The Influence Of Eating Disorders

The movie relates that percentage of women with anorexia nervosa has been increasing consistently by 5%, making girls ages 18-24 the most vulnerable to this illness. The women interviewed in the film all came from different backgrounds but displayed similar characteristics related to their eating disorders. All of them said they their eating habits were “inspired” by some sort of media, whether it was a movie star, a television show, a model, or advertisements. One girls in the group therapy session stated that she watched a film about bulimia and was actually inspired to engage in this binging and purging behavior because of it. She along with others interviewed in the movie, reported that she did not think it was a big deal because it looked like you could eat just about anything with no consequences. This relates to the idea of using binging and purging as a tool of power, that is discussed by researchers later in the film. Women with eating disorders are often women that feel powerless, so they feel like their eating habits are the only thing

Eating disorders have become a major problem throughout the world, specifically in the United States. The key factor that has an influence on eating disorders is the media. Including people of all ages and genders, up to twenty-four million people suffer from an eating disorder in the United States (ANAD np). This is a huge problem in the world today but what makes it so much worse is the fact that it can be prevented and it is in our control to change it. Young adults look to these celebrities, which are often their role models, and try to look just like them. What they fail to remember is the fact that celebrities have a lot of money, money that can afford nutritionists and personal trainers. They also fail to remember the extensive measures the celebrities may have to go through to look the way they do. An example of extensive measures can be considered plastic surgery. Ultimately, this creates a false goal that is almost unattainable for the “average” or “regular” person. Overall, the media has overtaken a huge impact on what the “ideal” body image has become today. Eating disorders are still on the rise and it is proven that an eating disorder such as anorexia affects up to 5 percent of women from ages 15-30 years old ("Media, Body Image, and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association np"). This may not seem that significant but it is also not considering other eating disorders such as bulimia. All in all, eating disorders

Eating disorders can be viewed as multi-determined disorder. Multi-determined disorders can conclude of various factors to the cause of one’s eating disorder. Each factor produces stressors to which “initiates dieting, weight loss, and the pursuit of thinness” (Diaz, 2017). A multi-determined disorder would be anorexia nervosa. These multi-determined factors leading to eating disorders may include socio-cultural, competitive environments, interpersonal, family, etc. Those who have eating disorders are diagnosed with more than one causing factor. With such stressors occurring to the self, leads to the self concept of when one has little memory of positive schemas. He or she is then unable to cope with challenges, thus feeling unworthy to his

I watched the documentary Dying to be Thin, which aired on PBS, it followed the lives of young women who have struggled with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. There were many thoughts which raced through my mind. After having watched Dying to be Thin I read the articles Anorexia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? By Lucy Serpell, Janet Treasure, John Teasdale, and Victoria Sullivan. I also had read Bulimia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? The Pros and Cons of Bulimia Nervosa by Lucy Serpell and Janet Treasure. What first captured my attention was when the narrator of the documentary spoke about a young woman Heidi Gunther. The narrator stated that Heidi Gunther died at age 22 due to her heart giving out, which was caused by an eating disorder. I think about this and I think about how her body no longer had enough nutrition for her to live. This made me think about what other women said in the documentary. Katy Tracey said that an eating disorder is “love, glory, power”. These are powerful words. If a young woman is saying that an eating disorder is having love, having glory, and having power then what else is left? It sounded like what the deeper meaning behind those words are would be that that an eating disorder consumes the person who has it until there is nothing left. It is interesting to look at anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and dissect them more closely. From what I have learned from the articles bulimia nervosa has “Two positive themes (BN allowing the

In my research, I explored the world of eating disorders. I wanted to see if there was anything specifically encouraging eating disorders and if there was a way to stop it. Eating disorders affect the community greatly because often times, they go unchecked or unrecognized. As a recovered anorexic, I feel it’s very important to address this issue. It’s a very big problem that is often not addressed at all, or is seen as normal, like counting calories. I hoped to find a way to improve the way that eating disorders are viewed and explain to people about what defines an eating disorder, because many people will never know if it is not explicitly explained to them. My study’s purpose is to bring light into the dark world of eating disorders

Later, Annie attended individual therapy which was combined with family therapy. After Annie went to therapy, her mother realized that she needed to make changes involving her and Annie’s relationship. Her mother focused on talking with her every day and demonstrating to her that she is really there for Annie and she cares about her. Annie does not obsess about weight anymore and does not count calories. It is frustrating for her to talk about eating disorders to people who have a limited comprehension of the illness. Most people focus on the odd and secretive behaviors, and how little they weigh and what they do not eat. “She asserts that those things do not seem unusual to a person with eating disorders. The focus really is on bigger issues. Those issues are what the eating disorder is about” (KCTS, 2003, p.1).

