Food. It is essential for survival. Without it, people die. However, oddly enough, many struggle to live without it to accomplish the standards that our culture has created for us. We are taught that being thin is perfection and will lead to a happier life. However, lurking are the health risks that one pays for obtaining the “perfect body”. Still, along with a distorted body image, others struggle with keeping weight down and fall into the diet fads that the world parades. From movies, magazines, and television, the media also sends us messages that being fat is bad and unhealthy while being thin and beautiful is acceptable. The impact of such influences has increased eating disorders in America. These disorders do not discriminate. Anyone regardless of age, sex, race, or background can develop one and without help it can lead to death. Today, America is plagued with eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Compulsive Eating Disorders. Each has its own characteristics that distinguish the illness yet there are some similarities that they also share. According to the National Eating Disorders Association, as with most mental illnesses, eating disorders are not caused by just one factor but by a combination of behavioral, biological, emotional, psychological, interpersonal and social factors. Shockingly, they also report that in the United States, there are as many as 10 million females and 1 million males that are battling with eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia. Additionally, another 25 million are struggling with binge eating disorders (www.NationalEatingDisorders.org). Typically, psychological factors such as depression and low self-esteem contribute to eating disorders... ... middle of paper ... ... and attitudes. Whether it is a family or individual, they must set realistic goals that can be achieved. Consistence with their commitment is an important aspect in maintaining normal, healthy weight. Works Cited Epstein, Rachel. Eating Habits and Disorders. Chelsea House Publishers, New York, NY. 1990. Robbins Ph. D, Paul R. Anorexia and Bulimia. Enslow Publishers, Inc., Springfield, NJ. 1998. Warbick, Caroline. Just the Facts: Eating Disorders. Reed Educational and Professional Publishing, Chicago, IL. 2003. Ward, Christie L. Compulsive Eating: The Struggle to Feed the Hunger Inside. The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., New York, NY. 1998. National Eating Disorder Association. What is an Eating Disorder? 2005. The Something Fishy Website on Eating Disorders. 2006.
Worsnop, R. L. (1992, December 18). Eating disorders . CQ Researcher, 2, 1097-1120. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
In light of what is going on in the world today, eating disorders seem farfetched and frivolous. Anorexia Nervosa could be considered a classic example of a serious eating disorder as it is defined as having a fatal a...
Shapiro, C. M. (2012). Eating disorders: Causes, diagnosis, and treatments [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10683384&ppg=3
Blinder, B.J., Chaitin, B.F., & Goldstein, R.S. (1988) The Eating Disorders. PMA Publishing: New York.
Eating Disorders are on a rapid rise in the United States today, they sweep the halls of Junior High School, High Schools, College Campuses and even Elementary Schools. These disorders are often referred to by professionals as the “Deadly Diet,” however you may know them as Anorexia or Bulimia. Eating disorder effect more than 20% of young females and males in today’s society. Ranging in age from thirteen to forty. It is very rare for a child of a young age to not know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder or symptoms that are associated with one. Statistically it has been proven that one out of every five young woman suffer from serious issues dealing with eating and or weight. (Bruch, 25)
All over the world, especially in the U.S. young women are trying to build new self image. They want to feel good about themselves, but are always dissatisfied with the way they look just because they don't have the body of a model .
Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.
When you think of the words “eating disorders”, you automatically picture someone who is thin. This is partly true because people who suffer from anorexia or bulimia are relatively thin, but what you did not know is that there is also an eating disorder that affects mostly those who are obese and it is called binge eating. Eating disorders are any of several psychological disorders characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior (Merriam Webster, 2014), the best-known eating disorders are bulimia nervosa, binge eating and anorexia nervosa (Yancey, 1999). Not only do eating disorders have the highest mortality rate than any other mental illnesses, but it is estimated that in the U.S. twenty-four million people of all ages suffer from an eating disorder (ANAD). Eating Disorders are not just something that appear overnight and they certainly cannot be prevented, there are several factors that influence these disorders but with help and treatment they can be treated.
Since the first century, eating disorders have been believed to exist. Binging and purging was present in 700 B.C. by the Romans who ate extravagantly at banquets and then rid of the consumed food by forcing it out of their bodies, which would then allow them to continue eating. Another examp...
An eating disorder is described as “any range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits”. Most people think eating disorders are only found in women, when in fact 10-15% of eating disorders are found in men. “Up to 30 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia and binge eating disorder in the U.S.” As a survivor of an eating disorder I have seen the harmful effects it causes towards the body and the people around you. The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) says that research has found that the public health significance and severity of all types of eating disorders are extremely high and need to be dealt with.
Matthews, John R. Library in a Book: Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc. 1991
Thin seems to be forever a trend amongst society. However, thin ignores healthy. People are overly concerned with what they eat, how much they eat, how small their waist is, and what size clothing they fit into. These unfortunate characteristics of society are contributing factors to dangerous mental illnesses that occur more often than we think. Ronald Comer (2014) states that in the past thirty years there has been increases in both patients with anorexia nervosa and patients with bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two eating disorders that are frequently heard of and are eating disorder that people are more aware of. However, there is another eating disorder that can sometimes slip under the bar; this is binge eating
Over time, many diseases and famines have spread across the globe. In the modern, developed world, different, yet equally severe, problems have arisen. One of the leading complications in today’s society is eating disorders. These relentless disturbances are known for being lethal and for ravaging the world.
Many have a love-hate relationship with food. Some loves eating while some doesn’t. In such, many of those people tend to develop an eating disorder by knowing or otherwise. Binge eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are some examples of eating disorders. It affects mainly women but also many men and even children. Research of the past two decades has shown that majority of people who have eating disorder are adolescents. (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 2011). However, incidences of eating disorders are on the rise, affecting both men & women primarily in the Western countries (ANAD, 2011). We have to be mindful so as to abstain from considering them in oversimplified terms like, "anorexia is simply a request for consideration" or "bulimia is simply an addiction to food." Eating issue emerge from a mixed bag of physical, passionate, social and family issues, all of which need to be tended to for successful prevention and medication (PBS, 2003).