The Anxiety Of Eating Disorders

Samantha Callahan, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Danielle Patrick, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Sara Roderick, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University; Kahla Stygar, Department of Psychology, Lindenwood University.

My current view on food is that it creates a sense of comfort and fulfillment, yet this was not always the case. During my teenage years I struggled with an ongoing eating disorder. During that time I viewed food as a threat, or an enemy. As part of my recovery process, I was given a task to make friends with food. I first approached this task with a closed mind, finding a wrong with every meal I ate. My view changed completely when my friends took me out to a vegan diner for a burger and sweet potato fries meal.

Eating disorders affect millions of men and women every day. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are three main types of eating disorders that can have detrimental consequences on the human body. These eating disorders not only deteriorate one’s body, but also eradicate the mind. “Inherent to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are a plethora of medical complications which correlate with the severity of weight loss or the frequency and mode of purging” (Mehler, 2015).

"Why dissallow the trendy images of women from being plastered ubiquitously?" one may ask. Banning this perception of women, unhealthily thin, will save the women of this great nation from eating disorders. Our women will be more confident in their own skin and not feel as pressured to live up to this image. We, as people of this land, see this problem but choose not to do anything. The medical care for people with eating disorders is inadequit, and too expensive, as it is. With girls and women trying so hard today, to look like what the media portrays, it is no wonder that our country's health is in a downward spiral. Trying to live up to these unreal expectations can result in anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating.

Eating disorders are becoming more common in the Modern Era. Millions of people all across the U.S. are being diagnosed with an eating disorder. Each eating disorder that an individual can be diagnosed with has different characteristics. When questioning if someone has an eating disorder, the individual typically begins to eat differently than usual if even at all and cares more about their appearance and body weight. There are different stages to one’s illness that determines the severity that the illness has on an individual. The DSM-5 has found the “anorexia nervosa is a mental and physical disease that was recognized in France in the 19th century, usurped for England by Queen Victoria’s physician and subsequently

If a provider has a suspicion of an eating disorder or weight problem in an adolescent patient, then a discussion must take place to prevent future complications that can arise from being underweight. Unfortunately, adolescents who develop an eating disorder are likely to continue the practices into young adulthood and possibly beyond (Brauser, 2011). Due to this outcome, it makes it ever more vital that providers bring the weight issue out into the open so reasons for the patient participating in the abnormal eating behaviors can be found, and then solutions developed to help the adolescent with their weight. Anorexia and bulimia are the primary eating disorders of concern, and they are complex conditions that are very difficult to treat and are associated with significant medical and mental health comorbidities (Burns, Dunn, Brady, Starr, Blosser, 2013). Not only will the provider need to talk with the adolescent, but the parent of the child should be involved, as well, so there can be continual support at home if an eating disorder is discovered.

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.

However, treatments are available for helping with eating disorders, but unfortunately, there is no cure. Eating disorders are prevalent and can only be cured by the individual. According to Treasure J, “Practice recommendations emphasize the importance of specialized care for the treatment of eating disorders, but such care is not often accessible” (587). I believe that raising awareness for eating disorders will help prevent the spreading and increasing of eating disorders. Many people are not intelligent when it comes to eating disorders and they all have different presumptions about this disorder. Eating disorders do not seem like a huge impact to people around the world but in reality, “Eating Disorders affect up to 24 million Americans

Physical exercise is inarguably healthy for the normal body functions as well as the overall good physical health. Consequently, many people take exercises to achieve the ultimate benefit of good health. However, a compulsive or compensatory need to take exercise could be an indicator of underlying problem of disordered eating habits. It pragmatic to monitor one’s exercising habits in order to increase chances of early detection of any underlying disordered eating habits.

In today's society, teenagers desire the stereotypical “perfect body.” Most girls want to be tiny and twig like, just like the models portrayed in the media. Frequently, the desire to become thin becomes an obsession and girls perceive thinness as being an essential trait. Figure two indicates that the chances of girls dieting are 2.2 times likely than men. The obsession over weight has led to an increasing number of individual's who have developed eating disorders due to low self-esteem or other related issues. According to NEDIC (National Eating Disorder Information center) a 2002 survey stated that 1.5 percent of Canadian women aged 15 to 24 years has had an eating disorder. Eating Disorders affect factors such as overall appearance,

Usually when someone has anorexia nervosa its for a particular reason since this disorder is a is a self made decision or in some cases people are just born with this horrible disorder. Most people with the disorder are usually people that are in entertainment, modeling, or they just have a low self-esteem and anxiety. These can all end up being a huge challenge to a person and continues to hurt and break people around the world today.

Eating disorders plague 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 contribute to eating disorders and the treatments being done to help people who are suffering from eating disorders.

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” (“Eating Disorder,” n.d.). 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” (“Eating Disorder,” n.d.).

Eating disorders are a major category of mental disorders affecting persons in today’s world. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are the most prevalent examples of eating disorders experienced present-day. Anorexia nervosa is where individuals “maintain a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight” (Myers 640). Both bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder are similar in that they are highlighted by excessive consumption of food in a limited time frame however episodes of binge-eating are not followed by behaviours, such as forced vomiting, fasting, or excessive exercise as practised in bulimia nervosa. It is important to be kept abreast about eating disorders and its respective examples as it can be diagnosed

Eating disorders incorporate physical and emotional harm caused by awareness put on eating and food complications by men and women, having potential life-threatening results on both sides. The different sorts of eating disorders consist of: Anorexia- An eating disorder causes people to obsess over their weight and what they are consuming. People with this disorder usually starve themselves and they lose an excessive amount of weight. The effects of this disorder are: