Children and Eating Disorders Essay

Many people are unaware of the background of eating disorders. Women are more likely than men to develop an eating disorder and they usually develop in childhood before the age of 20 (Ross-Flanigan 1). Women as well as men can develop an eating disorder; it is just more likely for a woman to develop one. Eating disorders are usually developed in adolescent or childhood years when a person is influenced the most. Also “Eating disorders are psychological conditions that involve overeating, voluntary starvation, or both. Anorexia nervosa, anorexic bulimia, and binge eating are the most well-known types of eating disorders” (Ross-Flanigan 1). Many people assume that an eating disorder is when a person staves themselves; they do not realize that it can involve overeating as well. Some eating disorders also involve purging, but not all. People with an eating disorder fear gaining weight even when they are severely underweight. They do not lack an appetite (Ross-Flanigan 1). These people are

Ever since the development of the media such as television, the internet, various fashion magazines and commercial advertisements, society focused more and more on personal appearances. Not only were runway models becoming slimmer but the viewers that watched and read about them were becoming more concerned with their weight. In the past fifty years the number of adolescent girls developing eating disorders increased just as television, advertisements, and magazines were becoming a social norm that was easily and often available. Today, more than ever, adolescents are worrying about weight, shape, size and body image and. It does not help that these children are growing up in a world filled with media material emphasizing dangerously

This type of behavior surrounds us in our everyday lives yet we continue to turn a blind eye. It is vital that we identify the causes of these eating disorders, in an attempt to prevent them in the future, for no girl at

Each year millions of people in the United States develop serious and often fatal eating disorders. More than ninety percent of those are adolescent and young women. The consequences of eating disorders are often severe--one in ten end in death from either starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide. Due to the recent awareness of this topic, much time and money has been attributed to eating disorders. Many measures have been taken to discover leading causes and eventual treatment for those suffering from anorexia. (http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource ...er.html#Causes of Eating Disorders) )

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?

Becoming familiar with these signs may allow untrained observers to identify the possible development of an eating disorder in its early stages. Early identification and referral to psychological services will increase the young girl's likelihood of a more favorable prognosis (Romeo, 1996).

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%

With children as early as age 7 showing dissatisfaction with their body, and as young as 9 starting dieting, eating disorders are a serious issue in our society. Taking a look at perceptions, behaviors, and medical issues associated with the disorders of anorexia and bulimia, scholars have tried to categorize and find answers to the problems which certain adolescents suffer. In this paper I focused on the two major eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia.

Eating disorders are a disease that can impact an individual’s health adversely by causing their emotions and capability to function in the significant areas of their life. There are two most common eating disorders and they are: anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. These disorders often begin to formulate during the teenage years of an individual’s life and can carry on through their adult years. Research states that “According to the DSM-5 (APA, 2013), eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance in eating behavior” (Butcher et al., 2013, p.294). All of these disorders influences a person’s nutrition and can serious affect their internal organs.

Eating disorders have long been a problem in the United States. Most fail to grasp the severity until someone close to them experiences the difficulties. Personally, I realized the prevalence of eating disorders when several children endeared to me commented that they feel “too fat” or skipped meals in order to not become obese. Instead of a teenage friend at school that one would assume, younger children that range from seven to ten years of age made these comments. Realizing the problem, I decided that I would create a program that would educate younger children regarding the seriousness and effects of eating disorders.

Eating disorders in the United States are becoming more and more prominent as the years go by. Up to 24 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders (ANAD, 2015), according to a secondary source research by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), the oldest and the most prominent organization aimed at fighting various eating disorders in the United States. Prominently, eating disorders in adolescents continue to be a serious problem and may result in premature death or life-long medical and psychosocial morbidity (Vale, B., Brito, S., Paulos, L., & Moleiro, P., 2014). According to a peer-reviewed, primary source by eating disorder specialists, eating disorders are classified according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition , as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (Vale, B., Brito, S., Paulos, L., & Moleiro, P., 2014). The two major eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are very common amongst adolescents, specifically young girls. While the symptoms of anorexia nervosa is more evident through the dramatic change in body weight, bulimia nervosa can be overlooked as many with the disease have a normal body weight (Mulheim, 2012).

Lock, James. “Treatment of Adolescent Eating Disorders: Progress and Challenges.” Publish Medical Central (2011).NCBI.Web. 20 Apr. 2011. Lock believes that although eating disorders are common psychiatric disorders that they usually onset during adolescence. His research enforces the idea that family therapy is commonly clinically employed for Adolescents. Treatment aims to identify and help the family modify accommodations. Lock argues that eating disorders are either drawn out by “indulgent eating” or “vital eating” which determines obesity or anorexia. Some progress has been made in the last decade generating systematic evidence about effective treatments for adolescents are limited with very few statistics. Lock argues that the substantial

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.

All participants in the study were females ages 16 and older. Current and former eating disorder patients were recruited at the University of Missouri Pediatric and Adolescent Specialty Clinic. Individuals for the healthy control group were recruited from the same clinic as the current and former eating disorder patients, as well as from the university campus. As stated earlier, the control group

Eating disorders stem from a combination of psychological, biological, and social factors. Feelings of depression and anxiety along with daily stressors can contribute to