Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa

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In today’s society, a person’s social standing is defined from their beauty and accomplishments, so people become ambitious to achieve the physical image that is desired. Society enables people to be self-aware of the discrepancies in their appearance, and could potentially lead people to force their body to extremely unhealthy alternatives that result in the “ideal image.” Unfortunately, these yearnings for acceptance from society can be detrimental to a person’s psychiatric health and could possibly lead to eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Twenty-Four million people suffer from eating disorders in the United States. (ANAD, 2015) This paper will explain the similarities and differences in both anorexia and bulimia, and what the causes, symptoms, and treatments that are associated with these diseases that Americans struggle with every day. Although anorexia and bulimia have similarities, they also have many differences. Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life threatening eating disorder that causes people to obsess about their weight, what they eat, and have a distorted perception of body weight. (The Mayo Clinic, 2015) People who suffer from anorexia try to prevent weight gain by severely restricting the amount of food they ingest. Some psychological factors that first initiate anorexia is perfectionism, the need to control, lack of self-esteem, the need for attention, teasing about body shape, and the need to please or be liked. (ANAD, 2015) Although many Americans struggle with the same stipulations that could potentially lead to a psychological diseases they have coping methods that help them to not fall into the mind set to let their emotions effect their health, whereas people who st... ... middle of paper ... ...lements or herbal products for weight loss, and living in fear of weight gain, enamel erosion and damaged esophagus due to digestive acids. (The Mayo Clinic, 2015) Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders in the world. They both can be triggered with people who are dissatisfied with their bodies, have low self-esteem, the want to be extremely skinny, and are influenced by outside sources such as television and magazines. The illnesses can lead to malnutrition, depression, and can be life threatening if it goes untreated. In conclusion, anorexia and bulimia are both pessimistic eating habits, which are recognized in different ways. Each disease varies in its physical and mental state. Eating disorders are battles that are fought all around America that can be avoided by showing a family member love, support, and encouragement.

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