Overview of Eating Disorders

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A great range of people have keen interest in their body shape. However, it becomes a problem when your effort to have an envious physical appearance becomes an obsession. When this obsession falters, you began to lose control of your life and the people affected turn to one of two paths: excessive eating, or self-starvation. This compulsion of food and a physical appearance is also known as an eating disorder. Eating disorders slowly deteriorate your body, beginning with your brain, leading to the start of mental illnesses. Although people suffering with eating disorders know that their body is degenerating, they become ignorant towards their disease and fail to recognize their problem until it is too late. Eating disorders come in many forms, with the three main types being Anorexia Nervosa (Anorexia), Bulimia Nervosa (Bulimia), and Binge-Eating. They each differ in the way that the person affected deals with the food presented. Anorexia, meaning without appetite according to Random History, is an eating disorder where one fears gaining weight, so one self-starves (Rust). Bulimia, the more advanced stage of anorexia, consists of a rapid consumption of food followed by purging attempts using laxatives, excessive exercise, and self-induced vomiting (Rust). Binge-eating, on the other hand, is when one periodically goes on a long binge but does not vomit afterwards (Rust). This eventually leads to obesity. Eating disorders may cause physical and emotional complications. Anorexia, Bulimia, and Binge-eating can indicate, but are not limited to: increase in body hair, dry/scaly skin, constipation, abdominal pain, anemia, depression (Anorexia); bruised knuckles, dental enamel erosion, menstrual irregularities, constipation (Bulimia)... ... middle of paper ... ... adolescents look towards them to manipulate how the kids should act. If models were not bone skinny, or if the main actors were not “perfect” than maybe our society would start to show their true colors and love each other, promoting self-love instead of self-loathe. To sum it up, although eating disorders are frowned upon by society, not many people are trying to solve the problem. If you know of someone in need of assistance, do not be afraid to lend a hand. Works Cited “A Fear of Food. A History of Eating Disorders.” Random History. n.p., 13 Dec 2008. Web. 28 Jan 2014. Rust, Jeanne. Mirasol Eating Disorder Recovery Centers. 2014. Web. 30 Jan 2014. DMH. “Eating Disorder Statistics.” SCDMH. South Carolina Department of Mental Health, 2006. Web. 7 Jan 2014. Christine. “How Eating Disorders Start to Grow.” Phoenix Revolution. Word Press, 2014. Web. 6 Feb 2014.

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