The Cause And Causes Of Teenage Eating Disorders

Thesis statement: Young adults and adolescents are the ones who are the most susceptible to develop an eating disorder. The exact causes for eating disorders might vary with every person, but the most controversial ones are social media, unhealthy eating habits and genetics.

Many children and adolescents not only express dissatisfaction with their figure, shape and weight, but also exhibit disordered eating behavior, such as binge eating (eating a large amount of food with a sense of lack of control), food restriction, laxative abuse and vomiting. For children and adolescents, eating disorders can overlap in many instances. As an example, some children alternate between periods of anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood. However, research has shown that they can start in childhood, too. Females are much more vulnerable. Only an estimated 5% to 15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male. With binge eating, the number rises to 35%

“Twenty million women and ten million men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life”(What are Eating Disorders, 2016). What can cause a person to develop an eating disorder? The type of significant amount of eating would include bulimia nervosa, or binge-eating disorder. There are other eating disorders that cause dramatic weight loss such as anorexia nervosa. “According to the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action, the risk of developing an eating disorder is from fifty to eighty percent determined by genetics” (Parks 46). Thirty percent of people develop an eating disorder through a traumatic incident such as rape or abuse. There can be other causes to developing an eating disorder. This can be biological factors, sociological factors, and psychological and emotional health. Biological factors can include a person’s brain chemistry, age, gender and genetics; the genes passed on from one or both parents. Adolescents and females are most

There are many misconceptions in our society about eating disorders. Many people choose to have an eating disorders and others don't. Low self esteem, peer pressure, and bullying may cause people to have an eating disorder.

The aim of this literature review is to describe the main causes of eating disorders among teenagers aged 12 to 18 years old in high schools globally, and to also explain to what extend do some of these causes influence eating disoders. Recent studies have indicated a major increase in the eating disorder habits and body dissatisfaction in adolescence over the past few decades. This crisis seems most prevalent in females`` than males with 20 percent high school females exhibiting poor eating habits and about 60 percent undergone weight loss attempt (Pritchard and Wilson, 2005). Most affected youngsters endeavor various solutions to cope with this dilemma and in most cases, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide are the worst

Childhood experiences are very influential in molding the perspectives regarding body image among individuals. Emotional invalidation coming from ones parents has been shown to be positively correlated with an increased rate of eating disorders among male and female adolescents. Research conducted by Shisslak et al. (1995) showed that among a sample of university students 91% of the women reported attempting to control their weight through a variety of dieting strategies. There are many factors that have been suggested as being responsible for this negative perception of body image, but a major one often researched stems from the relationships within ones own family. Often time’s society is blamed for the development of eating disorders

Many may see someone who has an eating disorder as someone who wants 'attention,' while disregarding all of the several factors that play a part in causing someone to take this path in their life. The list of causes goes on and on, yet the basics are right under our noses. Vaguely speaking, biological factors, psychological factors, and environmental factors all take a place on the stand for being causes ("Disorder Hope").

Anorexia, Bulimia, Binge-eating. Negative body images can cause eating disorders. An eating disorder is any range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. Ten to fifteen percent of all Americans suffer from a serious eating disorder (“Eating Disorder Statistics”). They are present not only in women, but men. Not only in adults, but teens. Not only in celebrities, but regular people. Eating disorders are very serious and can even be fatal (“Eating Disorder Statistics”). All of this because they see themselves as something they do not want to be, so they try to change.

The culture and society people live in today tells people that in order to fit in then they have to be perfect. In order to become perfect people starve themselves, which can lead to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Media also plays a huge part in causing eating disorders. TV, movies, magazines and the internet give unrealistic images on what a persons bodies should look like. Media uses airbrushed models as an image of the average woman but in reality the model weighs twenty- three percent less than the average woman (Self Image Media Influences). Women see these images and take unhealthy measures to try and fit the standards set by media. Researchers at Duke University took a survey and discovered that forty percent of nine and ten year old girls have admitted to being on a diet. In a study based on self-image three out of four girls said that they are overweight but only one out of them was, the Rader Programs did this study (self Image Media

The things that are contributing greatly to the increase of eating disorders is the media. Many teenagers grow up being influenced by magazines, movies, and models and they think that the only way that society will accept them is if they look exactly like those people. They have the fear of becoming fat and being bullied. These kids are genuinely scared to grow up and have to face body changes. there is also the other part of these disorders. Not all people who have an eating disorder are skinny. There are also those who eat because they are stressed or have a low self esteem. They are influenced by their parents. So that means that if their parents have the habit of always eating or not eating, the children will pick up those same customs. Sometimes there are kids who are physically or sexually abused and that causes them to look for comfort in food or just decide to not eat properly.

There are many different biological approaches that explain the reasons for eating disorders they all have some validity behind them to a certain extent. An eating disorder is a psychological dysfunction that causes a person to change their eating habits to eating less, or more etc.

“These can include any of the following; family environment, ability or disability, and peer attitudes”. (Raising Children Association, 2006)This reason is a logical source that is medically proven by health professionals that work with Eating Disorders and Mentally Disabled patients. There are statistics to prove the accusations, “such as professional research that have be run by universities and hospitals to use for data information, so they could improve the statistics”. (Eating Disorder Hope )For example, “Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate out of any mental health disorder. Even more than extreme depression”. This statement shows how dangerous and Eating Disorder can be, and it explains that there isn’t a reason to why this illness happens. It’s an illness that picks its victims, and sometimes there isn’t any known reason why a person develops an Eating Disorder. Teenagers always out trying to find excuses for why they’ve had a tough life and the media is a common excuse that is

Over the decades, many women of all shapes and sizes have struggled with body image and low self-esteem which has been affected by media’s portrayal of beauty. In a study performed in the United Kingdom, researchers “examined whether young women who make implicit associations between underweight models and positive attributes report elevated eating disorder symptoms” (Ahern). An eating disorder is evidence of an individual’s lack of positive body image. The person believes that he or she has to fit a certain ideal in order to be accepted and liked by others. The article states that, “societal pressure to be thin is thought to be a major contributor to the high levels of body dissatisfaction,” which once again demonstrates how much

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.

In July, 2014 an education article was written by Michael W. Roberts, DDS, MScD and Travis M. Hicks, DDS, MS called “Warning Signs”. Both show similar research interests in the risks and the management of adolescents with eating disorders. The funding provided was supplied by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. The ultimate goal of this research was to educate dental professionals on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and how to identify the predisposing factors.