Eating Disorders In America

Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25).

With Anorexia Nervosa, there is a strong fear of weight gain and a preoccupation with body image. Those diagnosed may show a resistance in maintaining body weight or denial of their illness. Additionally, anorexics may deny their hunger, have eating rituals such as excessive chewing and arranging food on a plate, and seek privacy when they are eating. For women, they go through immediate body changes from abnormal to no menstruation periods and develop lanugo all over their bodies. Characteristics of an anorexic individual also consist of extreme exercise patterns, loosely worn clothing, and maintain very private lives. Socially, to avoid criticism or concern from others, they may distant themselves from friends and activities they once enjoyed. Instead, their primary concerns revolve around weight loss, calorie intake, and dieting. In regards to health, many will have an abnormal slow heart rate and low blood pressure, some can develop osteoporosis, severe dehydration which can result in kidney failure, and overall feel weak (Robbins, 27-29). It has been reported that Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest death rates in any mental health condition in America (www.NationalEatingDisorders.org).

Sports are a factor that can lead to eating disorders. Gymnasts and dancers must maintain a smaller frame than most people are required to. But, there are many other sports where athletes develop eating disorders from trying to stay in shape. Some examples of these sports are track, swimming, cross-country, and youth football, with the addition of a few others. In order to maintain the same weight, people with eating disorders eat less and exercise more. Another problem that causes someone to develop an eating disorder would be a professional or career that promotes being thin and losing weight, such as

There is a broad spectrum of eating disorders. Bulimia nervosa (BN), anorexia nervosa (AN) (two basic types, restrictive (ANR) and binge-purge (ANBP)), and binge eating disorder (BED). People with eating disorders often have a morphed perception of their body. Often they feel the need to be perfect, and when they do not look perfect to themselves they feel great shame. Which in effect causes suicide ideation, because they feel they do not deserve to live. It appears that eating disorders may carry the highest suicide risk of any psychiatric disorder.

People with anorexia often have compulsive (obtrusive) ways of organizing nutrition and physical activity. They can, for example, eat only food and strictly avoid others, and exercise too much. Sometimes the disease with depression precedes the development of anorexia. Along with anorexia, depression can also

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 treatable medical illnesses. There are two main kinds of disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. First Anorexia nervosa

There are a number of warning signs that can be associated with any eating disorder such as: “body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, dieting, low self-esteem, maladaptive coping, reading teen fashion magazines, social pressure for thinness, social withdrawal, negative comments about eating, history of psychiatric disorders”(NEDA). With all these predetermined risk factors, it is easy to see why so many suffer from these disorders today. Anorexia can be described as the fixation of an individual's Body Mass Index (BMI); it is defined in the dictionary as “an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat”(Johnson). The National Eating Disorder Association cites a list of possible risk factors that were identified in a number of studies; among the list is perfectionism. Bulimia Nervosa also defined as an “emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight” is differentiated by its “bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or fasting.”(Johnson). These disorders are rooted in mental and emotional health and are not confined to females or teenagers. Modern media has done a very good job of perpetuating a desirable body type for people of all sexes and ages. People who suffer from a number of the aforementioned risk factors may be more heavily influenced to abuse or neglect their bodies in efforts to achieve this sought after

An eating disorder is a psychological disease which occurs mostly in women, however it can occur in men as well. It consists of either starving and not eating, or by throwing up after binging. Eating disorders can have many negative effects, fatigue, extreme weight loss, and if bad enough, death. Now what causes these eating disorders? The media has a big influence on women and their bodies. There have been many ideas of what the perfect body looks like, mainly over social media. However, the “ideal body” is very unrealistic and unnatural. Many women have a hard time accepting that they are good enough, which can lead to eating disorders. Athletes can also have a ideal body shape, which is also hard to achieve. This also causes a lot of athletes to suffer from eating disorders as well. The way the media portrays women causes eating disorders.

Eating Disorders are a range of mental health problems. People that suffer from an eating disorder find their relationships, daily activities and basic health is affected. All ages and sexes can suffer. But eating disorders, such as Bulimia Nervosa or Anorexia Nervosa, are generally found in adolescent girls and young women. Anorexia Nervosa affects less than one percent of adolescent girls and young women, whereas, Bulimia Nervosa affects two percent. Approximately five percent of people with Anorexia are male. One main alleged cause is the media for their portrayal of young men and women and using unrealistic body shapes.

Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25).

A person who tends to have a constant battle with an eating disorder can have unrealistic self-critical thoughts about body image, and your eating habits may begin to disrupt typical body functions and affect daily activities. Eating disorders are not just about food and weight. People begin to apply food as a coping mechanism to deal with abnormal or painful emotions or to help them feel more in control when feelings or situations seem over-whelming. If you have an eating disorder, you are very concerned about your body image, and you use food to control your emotions. You want very much to be thin and are afraid of becoming fat. The life threatening diseases, anorexia and bulimia come from an unknown cause but have been known to run in families. Young women with a family member who has an eating disorder are more likely to develop a disorder themselves. Then there are psychological, environmental, and social factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia. “Psychological effects include: low self-esteem, mood swings or clinical depression, refusal to accept that one’s weight is dangerously low despite warnings from friends or health professors” (eatingdisorders.org.all). When you have anorexia, you unreasonably limit calories or use other methods to lose weight, such as excessive exercise, using laxatives or diet

When the term eating disorders comes to mind, the first disorder that pops up in one’s head is anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Although these two eating disorders consist of symptoms that are very similar to each other, their health risks are really what makes them different. Both of these are common eating disorders in the world. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, they state that approximately eight million people in the United States suffer from anorexia nervosa, bulimia, or even some type of related disorder. In our society today, people are willing to do anything over the extremes to achieve perfection in their physical appearance.

High School can be a very strenuous time for teenagers. They can develop many different types of disorders. One type of disorder that is becoming very common in the everyday high school aged student are eating disorders. Even though some people believe it is normal to have an eating disorder, people should be aware of the different kind of eating disorders because it is easy to develop these kinds of illnesses and too many innocent teenagers are dying from these unhealthy life choices. There are different types of eating disorders but the most common are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating.

High School can be a very strenuous time for teenagers. They can develop many different types of disorders. One type of disorder that is becoming very common in the everyday high school aged student are eating disorders. Even though some people believe it is normal to have an eating disorder, people should be aware of the different kind of eating disorders because it is easy to develop these kinds of illnesses and too many innocent teenagers are dying from these unhealthy life choices. There are different types of eating disorders but the most common are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating.