Society is sending a message to young women and men that in order to be beautiful and succesful then you have to be skinny. This notion of losing weight at all costs is causing eating disorders. The effects of eating unhealthy can be deadly. This paper explores the unhealthy effects of eating disorders. EATING DISORDERS 3 The Unhealthy Effects of Eating Disorders Have you ever looked in the mirror and wish you could do something about your weight? After all, what hamburger lovingAmerican can’t afford to shed 5–10 extra pounds? In 1970 when slim became the new curvy, woman—and men alike, became more concerned about their appearance.
Gone are the days when a woman could be proud of her perfect hour glass figure. With the invention of a slim waist line, there also came the birth of eating disorders. From anorexia tobulimia, men and women seem willing to do what ever it takes to follow the newest fad. Eating disorders have an unhealthy effect on the human body, and the consequences are deadly. MerriamWebster defines anorexia as “a serious physical and emotional illness in which an abnormal fear of being fat leads to very poor eating habits and dangerous weight loss. ” (Merriam Webster).
Anorexia can additionally be defined as being 15% under the average weight for your gender, age and height. (Help Guide). “2,000 calories is a rough average of what people eat in a day. But your body might need more or less than 2,000. Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs. ” (HowStuffWorks). Peoplewho suffer from anorexia consume a restricted diet, less than 2,000 calories per day, which causes the body to go into starvation mode and leads to fatal consequences. For the purposes of this essay “starvation mode is defined as a concept where your metabolic rate declines during the process of caloric restriction or weight loss to such a degree that further weight loss becomes impossible or weight gain occurs. ” (Examine).
Occasionally, one who suffers from anorexia might experiment withother strategies to reach their target goal. Bulimia is a type of anorexia and also “a seriousphysical and emotional illness in which people and especially young women eat large amounts of food and then cause themselves to vomit in order to not gain weight. ” (Merriam Webster) The difference between EATING DISORDERS 4 anorexia and bulimiais those with bulimianot onlyhave the desire to lose weight they also have the desire to over eat unhealthy foods and binge.
People who suffer from bulimia feel bad for binging so they purge their body of all excess food. Most people who suffer from anorexia or bulimiawillnot admit that they have an eating disorder, so it’s important to know what signs to look for. One who constantly binges and purges in an endless cycle is probably bulimic. Other symptoms of bulimia include lack of control over eating, secrecy concerning meals and eating inconsistently(ig. binging one day and fasting the next. )Also watch for frequent fluctuations in ones weight.
It’s normal for young adults tofluctuate in weight, but someone who suffers from anorexia/bulimia may lose/gain 10 lbs in a week. Some of the other symptoms that one who suffers from bulimia may observe include weight gain, abdominal pain, bloating, swelling of the hands and feet, chronic sore throat, hoarseness, broken blood vessels in the eyes, swollen cheeks and salivary glands, weakness and dizziness, tooth decay, moth sores, acid reflux/ulcers, ruptured stomach/esophagus, loss of menstrual periods, chronic constipation from laxative abuse, etc. Anorexia has many symptoms. The first, and most obvious, symptom is dieting despite already being skinny.
Anyone who eats a restrictive diet, less than 2,000 calories per day, andonly eats low-calorie food is probablyanorexic. Furthermore anyone who is obsessed with counting calories, gramsof fat, or reads nutrition labels is probably anorexic. Itis sublime tobe knowledgeable of healthy eating habits, but peoplewith anorexia obsess over reading nutritional facts, weighing portions, keeping an eating journal, and reading countless diet and fitness articles and/or books. The third symptom is lying about eating. People with anorexia are great at pretending that they ate or make excuses as to why they are not eating.
A common excuse is: “I had a big breakfast. ” The fourth symptom is always thinking about food. People with anorexia seem to enjoycooking for others and not participating in the meal. They also collect recipes and may keep several copies of food magazines in theirkitchen. The finalsymptom of anorexia is EATING DISORDERS 5 creating unusual eating habits. Such as a fear of eating in front of other people, fear of different foods touching each other, or using a specific bowl or plate (because it holds smaller portions). Along with the common symptoms of anorexia, there are also some lesser common symptoms as well.
There first one, which is growing in popularity, is taking dietary supplements to try and lose weight. These dietary supplements include laxatives and diuretics. The purpose of the pills is to help lose ones appetite for eating. The second lesser common symptom is sticking to a strict or rigorous workout schedule. People with anorexia are ultimately obsessed with their own body weight, so they will follow a uncompromising workout schedule and will workout even harder after enjoying a high-calorie snack that they shouldn’t have eaten. The final, lesser common, symptom of anorexia is throwing up after eating, also known as bulimia.
Having one or two of the above symptoms does not mean that you are anorexic, however, if you have three or more of the symptoms listed above, I stronglyrecommend that you seek medical attention. Manypeople can be anorexic without even realizing that they’re anorexic. According to webmd the causes of anorexia are unknown. Often times, anorexia will run in the family, especially siblings. Research has suggested that peer pressure from family and close friends can psychologically lead to anorexia. Other theories state that anorexia is biological. “Genetics and hormones might have an effect on the development of anorexia nervosa.
Some evidencesuggests a link between anorexia and serotonin, a chemical produced in the brain. ” (Healthline)A second theory suggests that anorexia/bulimia is environmental. “Pressure from society to look thin may also contribute to the development of anorexia nervosa. Pictures on magazines and television can greatly influence young girls and spark the desire to be thin. ” The finaltheory is that anorexia is purely psychological. “Someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) might be more predisposed to maintaining the strict diet and exercise regimen EATING DISORDERS 6 that those with anorexia nervosa often maintain.
People with OCD strive for perfection and may feel like they will never achieve it. ” Our cultures’ vehemence on looking thin canlead tobulimia. When we turn on our television sets we see pictures of women who are unrealistically skinny and society has accepted that as beautiful. Our youth are receiving subliminalmessages thatAmericans are supposed to look thin in order to be beautiful. These subliminal messages lead to low self-esteem. Men, and women alike, who think of themselves as meritless, good-for-nothing and unattractive are more at risk for bulimia. Bulimia can also be set off by major, life-changing, or traumatic experiences.
Puberty, moving out of the house for the first time and ending a relationship are all examples of life-changing events that can possibly lead to bulimia. Finally, activities that are appearance- orientated can lead to bulimia. Dancers, models, gymnasts, sports players and actors are the most effected by this theory. To live with bulimia is to put your body and your life at risk. One who has bulimia constantly has the desire to consume high-calorie foods such as cake, ice cream and fried chicken.
People who suffer from bulimia do not want to over eat because they know that over eating will make them feel bloated. “Life is a constant battle between the desire tolose weight or stay thin and the overwhelming compulsion to binge eat. ” (Help Guide) A blanket of guilt overcomes the person who just binged. Aspanic begins tosets in, the desire to “undo” everything becomes top priority so one reaches his finger to the back of his throat and purges everything out of his system. “The recurrent binge-and-purge cyclesof bulimia can affect the entire digestive system andcan lead to electrolyte and chemical imbalances in the body that affect the heart and other major organ functions.
” (National Eating Disorders). Adolescent women are particularlysusceptible to anorexia and bulimia. This is because adolescent women are more frequently manipulated by subliminal messages on televisions and EATING DISORDERS 7 posters that skinnyis beautiful. Instead of learning to appreciate the human body for it’s natural beauty, we are lead to believe by our peers that no one wants to associate with a fat individual, especially a fat woman. Anorexia usually develops during puberty, and nine out of ten people with anorexia are women. (webmd) Anorexia, on ocassion, may run in the family.
Especially if the family has a young girl who is watching an older sibling deal with anorexia. Thanks to modern medication there are now many ways to treat anorexia and bulimia. The first step in curing any mental illness is admitting that you have a problem and to seek professional medical advice. Step two to curing anorexia/bulimia is knowing your options and choosingwhich option works best for you. The treatments currently available for treating anorexia/bulimia include therapy, medication and hospitalization. In therapy “you and your familymust work hard to overcome anorexia nervosa. Group,family-based, andindividual therapies are often an integral part of treatment. ” (Healthline) This type of treatment has proven to be some-what effective.
The quality of the results that the patient can expect to see is directly coralated tothe amount of effort the partient made in therapy. The second option is medication. “While there is no medication at this time that is proven to treatanorexianervosa, antidepressants may be prescribed to deal with the anxiety and depression common in those with anorexia. These may make you feel better. But antidepressants do notdiminishthe desire to lose weight. ” (Healthline) The finaloption is hospitalization.
“Depending on the severity of your weight loss, your doctor may want to keep you in the hospital for a few days to treat the effects of your anorexia nervosa. You may be put on a feeding tube and intravenous fluids if your weight is too low or if you are dehydrated. If you continue to refuse to eat or exhibit psychiatric issues, your doctor may have you admitted into the hospital for intensive treatment. ” When trying torecover from anorexia/bulimia it’s important to pick the recovery program that works best for you! EATING DISORDERS 8 In conclusion, anorexia is the act of restricting ones diet while bulimia is the act of eating and then throwing up everything one just ate.
The cause of anorexia and bulimia are unknown, however, we do know that the consequences of either can be fatal. Adolescent females are more susceptible to getting a eating disorder because our media is designed to show skinny women as being beautiful. Finally, there are many cures to anorexia and bulimia including therapy, medication and hospitalization. EATING DISORDERS 9 References (n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/anorexia (n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www. merriam-webster. com/dictionary/bulimia Anorexia Nervosa.
(n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www. helpguide. org/articles/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa. htm Anorexia Nervosa. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www. healthline. com/health/anorexia-nervosa#Treatment5 Anorexia: What Causes People to BecomeAnorexic? (n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from http://www. webmd. com/mental-health/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa/understanding- anorexia-basics Health Consequences of Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association. (n. d. ). Retrieved February 5, 2015, from https://www. nationaleatingdisorders. org/health- consequences-eating-disorders .