For the last several decades, our society’s desired body image has been getting thinner and thinner. These changes in what is accepted by popular beauty standards have caused women, especially college-aged women, to use unhealthy methods to lose weight, such as over-exercising, under eating, and binge eating. According to Pyle, Mitchell, Eckert, Halvorson, Neuman, and Goff (1983) in their survey of women at a midwestern state school, “nearly one-half of the women (47%) admitted to having attempted specific weight-control methods” (77). This shows that eating disorders have been a problem in our country for a few decades, and they are definitely still a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed in our society today. Luckily, researchers are …show more content…
They believe that binge eating and drinking also go hand-in-hand, as “both may involve loss of control, cravings, and preoccupations with the substance… and immediate gratification followed by long-term harm” (198). Benjamin et al. (2005) suggests that these behaviors often are found together as both are addictive, which would explain why they are so hard to stop once they have been started. There are also several personality traits that are similar in individuals that suffer from binge eating and binge drinking. Benjamin et al. (2005) cites other studies where these individuals showed signs of “impulsivity… high tolerance of deviance… low self-esteem… extraversion, neuroticism (emotional instability), and a lack of conscientiousness” (198-199). Their study showed that binge eating or drinking are related to being impulsive or socially deviant. Benjamin et al. (2005) also concluded from their study that college women who engage in both addictive behaviors are emotionally unstable and neurotic. These results make sense, as college is a time with many new experiences and new pressures that a woman has not faced before. Pyle et al. (1983) supports this with their claim that “the fear of being fat is common in a college population” (85). College women are taught by college culture that they must be thin to be pretty, and this combined with the party culture of many colleges greatly
Getting Serious About Eradicating Binge Drinking is an informative article by Henry Wechsler. Wechsler has worked with the College Alcohol study since its creation in 1992, and he also lectures at the School of Public Health at Harvard. In his article, Weschler discusses the prominent trend of binge drinking on college campuses and how to solve the widespread problem. Binge drinking is a term used to describe the act drinking alcoholic beverages with the intention of becoming intoxicated over a short period of time.
The National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions. Pub No. 01-4901. Accessed Feb. 2002.
Research, 2016. Bordo implicated popular culture as having a serious negative role in how women of America view their bodies. These images have led to drastic increase change in life altering female disorders and eating. Not only does these images affect Americans but young men and women too which they should be fighting against it, not for
Experts who study the concept of the “Freshman 15” are deeply divided in their findings. Some downplay the significance of the problem of freshman weight gain, basing their findings only on the average weight gain among college students. In a study done by the Journal of American College Health, found that of the 59 percent of students who gained weight the average increase was only 4.6 pounds. They concluded their study by stating that they believed the Freshman 15 is a myth, based upon that premise (Graham, and Jones). The truth is that fifty-nine percent of the students studied did gain weight, and not all students are going to gain exactly fifteen pounds. Other experts do however believe that weight gain among college freshman is a very serious problem. Registered dietitian Ann Selkowitz Litt recently authored, “The College Students Guide to Eating Well on Campus,” which is designed to help college students make the right eating choices. On an online chat with several college students on USA Today’s website she stated that “College students now are gaining the "freshman 20" or "freshman 25.” She blames the growing problem on erratic eating habits, the drinking large quantities of alcoh...
The rising frequency of teen Internet and social media use, in particular Facebook, has cause parents to lose sight of these websites harmful attributes that lead to eating disorders and extreme dieting. Michele Foster, author of “Internet Marketing Through Facebook: Influencing Body Image in Teens and Young Adults”, published October 2008 in Self Help Magazine, argues Facebook has become the leading social network for teens and young adults aging 17 to 25 years of age, and is also the age range that has significant increases in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa in women. Foster accomplishes her purpose, which is to draw the parents of teen’s attention to the loosely regulated advertisements on Facebook and Facebook’s reluctance to ban negative body image ads. Foster creates a logos appeal by using examples and persona, pathos appeal by using diction, and ethos appeal by using examples and persona.
