We eat food for our survival while for some; food is a form of leisure, still for some, food becomes a destructive force overpowering their thoughts, feelings and actions leading to serious eating disorders. People may find themselves experiencing disturbances in their behavior of eating. They may indulge in eating more than the required quantity or may consume extremely least quantity of food owing to their feelings of inferiority complex regarding their body weight. Initially they will start with the less quantity of food than what is required for them but later situation becomes out of control for them.
To understand the problem of eating disorder is not very simple, as there are number of complexities involved in it. There are two constituents of eating disorder, the first one is anorexia nervosa and the second one is bulimia nervosa. The third type consists of some eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS), but this category has many diversions for e.g. Binge eating disorder. (The National Institute of Mental Health 2008) Binge eating disorder has been a matter of concern for several researchers and also got tremendous amount of media attention. (The National Institute of Mental Health 2008)
The eating disorder occurs mostly in adolescents or among teenagers, and more in girls or women as compare to men. Only 5 to 15 percent of boys or men face eating disorder as compared to women. It is a medical illness caused due to several psychological and biological reasons. Patients can suffer from severe heart problems or kidney failure, which can even cause death. There are both medical and psychological treatments for eating disorder problem catering to the individual needs of the persons. (The National Institute of Mental Health 2008)
Jamie, 20-year-old Caucasian woman is a typical example of anorexia nervosa. Initially her weight was 70 pounds with height 5’4”, three years earlier she started dieting to loose her weight and got success in that. Again she continued for weight loss program for two more years and attained 64 pounds. Because of the extreme low and sudden reduction in weight, her menstruation stopped but again she kept control on food.
Her anxiousness about her weight would prevent her from absorbing very little quantity of fats and carbohydrates. Even when her friends told her that she looked slim, she was so adamant that she did not believe her friends and always thought that she was fat. In medical terms, her condition is known as anorexia nervosa- condition whereby a person is extremely thin yet they think they are fat and this thought prevents them to eat required quantity of food leading to disorder.
In contrast to Jamie, Abby, 42-year-old can eat for five hours at a stretch and can eat anything what ever comes in front of her, but she tries to control her eating habit by indulging in smoking and exercising. She is suffering from bulimia nervosa associated with eating more than required.
Both the cases of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa show similar symptoms yet they are different. They are same in the sense that both the cases occur after people control their food owing to the risk of getting obese; wanted to have slim body; suffering from depression and anxiety.
In both the cases, people think that they are over weight and this make them to adopt eating habits that in turn become an obsession for them and a cause of several problems and diseases. They are different in the nature and aptitude they adopt in their daily lives. Bulimia nervosa patients are outgoing and caring as compared to anorexia patients.
They try to have a pleasing personality while dealing with others, and are more sexually inclined but they are seen with differing moods, getting easily frustrated and are unable to control their emotions. They also find difficulty in maintaining their friendship, and more over they may face personality disorder. (Comer 2000) People facing anorexia may get dry skin and thin hair; women’s menstrual cycle may stop; may find difficulty in sleeping, concentration and may feel cold.
They may experience constipation, depression, illness, weakening of muscles or their bones may become brittle. On the other hand, symptoms may not be clearly visibly seen among Bulimia patients but continuous vomiting or having laxatives can make the patients get puffy face and swollen fingers. They may have pain in stomach, severe constipation, tooth decay or their muscles also may get weakened. (The National Institute of Mental Health 2008)
The impact that media creates on the people is incomparable to any other medium. People associate themselves with media and from top level executives to workers, and from housewives to women entrepreneurs depend on the media for all their decision making and naturally their eating habits. People are being bombarded by the advertisements showing skinny women as the most sensuous and beautiful luring other women too to follow the same.
Media has become a part of our life and the programs and advertisements being shown by media are not restricted just to propagate slimness and beauty, there are several aspects to it. They are our lifeline and mirror to our lives therefore the need of the hour is to change our outlook and the way we perceive the advertisements and other programs showing images of slim and beautiful girls.
And, here the role of families comes in, as parents can help their kids to understand body images and stress them that values and what they achieve in their lives are more important than how they look. (Kirchheimer 2004) Psychologists can also play the most important role in imbibing upon the people the true meaning of beauty.
The true beauty is not just being physically beautiful but having healthy body and healthy mind, which can come only with proper eating habits that include nutritious food. Doctors and dieticians can help in providing requisite diet chart pertaining to the body weight and height of the individuals.
This diet chart if followed will prevent patients from adopting bad eating habits. But the diet pattern should also be followed with physical and mental exercises. This may involve sports or any other physical or mental activities. Involving in physical and mental activities will help in increasing the self-esteem of girls and also keep them healthy.
Just increasing self awareness and making women realize their intrinsic potential will help in combating media images inducing women of today to get carried away by the slimness phobia and embracing the habits leading to eating disorder.
Reference List
Comer, R. J. 2000. Abnormal Psychology. Worth Publishers.
Kirchheimer, S. 2004. Reality TV Encourages Young People to Develop Eating Disorders. Reality TV. Ed. Karen F. Balkin. San Diego: Greenhaven Press.
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 2008. What Are Eating Disorders? Retrieved on March 28, 2008 from W.W.W: http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders.shtml