The Causes of Eating Disorders
There is no single cause for eating disorders. A number of factors, including cultural and family pressures, chemical imbalances, and emotional and personality disorders collaborate to produce both anorexia and bulimia, although each disorder is determined by different combinations of these influences. Genetics may also play a small role.
Between 40% to 96% of all eating-disordered patients experience depression and anxiety disorders; depression is also common in families of patients with eating disorders. Bulimic patients are more likely to report having emotional disorders and dysfunctional families than are anorexic-restrictor patients. It is not clear, however, whether emotional disorders are causes, results, or both, of eating disorders.
Some experts claim that depression does not play a causal role, particularly in anorexia, because eating disorders are rarely cured when antidepressant medication alone is the treatment. The severity of the eating disorder is also not correlated with the severity of any existing depression. In addition, depression often improves after anorexic patients begin to gain weight. On the other hand, a number of studies have detected in some people with severe anorexia and bulimia abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the brain), particularly serotonin, that are associated with depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder. These neurotransmitters remain unstable even in recovering patients. Studies are finding that low blood levels of the amino acid tryptophan, a component in food that is essential to the production of serotonin, can produce depression and may also contribute to bulimia. During the dieting stage between binge...
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... bingeing and purging by slowing down, thereby increasing the risk of weight gain from even normal calorie intake. The process of vomiting and use of laxatives may stimulate the production of natural opioids -- narcotics in the brain that cause an addiction to the bulimic cycle.
Biologic Causes for the Perpetuation of Anorexia Nervosa. Hunger often intensifies depression, which can further reduce self-esteem and confidence, increasing the need for renewed vigilance over weight control, thus perpetuating the cycle. On the other hand, some experts believe that certain anorectic people inherit an unusual amount of natural narcotics that are released in the brain under conditions of starvation and may promote an addiction to the starved state. Starvation can also give a false sense of fullness due to reduced stomach activity, making it increasingly easy not to eat.
Eating disorders are serious conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life. The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder. Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on your weight, body shape and food, leading to dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can significantly impact your body 's ability to get adequate nutrition. Eating
Cause of Eating Disorders The Oxford Dictionary defines Eating Disorders as any of a range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits. Eating disorders, such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating are very complex medical problems. Doctors do not know what causes them, or how to cure them; Though they can be treated. It is said that the media causes eating disorders, but eating disorders go all the way back to Ancient Rome (NEDA). Although many people believe
This research plan is about the causes of eating disorders among teenagers. Environmental and personal factors play important roles in determining eating patterns and these need to be examined in order to understand how they are related or not to eating disorders. In so doing, it will also be possible to determine the significance of this research and apply it to the modern-day context. Literature review Introduction Recent studies have shown that eating disorders, termed EDs, are gradually taking
Have you ever wondered how thin can you be before it’s unhealthy? In our society, four out of ten girls are struggling with eating disorders (Ekern). One of the most common types of eating disorders is Anorexia. Anorexia is an eating disorder causing the victim to be consumed by losing weight and how much they eat. The person struggling with this disease is uncomfortable by his or her body weight and wants to lose weight (Segal). Models have extreme physical expectations that they have to live up
Television and Media Advertising Cause Eating Disorders It is funny how so many girls and women today are led to believe that the only way to feel attractive and be beautiful is to have their bodies consist of nothing but skin and bones. Women are dieting more today then they have ever been before. They are striving for an unattainable body figure that is portrayed by the media as being the ideal standard for today's women. It gets worse. Not only are women dieting unlike ever before, but
Binge Eating Disorder Binge Eating Disorder also known as Compulsive Eating Disorder, is a disorder in which a person uses food to deal with their stress and other negative emotions. A person affected from Binge Eating Disorder will secretly and compulsively overeat large amounts of food even if they were not hungry at all. During a Bingeing Episode, it could last several hours or all day, and can be reoccurring several times in one week. Often the foods that are consumed are “comfort foods” such
General Purpose:To inform about eating disorders Specific Purpose:To inform my audience about eating disorders and the different types. Central Idea: Eating disorders are very common and they cause many people to go through hard things. They can affect anyone and once you develop an eating disorder you will have it for the rest of your life it doesn't just go away. People need to become more informed about them so that they are more understanding and can help more. Introduction (Attention getter)Victoria
Eating disorders are becoming increasingly prevalent in today’s society. This type of mental illness is most common in young women who are struggling with their self-esteem. There can be severe health effects to an eating disorder going untreated. Pressures from the outside world are likely to trigger an eating disorder. Empowering those who feel powerless is the most important thing to do when many eating disorders are caused from psychological factors. When America makes eating disorders a serious
has a higher risk of developing an eating disorder that that of other non-athletes. Eating disorders are most commonly found in sports such as ballet and other types of dance, figure skating, gymnastics, swimming, rowing, running, horse racing, and ski jumping. While these are the widely non sports that are affect by eating disorders, even athletes that participate in wrestling and body building can be affected by eating disorder. There is a variety of disorders found in different sports. For example
of society’s standards for both men and women. Eating disorders have been around for a while, but it has become more common throughout the years especially in the 20th and 21st century. As of today body image has become a huge part of our lives, but what many don 't understand is that by paying so much attention to that it causes both men and women to look at themselves differently. Both men and women suffer from body image issues and the main cause of that is having a low self esteem. Self confidence
says those with low self-esteem are most influenced by media. Media is not the only culprit behind eating disorders. However, that does not mean that they have no part in eating disorders. Media is omnipresent and challenging it can halt the constant pressure on people to be perfect (Bagley). Socio-cultural influences, like the false images of thin women have been researched to distort eating and cause un-satisfaction of an individual’s body. However, it is clear that, although virtually all women
heredity in eating disorders. Eating disorders are obviously transmitted inside families, implying that heredity is to be sure an element. While study information have not demonstrated that dietary issues are naturally transmitted from mother to girl, for instance, they do demonstrate a conceivable transmission of temperamental traits or a vulnerability to different stressors that appear to build the danger of creating these disorder (Douglas). Approximately 56% risk of developing an eating disorder is contributed
Eating disorders are more serious than people think; they are caused by genetic, biochemical, psychological, cultural and environmental factors. Researchers have yet to find an exact reason behind these causes, but they can identify many different factors that make people vulnerable to eating disorders. Eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia are not always an obsession of being thin. People of any gender, age or weight could have an eating disorder—and all for different reasons. People that
exercise do not give these people the results they want, many times these individuals turn to eating disorders. In the United States eating disorders have become a reoccurring problem. Anorexia and bulimia make up the two most common eating disorders among all age groups. Anorexia and bulimia threaten the lives of many people in the United States. Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous eating disorder that claims many victims. Anorexia refers to “without appetite,” and nervosa relates to a nervous
relationship with food. Some loves eating while some doesn’t. In such, many of those people tend to develop an eating disorder by knowing or otherwise. Binge eating disorder, Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are some examples of eating disorders. It affects mainly women but also many men and even children. Research of the past two decades has shown that majority of people who have eating disorder are adolescents. (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), 2011). However,