Eating disorders are severe disturbances in eating behaviors, such as eating too little or eating too much. “Anorexia nervosa affects nearly one in 200 Americans in their lives (three-quarters of them female)” (Treating anorexia nervosa). Anorexia, when translated into Greek means “without appetite” which is not true for all suffering from anorexia most people with this disorder have not lost their appetite they simply have to ignore it. People with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight and have convinced themselves that they are overweight even if they are the opposite of overweight. Since the way that they view themselves is in a negative light they starve themselves and put their lives at risk. “In the most severe

The need for more research to initiate more treatments around the world is prevalent. Eating disorders are not always taken seriously and they are usually avoided. Eating disorders need more awareness because with this society it’s more typical for this to get worse. Media, culture, and history played important roles in the enforcement of eating disorders. Media’s depiction of women’s bodies leads to the individuals developing an eating disorder. They are the reason that society has begun to change and as to why the portrayal and perspective of men and women have changed as well. Women are expected to look and act a particular way and these individuals will do anything to be accepted in society. If it means that they have to cause harm to their

Myanmar people nowadays choose fast foods over home cooked meals and why fast foods market is blooming non-stop as there are influences around their surroundings, such as social, cultural and economic. Food decisions such as what to eat (including food and volume), how often, when and with whom, are made within complex eating environments. These environments are multifaceted and it is difficult to determine how decisions about eating will be made in any given context (Scheibehenne, Miesler& Todd, 2007).

When she is trying to help someone through their battle with Anorexia Nervosa, she tells her patients, “You are going to eat, but it is going to be painful.” As you are trying to conquer this eating disorder as you gain weight back you are going to have increased negative or disturbing thoughts. Treatment for an eating disorder needs to be thought as their food as their medicine. Just like people with diabetes take their insulin; people with eating disorders need to take their food to stay alive. The food that the individual needs to eat needs to be pre-planned, pre-dosed, and prescribed each day just like prescribed medication to someone that is

When looking at Mental Illness and diagnoses, I think that much of the general public do not consider eating disorders a mental illness. People today see both Bulimia and Anorexia as physical conditions and choices. Being in the field and working closely with individuals with both diseases, I see first-hand that those diagnosed with the illnesses suffer just as greatly as anyone else with a mental illness. After watching “Dying to be Thin”, I am able to make several connections to not only my personal work and field experience, but also my own personal life.

There is a rare chance to get rid of eating disorders wholly, in other words, it may occur in one patient's life repeatedly. For instance, a British teenage girl with anorexia resulted from the stress of peers dropped out school to concentrate on recovery since she was too weak to maintain daily activities. After years of isolation from people during recuperation, she took courage to step into the society again and commence a new life; however, it did not last long. The judgment for her appearance from others devastated her confidence once again; as a result, she crawled back to anorexia nervosa. Obviously, her body was going through yo-yo effect owing to the extreme method of weight loss, such as crash diets. Fortunately, she found it that vegan diet could be the answer. A vegan refuses to consume any animal product and rely on the nutrition from plants, which contains lower calories. It seemed to be a perfect solution to the girl’s problem, but it is not one-size-fits-all. This case only suggests one method of dealing with eating disorders. In another case, a Japanese girl who had suffered from anorexia previously turned out to be diagnosed with bulimia after her parents attempted to hospitalize her for anorexia. Apparently, the change the girl had experienced was tremendous as she gained more than 40 kilograms afterward; nonetheless, she overcame eating disorders gradually after she had met her husband. In fact, the competition between her and her sister who was always considered the more beautiful one was fierce; consequently, a lack of attention and love was the root of her illness. This case suggests that solving the real problem hidden behind like insecurity is an alternative method to recover. Ultimately, there are multiple ways to beat eating disorders, and everyone suits differently; moreover, medical treatment is equally

Another aspect that I think it is important to discuss, is the descriptors that were used in creating the ‘eating disorder persona’ – for lack of a better term. The individuals in Dying to Be Thin were described by professionals as “harm avoidant”, “perfectionists”, and “controlled”. To me, this indicates a point in

You probably hear about eating disorders, and how they can be do dangerous, but what are eating disorders exactly? Eating disorders are a groups of serious conditions in which you are so preoccupied with the food that you eat and how much you weigh, you often focus on little else (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/basics/definition/con-20033575

The eating disorder I had developed to help control my life soon became my whole life. My health began to deteriorate along with my energy. My teammates whom were all previously much slower runners than myself started to pass me on the track; yet, despite my fear of becoming weak, my eating disorder gave me confidence. In a sense, my disease became my new best friend, offering comfort that I could get from nowhere else. In my warped way of seeing the world, I was the only one in control. When my friends would eat “junk food” or skip a day at the gym, I laughed to myself at their “innocence”. I would think, “Clearly, I know something about control that you guys do not. This is what will make me better, stronger and more successful. This is what will prevent average.” Although, as I continued to starve myself and lose weight, surpassing my goal of five pounds, it wasn’t enough. Losing weight