eating disorders

Eating Disorders are health conditions defined by insufficient or excessive food intake. They can have very negative effects on individual’s physical and mental health and include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors towards weight and food. They can have life-threatening consequences for both males and females who suffer from a type of disorder. There are four specific types of eating disorders which all have different effects on the human body.
Anorexia Nervosa:
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that causes you to be obsessed with losing weight, so much so that you starve yourself. It is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women and it has one of the highest death rates of any mental illness. 5-20% of people who suffer from anorexia will die. It can be a life- threatening disease when not treated correctly so it is important to notice the warning signs as well as the symptoms.
Warning Signs/Symptoms:
1. Dramatic weight loss.
2. Denial of hunger and constant excuses to avoid meals.
3. Excessive exercise, the need to burn off calories.
4. Anxiety about gaining weight.
5. Low self-esteem toward body image.
Anorexia can have a huge effect on your health. It can cause muscle loss and weakness, kidney failure, severe dehydration, hair loss and many other things. One main thing it can cause is heart failure due to low blood pressures and abnormally slow heart rates.
Bulimia Nervosa:
Bulimia Nervosa is a disease that causes you feel guilty about eating and as a result you use self-induced vomiting as a way to “get rid of the calories.” 80% of patients with bulimia are female and it affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adults. It can cause and also be the effects of depression and the risk of death...

... middle of paper ...

...s not only affect adults but also young children 81% of all 10 year olds are already afraid of being fat.
Men with different eating disorders are often afraid to get treatment because of the disease being a “women’s disorder.” Around 10-15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male. In magazines and on TV men’s bodies are shown as lean and muscular while women’s are shown as small and skinny. This creates an idea that those are the only way bodies are supposed to look.
Lots of people suffer from eating disorders yet most are unable or too afraid to get help. They can cause people to feel inadequate and for them to have very low self-esteem. People die from anorexia and bulimia almost daily without the proper treatment. Once the disorders start they cause lots of physical and emotional destruction, it’s important to seek professional help before it’s too late.