Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are described as psychological eating disorders (Keel and Levitt, 1). They are both characterized by an over evaluation of weight. Despite being primarily eating disorders, the manifestations of bulimia and anorexia are different. They both present a very conspicuous example of dangerous psychological disorders, as according to the South Carolina Department of Health, “Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness” (Eating Order Statistics, 1). While Bulimia and anorexia both psychological disorders primarily prevalent in women, anorexia tend to have different diagnostic complexities, symptoms and physiological effects as compared to bulimia. Both bulimics and anorexics are motivated by a desire to lessen weight. Anorexia is explained in Eating Disorders as: “Anorexia nervosa is a condition in which a person starves him or herself. The key feature of this disorder is the refusal to eat enough food, resulting in a body weight that is far below a healthy level” (Keel and Levitt, 3). While bulimia is explained as: “Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating in which an individual feels a loss of control over food consumption and eats very large amounts of food in single sittings” (Keel and Levitt, 7). From this, it is obvious that patients of both disease resort to measures of losing weight. Anorexia and bulimia differ symptomatically; the former exhibits symptoms of abstinence from food, while the latter is characterized by more of a “fear like” emotion over having consumed food, particularly in women. It can be seen that where anorexics tend to eat almost nothing at all, bulimic patients indulge in “binge eating”, after which they tend to use extreme meas... ... middle of paper ... ...BMJ: British Medical Journal 334.7599 (2007): 894-98. Print. Hay, Phillipa J., and Josue Bacaltchuk. "Bulimia Nervosa." BMJ: British Medical Journal 323 (2001). Print. Boskind-Lodahl, Marlene. "Cinderella's Stepsisters: A Feminist Perspective on Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia." Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 2.2 (1976): 343- 344. Print. "Perceptions of Beauty « Global Public Health through a Feminist Lens." Stanford University. Web. 10 Mar. 2011. . Fairburn, C. G., and P. J. Cooper. "Self-induced Vomiting and Bulimia Nervosa: an Undetected Problem." Bmj 284.6323 (1982): 1153-155. Print. Lowinson, Joyce H. ., Pedro Ruiz, and Robert B. . Millman. Substance Abuse: a Comprehensive Textbook. Baltimore [etc.: Williams and Wilkins, 1992. 477. Print.
The Web. 9 Apr. 2014.
The authors explain that a “fear of fatness” and desire to be thin in order to appear normal in our society can cause anorexia nervosa, where a person purposely starves themselves, losing considerable weight. This is known as visual and behavioral deviation. Bulimic people binge eat and then force themselves to vomit. They usually don’t lose an alarming amount of
Ever since 1979, the world became introduced to a different type of anorexia disorder called bulimia nervosa by Gerald Russell. In the similar attempt to lose weight like anorexia, bulimia nervosa is characterized by having episodes of binge eating, followed by intense efforts to avoid gaining weight. Some of the methods to avoid gaining the weight can be to induce self-vomiting, and consuming laxatives or diuretics. As a result of Russell studying theses eating disorders, he discovered that approximately 1/100 women in Western societies were affected in 1990 (Palmer, 2014). Ever since bulimia nervosa became a known eating disorder, more people have been able to effectively be diagnosed with it, and more useful information about the disorder
...l, D. M., & Willard, S. G. (2003). When dieting becomes dangerous: A guide to understanding and treating anorexia and bulimia [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10170079&ppg=4
The motivation that has the bulimia population striving for is none other than for the reason of staying thin. Since the 1980s, this has been an increasing dilemma for both the U.S and Europe. There is no direct cause for this mental disorder but rather a combination of factors that increase...
"Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder on an overwhelming dread of becoming fat. The result of this unfounded fear is self-starvation and major weight loss. In addition, the undernourishment may cause hormonal disturbances, anemia, heart problems, brittle bones and many other problems, some of which are life-threatening ("Anorexia Nervosa," 1). Bulimia is an eating disorder that is psychological in origin and can have dire physical consequences. While anorexics starve themselves, bulimics binge on food and then purge by self-induced vomiting. Bulimics also frequently use diet pills, laxatives, and diuretics to reduce their weight.
Bulimia nervosa is a slightly less serious version of anorexia, but can lead to some of the same horrible results. Bulimia involves an intense concern about weight (which is generally inaccurate) combined with frequent cycles of binge eating followed by purging, through self-induced vomiting, unwarranted use of laxatives, or excessive exercising. Most bulimics are of normal body weight, but they are preoccupied with their weight, feel extreme shame about their abnormal behavior, and often experience significant depression. The occurrence of bulimia has increased in many Western countries over the past few decades. Numbers are difficult to establish due to the shame of reporting incidences to health care providers (Bee and Boyd, 2001).
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
Eating disorders are a serious health problem. Personal Counseling & Resources says that eating disorders "are characterized by a focus on body shape, weight, fat, food, and perfectionism and by feelings of powerlessness and low self-esteem." Three of the most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating or compulsive eating disorder. According to Anorexia Nervosa and Related Eating Disorders, a person with anorexia "refuses to maintain normal body weight for age and height" and "weighs 85 percent or less than what is what is expected for age and height." A person diagnosed with bulimia has several ways of getting rid of the calories such as binge eating, vomiting, laxative misuse, exercising, or fasting. The person might have a normal weight for their age and height unless anorexia is present. The signs of a compulsive eater include eating meals frequently, rapidly, and secretly. This person might also snack and nibble all day long. The compulsive eater tends to have a history of diet failures and may be depressed or obese (Anred.com).