Eating Disorders : Eating Disorder

Eating disorders have become an increasing public health problem once thought to be an affliction amongst young women, now an epidemic across culture and gender boundaries. Anorexia gives rise to serious socio-economic and bio-psychological circumstances of our ever vast, growing society. Awareness of eating disorders have increased but perhaps only in proportion to its advancement of its research and treatment. That which still leaves us in a position for a much greater demand for education and heightened awareness of this perplexing disease.

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) )

Though my experiences with an eating disorder are short-lived compared to others’, the reminders and repercussions remain. Habitual purging, bingeing, or restricting food triggers rapid weight loss and instantaneously throws the body’s cyclical operations into chaos: blood pressure increases, nails and hair chip and fall out, tooth enamel erodes and cavities become a normal diagnosis, the brain functions at a lower level everyday, and the risk of dying from an everyday cold rises exponentially. It is a humiliating disorder that leaves nothing for anybody in the end; it is grotesque and dramatic,

Eating disorders are described as any abnormal eating habits and can range from minor to life-threatening. They result in people making very unhealthy decisions, which cause harmful effects on the mind and body including the “Psychic-emotional, gastrointestinal, endocrine, and reproductive systems.” (Health and Illness PG. 247) It is important to bring attention to this topic because more and more people are being diagnosed with eating disorders every day. Without proper help, people who fall victim to these disorders continue to get sicker. Not only do eating disorders harm one’s body physically, but they can also cause mental or emotional pain. There needs to be more focus on educating society about eating disorders. There also needs to be a push to treat the victim’s disorders so that they can continue to live a healthier lifestyle.

The occurrence of eating disorders are a serious problem worldwide. A major problem with this disease, abnormal eating behaviour that can threaten your health or even your life,(1)

An eating disorder is an obsessive collection of interrelated behaviors directed towards persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact one’s health, emotions, and ability to function in important areas of life. These compulsive practices and attitudes about food, weight and body shape, manifest into deep psychological fears and an incessant need for control. Some common features of eating disorders include an irrational fear of fat, dissatisfaction with one 's body often coupled with a distorted perception of body shape, unhealthy weight management and extreme food intake. This disordered eating behavior is usually an effort to solve a variety of emotional difficulties about which the individual feels out of control. Males and females of all social and economic classes, races and intelligence levels can develop an eating disorder (Perfect). There are currently three main types of eating disorder, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Each one as dangerous as the next, but yet heavily overlooked and/or misunderstood in society today (Perfect); A review of nearly fifty years of research confirms that anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder (Arcelus, Mitchell, Wales, & Nielsen, 2011).

Three Eating Disorders that will be discussed throughout the rest of this review will include, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder. The DSM_IV_TR describes the conditions under which these three eating disorders are characterized. Anorexia Nervosa is a very serious illness with severe implications in regards to health. It is classified by the DSM-IV-TR as weighing less than the third percentile for body mass index for ones age and sex, fearing weight gain, having a disturbed perception of body image and on hormonal contraception or the absence of menstruation (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Bulimia Nervosa is a second eating disorder described by the

Eating disorders are “a mental health issue with devastating effects on one 's physical health and quality of life. Underlying the food and exercise behaviours are distorted and self-critical attitudes towards shape, size and self-worth” (Eating Disorders). Three major types of eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. They are all disorders; however they differ by how harmful each one is to a person’s body. These eating disorders are monsters because they are potentially life-threatening. The first eating disorder is anorexia, which consists of self-starvation and excessive exercise for weight loss. People who suffer from anorexia think they are over-weight and the only solution to losing that weight is to not eat or exercise too much. The second eating disorder is Bulimia. This disorder is characterized by

“The eating disorder is a very jealous and abusive partner. It requires a lot of devotion in the extent that you have to devote yourself to tending to the anorexia. There 's not a lot of time left over for adult life,” was stated by Dr. Doug Bunnell, a specialist in eating disorders. Eating disorders effect a variety of people. Age, race, and gender aren’t role playing keys in eating disorders. Not everyone gets an eating disorder, but if they do then, it will more than likely destroy their lives. The person with the eating disorder is affected and so are their families, and friends. Even though there are hundreds of programs to help with eating disorders, thousands of people still suffer from them.

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

Eating disorders take the lives of millions of teenagers and adults each year, recently becoming the highest mortality rate of any mental illness – but why? Choosing not to eat appears to be a problem with an obvious solution; how could so many Americans be suffering from something that could easily be avoided? The answer is simple — eating disorders are not weight-loss plans gone wrong; they are serious illnesses that pose great health risks. Simply skipping meals does not begin to describe the different aspects of this disease. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and binge eating are only a few of the many types of eating disorders that effect millions of individuals each year. In most cases, the victims of these illnesses have extremely low self-confidence and view themselves as overweight, regardless of their actual size. Researchers and scientists have gathered different statistics on the causes of abnormal eating habits. While there is no obvious or direct motive, these dietary issues can be the result of

In modern American culture, health and food are a serious issue. We have all heard how to eat healthy: how many calories is too much, which foods to eat, which foods to avoid, and so on. However, very few people eat a truly healthy diet but some people have eating habits so unhealthy that it is considered a psychiatric disorder. These disorders are classified as eating disorders. Ever since the middle of the twentieth century, eating disorders have been increasingly more common (Barlow & Durand, 2015). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), eating disorders include a wide range of symptoms and fall under these classifications: pica, rumination disorder,

Eating disorders are a very serious psychological condition that affects your mind so that you are more focused on your food and weight than you are on everything else. The most known and most commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder; however, these are not the only eating disorders. Eating disorders cause psychical and psychological problems, which at their worst can even become life threating. Statistics show that more women are affected by eating disorders, but men none the less can still be affected. “Age (most common from teens to early twenties), Family history (hereditary), emotional disorders (people with anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder are at a great chance), transitions (moving, heading to college, or anything that can bring emotional distress), and sports (ballerinas, gymnasts, runners, and wrestlers are at a higher risk) also can play a role in who is being affected by an eating disorder” (Eating Disorders).

In today’s society many people put pressure on other individuals and that can cause self-destructive tendencies to strive for the perfect body that society has deemed “perfect”. Eating disorders are commonly known among individuals, especially anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia and bulimia are similar, but they have many differences. When someone has anorexia, they starve themselves, or they eat very little in a day, contrary to that, someone that has bulimia, they will binge eat, then they will force themselves to vomit.

I hope everything is well in your life. We’ve been friends for over 10 years now and you and I could both agree that we know each other very well. However, I have been noticing unusual behavior from you in the past few months. Is everything alright? I want you to feel comfortable enough to talk to me about any problems that are going on in your life. I’m concerned about you.