History of Eating Disorders

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Over time, many diseases and famines have spread across the globe. In the modern, developed world, different, yet equally severe, problems have arisen. One of the leading complications in today’s society is eating disorders. These relentless disturbances are known for being lethal and for ravaging the world. First off, an eating disorder is defined as the “deadliest mental illness”, according to the Victorian of Newport Beach. It is primarily associated with three major types of disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Binge Eating, and Bulimia Nervosa. Each sickness has its own side effects, as they all involve different methods of consumption, but all can result in death due to heart failure. The first disorder listed, Anorexia Nervosa, or simply anorexia, is the restriction of nutritional intake in the form of food to the point of starvation. Sufferers of anorexia are called anorexic, and are typically extremely underweight. Next on the list, the intake of abnormally massive amounts of foodstuff, either in a single sitting or throughout the day, is known as Binge Eating. Those affected by Binge Eating are generally overweight or obese. Finally, Bulimia Nervosa is the ingestion of food, normally in large amounts similar to that of a binge eater, followed by a form of purging. Purging can be either vomiting, abuse of laxatives, excessive exercise, or fasting (Cowley). Though it is not common knowledge, eating disorders have been around since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. The people of the time thought it to be “healthy” to periodically purge. Later on, around Ancient Roman times, small rooms, known as vomitoriums, were built for the rich and elite. These rooms served as a place to dispose of half-digested food, as to make more space in ... ... middle of paper ... ... situation escalates quickly. Keep an open mind try to understand the person’s perspective. Educate yourself on the risk factors of the illnesses and subtly point them out to the affected person. Even a little bit of attention can make a significant difference to the person suffering from an eating disorder. Works Cited Brown, Nancy Ph. D. Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Palo Alto Medical Foundation, n.d. Web. 13 Fer 2014. Bulimia Nervosa Resource Guide. ECRI Institute, n.d. Web. 17 Feb 2014. Cowley, Robert; Gibson, Della; Sewell, Chanda. History of Eating in the United States. WordPress, n.d. Web. 27 Jan 2014. Smith, Michelle; Emry, Kristine; Karimkhani, Valeh; Brown, Jerry; Miller, Evan; James, Allyssa; Brokaw, Andrea; Narvaez, Dawn; Gordon, Becky; Bailey, Susan; Waite, Allison; Lamoure, Robin. Victorian of Newport Beach. The Victorian, n.d. Web. 3 Feb 2014.

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