Influences and Effects of Eating Disorders

794 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: How body image affects teenagers

Eating Disorders are common, but a lot of the time is confused with only purposeful starvation. The two main types of eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia is when someone will eat very few calories, sometimes even nothing at all, and exercise intensely throughout the day. Bulimia is when the said person will ingest very large amounts of food at a single time, then induce vomiting or excessive exercise. They are both classified as mental disorders and are not chosen or intentional. Eating disorders can be influenced from sports, dance, or cheer pressure, can develop self harm habits, and many times is pushed forward by websites made specifically to progress deeper into the eating disorder.
Usually people with eating disorders believe that they are overweight, even though they are not. Eating disorders mainly affect teens and young adults, and are caused by bullying and peer pressure. Many times, new anorexia patients will receive positive comments about weight loss that will push the disorder along, and then as it progresses they get negative feedback which causes them to shut everyone out. It will become the focus of that person to lose weight and all other things will no longer interest them. They will isolate themselves to better practice their eating habits in secrecy. Self harm is also a common co-existing behavior in disordered eating patients. It is said to be a way of coping with emotional stress and is usually hidden from other people because they are ashamed of themselves and their scars. Many doctors treating patients with eating disorders have said that it is easier to get teenage girls off of hard drugs than anorexia or bulimia.
As previously said, many disordered patients a...

... middle of paper ...

... Feb. 2014.
Rankman, Angie. "Pro-Anorexia Sites Should Not Be Banned." Are Social Networking SitesHarmful?Ed. Stefan Kiesbye. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2011. At Issue. Rpt. from "Pro-Ana: Still Dying to Be Thin." Aphrodite Women's Health(12 June 2006). Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 4 Feb. 2014.
Rankman, Angie. "Thinspiration Videos Are Misguided Attempts at Artistic Expression." Eating Disorders. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Pro-Ana: Still Dying to Be Thin." Aphrodite Women's Health. 2006. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
"Self-Harm Rising in Teens and Young Women with Eating Disorders." PR Newswire 20 Oct. 2005. Biography in Context. Web. 5 Feb. 2014.
"Study examines pro-anorexia and pro-bulimia websites." Mental Health Weekly Digest 5 July 2010: 39. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web.

Show More
Related

  • 'Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia' Written By Penelope A.

    560 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, these views don’t take social process into consideration. Therefore, they organized a self-help group for bulimics and anorexics known as BANISH in order to determine what societal aspects cause these disorders. The author’s group consisted mostly of college age females which is significant because this is group primarily affected by these disorders. Interestingly, the backgrounds of the women in the BANISH group are strikingly similar in that they are excellent students, good children who have very close parental relationships, from “functional” families - all having been brought up with an emphasis on thin physical appearance. The authors also allude to the fact that in today’s society, slimness is considered attractive and most worthy, while being overweight is viewed as both morally and physically wrong. Society labels heavy people as “lazy, obscene, and unhealthy”. (244) It is noted that when members of the group lost weight, they reported feeling more accepted and

    Read More

  • Pro-Anorexia Websites

    1671 Words  | 4 Pages

    Pro-Anorexia Websites Cyberspace, something that was once considered a fad, has developed into a tool that allows people struggling with anorexia to potentially find sanctuary from the regulatory systems in popular culture that are applied to women’s bodies. Cyberspace provides an alternative space for women with eating disorders or body issues. The space created by cyberspace is potentially safer for women to meet because it allows anonymity while simultaneously being part of a community that the built environment is unable to provide. The components that make up pro-anorexia websites are usually considered abnormal, repugnant, or deviant within popular culture, because popular culture does not accept the way anorexics interpret images of the body. This popular view of people with anorexia does not allow anorexics to function as an accepted part of public space or popular culture.

    Read More

  • An Overview of Anorexia Nervosa

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...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

    Read More

  • Influence of the Media on Eating Disorders

    2668 Words  | 6 Pages

    According to the National Eating Disorder Association or NEDA, an eating disorder consists of extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight and food issues. There are three major types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder (BED). Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating. Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by recurrent binge eating without the regular use of compensatory measures to counter the binge eating.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders

    2394 Words  | 5 Pages

    Eating Disorders." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.

    Read More

  • Anorexia Nervosa, Binga And Binge Eating Disorders

    1086 Words  | 3 Pages

    [6]- Harshbarger, Jenni; Ahlers-Schmidt, Carolyn; Mayans, Laura; Mayans, David; Hawkins, Joseph (2008), "Pro-anorexia websites: What a clinician should know", International Journal of Eating Disorders 42 (4): 367–370

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders and Female Athletes

    2176 Words  | 5 Pages

    Eating disorders are characterized by gross disturbances in eating behavior and include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, eating disorders not otherwise specified(NOS), and binge eating disorder. Also, several researchers have coined the term anorexia athletics.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Media on the Body-Image of Preadolescent Girls

    1991 Words  | 4 Pages

    National Eating Disorder Association (2006). The media, body image, and eating disorders. Retrieved October 11, 2008, from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

    Read More

  • Socio-Cultural Influences on Eating Disorders

    1068 Words  | 3 Pages

    "The Media." Something Fishy; Website on Eating Disorders. N.p., 2007. Web. 27 Oct 2011. .

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders during Adolescence

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    An eating disorder is characterized when eating, exercise and body image become an obsession that preoccupies someone’s life. There are a variety of eating disorders that can affect a person and are associated with different characteristics and causes. Most cases can be linked to low self esteem and an attempt to, “deal with underlying psychological issues through an unhealthy relationship with food” (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood, with females being most vulner...

    Read More

  • Demi Lovato: The Cause And Causes Of Eating Behaviors

    1078 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders are quite serious and can often lead to extreme disruption of normal eating behaviors. It wasn’t considered an illness till 1980, when a singer named Karen Carpenter died from complications due to anorexia. If left untreated a person can put significant stress on their body; causing the body to begin to shut down. Often the organs will begin to fail, the persons hair will start to fall out and the person whom you once knew will become completely unrecognizable. Researchers have found many reasons that can be the cause of eating disorders. If we consider Demi Lovato a once happy go lucky Disney star who started acting different from her usual self. We can see that she was struggling from some kind of internal complex. When

    Read More

  • Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia by Marya Hornbacher

    901 Words  | 2 Pages

    O’Hara, Sarah K., and Katherine Clegg Smith. "Presentation of Eating Disorders in the News Media: What Are the Implications for Patient Diagnosis and Treatment?" Patient Education and Counseling 68.1 (2007): 43-51. Print.

    Read More

  • Understanding Eating Disorders

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Eating Disorders

    1022 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders can be altered by many things including bullying. One way that an eating disorder can come about into someone's life if is low self-esteem. Negative body images can make someone want to become skinnier. When someone has a low self-esteem it means a person who has a very low image of themselves. They think that they are nothing and aren’t worthy of life. When someone thinks this they could exercise excessively thinking that it will make them skinnier.

    Read More

  • Free Essay on Eating Disorder - Eating Disorders

    651 Words  | 2 Pages

    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).

    Read More

More about Influences and Effects of Eating Disorders

Open Document