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The globalization of eating disorders
The globalization of eating disorders
Introduction to eating disorder
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While Bulimia is known by many names, the term “bulimia” did not enter the English language until the 1970s, “perhaps representing lingering uncertainty about its essence” (Gordon, 2000). Bulimia, as we know it, is a modern disease, however, there is some evidence of binging and purging in ancient times; for example, in ancient Egypt, “physicians would recommend periodical purgation as a health practice” (Gordon, 2000). There has also been documentation of wealthy families in the middle ages vomiting during meals in order to continue eating large amounts of food. At this point, you may be wondering why these examples are not considered Bulimia Nervosa. According to Dr. Richard Allan Gordon, author of Eating Disorders: Anatomy of a Social Epidemic, these examples “show little evidence of a preoccupation with thinness and are unlikely examples of the modern eating disorder. In fact, the existence of Bulimia Nervosa as a distinct disorder prior to the twentieth century is highly unlikely...and even within the twentieth century, it did not emerge with full force until the 1970s”. In the beginning of the twentieth century, Bulimia Nervosa was viewed as a symptom of “emotional deprivation and poor social adaptation”, it wasn’t until the 1970s that psychology would see Bulimia Nervosa emerge in epidemic proportions (Anred, 2008), and with it came controversy of epidemic proportions, including how to define and treat the disease. As of today, the DSM 5 defines Bulimia Nervosa as “frequent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate behavior such as self-induced vomiting to avoid weight gain”, hence the term “binging and purging”. As far as the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is concerned, Binge Eating Disorder was not ful... ... middle of paper ... ...er, P. J. L. T. (2004). The Aetiology of Eating Disorders. (Vol. 185, pp. 363-65). The British Journal of Psychiatry. Retrieved from http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/185/5/363.short Grice, D. E., Halmi, K. A., Fichter, M. M., Strober, M., Woodside, D. B., & Treasure, J. T. (2002). Evidence for a Susceptibility Gene for Anorexia Nervosa on Chromosome 1. American Journal of Human Genetics, 73(3), 787-792. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC384957/ Lutter, M., C, H., Moore, J., Ashimi, S., Mason, B., Drawbridge, J., Han, S., Hing, B., & Matthews, A. (2013). Eating Disorder Predisposition is Associated with ESSRA and HDAC4 Mutations. The Journal of Clinical Investigation, 123(11), 4706-4713. American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition. Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Publishing.
The National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions. Pub No. 01-4901. Accessed Feb. 2002.
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
...d with anorexia has increased a lot during the last 30 years which is very heavily influenced with the body image that is presented by the media. Bulimia nervosa was first used in 1979 by Russell to describe one of his patients. Later in 1988 Cooper and Fairburn described bulimia as “a profound and distressing loss of control over eating,” and “irresistible cravings for food”. Today these eating disorders are classified by the DSM V, which I mentioned earlier.
Eating Disorders (EDs) are a series of often life-threatening mental health disorders which are commonly used as coping mechanisms or as ways to mask one’s problems. The causes of these illnesses are still being researched, and the effects they have on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing can often be as long as the sufferer’s life.
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...
Mazzeo, Suzanne E., and Cynthia M. Bulik. "Environmental and genetic risk factors for eating disorders: What the clinician needs to know."
Despite the fact that many people think of an eating disorder as being an unhealthy quest for a perfect body, eating disorders are not about vanity and not really about weight. The causes of eating disorders are not known with precision but are thought to be a combination of genetic, neuro-chemical, psycho-developmental, and socio-cultural factors. Eating disorders are complex, psychological illnesses where people try to control conflict and stress in their lives by controlling food. The food, weight, and body image issues are identifiable symptoms of deep-rooted, often difficult-to-identify problems.
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: Fourth Edition. Arlington : American Psychiatric Association.
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).
ANAD. “Eating Disorders Statistics”. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders, Inc., 2013.Web. 18 Nov 2013.
...chiatric Association. (2012). “Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders” (4th Ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-IV-TR. (4th ed.). (2000). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.