career. Another singer name Kesha, has recently been treated for an unspecified eating disorder (n.d.). Karen Carpenter, a former singer, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 32, for years she suffer from severe anorexia. Another singer name Demi Lovato, has become one of the most outspoken about her mental issues within her eating disorder (n.d.). Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne and former ‘The Talk’ host, Sharon has struggled with bulimia for over 30 years. Another famous daytime talk show host, Oprah Winfrey is a sufferer of disordered eating.

Adolescence is a period of transition, a period in which body image is an important factor to them. Having a good nutrition is crucial to support the growth of youth and to establish healthy eating habits. What people eat affects how they look, how they feel, and how they can get sick, even to the point of dying. In the period of Adolescence, Ages 11 to about 20, body image is important to them, how people see them and how they look. Many people do not know what an eating disorder is, and they do not even know what it can do to someone. Some eating disorders that can affect the physical self of a teenager are obesity, binge eating, anorexia, and bulimia nervosa. Eating disorders affect millions of teens around the world, they are most common in a culture whose focus is on weight and body image, and can affect male or females, races, and ethnic backgrounds.

Eating is a basic survival behavior. To many people eating is a way of life, brining families together, creating relationships and bonds between people and is an expression of feelings and emotions. But there are negative aspects to food as well, such as obesity and other eating disorders. Eating disorders are very dehabilitating and misunderstood disorders that affect an unbelievable amount of the population; they not only put strain on the body, but also on the mind, and often the families of those with an eating disorder. There is a wider range of eating disorders in childhood and adolescence than is commonly realized, and these are frequently either not recognized or misdiagnosed. With children as early as age seven showing