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
Some of the symptoms associated with Binge Eating Disorder are frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time. A person uses the food to fill an empty void that they have and even though the food being consumed temporarily elevates them; Afterwards, a binger feels a sense of guilt, shame, or embarrassment. Due to consuming large amounts, a binger will eat in a secretive location away from others so they don’t feel judged by others. Sometimes a binger feels out-of-control or on auto-pilot when they begin there episode and also may not feel satisfied after bingeing. Binge Eating Disorder usually affects somebody who is overweight or obese, but people of regular weight can also be affected. (Smith, Segal, and J. Segal; February 2014)
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) was the first eating disorder to be classified, with some specific diagnostic criteria developed in the 1970s (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). AN is a serious psychiatric disorder in terms of aetiology and epidemiology. 0.48% of prevalence of AN is estimated in girls who fall under the 15-19 age group (Lock et al., 2012). In AN, pathological thoughts and behaviours concerning food and weight, as well as emotions about appearance, eating and food co-occur (Lock et al., 2012). These thoughts, feelings and behaviours lead to changes in body composition and functions that are the direct results of starvation (Lock et al., 2012). The illness in adolescents causes severe affects physically and emotionally, and affects the social development of the individual. The causes of AN are not known but most of the researchers and clinicians agree that AN has multiple determinants (Garner et al., 1982) that emerge in a developmental sequence. Many physiological symptoms, common to semi-starvation irrespective of causes such as depressed mood, irritability, social withdrawal, loss of sexual libido, preoccupation with food, obsessional ruminations and rituals, as well as reduced alertness and concentration are also associated with Anorexia nervosa (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). The illness is also associated with premorbid perfectionism, introversion, poor peer relations, and low self-esteem (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). Patients suffering from AN, are also known to suffer from other physical consequences of starvation and other weight losing behaviours. The body’s response to starvation includes bone marrow suppression with increased susceptibility to overwhelming infection, which in the longer term may lead to health consequences s...
Eating Disorders." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
No human is perfect and because of this it is no secret that there are things that humans one way or another want to change or fix about themselves. However, some take this to an extreme. When an obsession over being thin starts to rule your life, eating proportions or habits, and thoughts- you might be in the beginning stages of an eating disorder. Eating Disorders are circumstances where there are strange or peculiar eating routine where there is too much or too little food intake for the lack of benefit to the person’s mental and physical health. Linked from Anorexia are some of the most common types of eating disorders such as Bulimia, anorexia, and binging. All of these eating disorders fall back onto excessive obsessing over weight and food related situations. Once often becomes brain washed into only focusing on the main goal, which is usually to be slim and thin.
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...
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.
The relationship between eating disorders and alcoholism has become a widely researched topic only in the last fifteen years. Since 1985, there have been an increasing number of research and case studies substantiating a correlation between these two behavioral and addictive disorders. Alcoholism affects nearly 14 million United States citizens (http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/publication/booklet.htm ). The four basic elements of this disease include a craving for, loss of control over, physical dependence on, and tolerance to alcohol (http://silk.nih.gov/silk/niaaa1/publication/booklet.htm). Unfortunately, there is no cure for alcoholism, although various forms of treatment have become available. Eating disorders also affect a vast number of people: approximately 1% of female adolescents have anorexia nervosa and 4% of college-aged women have bulimia nervosa (http://www.anred.com/stats.html ). Men experience eating disorders less than women and encompass only 5-10% of the populations of eating disorder patients (http://www.anred.com/stats.html ). There is no cure for eating disorders. However, varieties of medicinal and psychotherapy treatments have allowed for improvements in patients and critical debates. The following paper analyzes five research studies that examined the possible correlation between eating disorders and alcohol abuse. Each report provides a summary of the procedures, results, and discussions formulated by the researchers. Finally, a critique of the overall findings from each study will offer possible changes that might help concretize conclusions to the many unanswered questions concerning eating disorders and their tendency to result in alcohol abuse.
While this was a shorter article compared to others available, this one was found to be the most informative and intriguing read unlike others which strived to prove their points through statistics and not actual cases of students with eating disorders. As previously mentioned, eating disorders will continue to consume the minds of those who do not have the confidence to believe that they are beautiful and just fine the way they are. Both articles had two very different approaches to their styles of writing. One focused on analyzing and experimenting on a young girl who only binged at home, while the other focused on students who were starving themselves in a competition to lose weight at school.
Binge Drinking is an intriguing phenomenon that many college students take part in all across the country. The issue of binge drinking has been a problem on college campuses for decades. Binge drinking has many horrible effects, but the problem starts with the causes for it. If the causes could be controlled then the issue would not get out of hand. Many college students give different causes for their drinking problems, and experts on the subject have their explanations as well. The problem is, while growing through adolescence anything can become an excuse for drinking, such as ¡§its Thursday the day before Friday, we need to drink¡¨ or, ¡§it¡¦s the last Wednesday of the semester, lets get some beer.¡¨