Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders

American society has a fascination with weight and being thin. As a result, many people suffer from eating disorders. The two most common types are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Individuals with anorexia nervosa are unwilling to maintain a body weight that is normal or expected for their weight, height and age, whereas individuals with bulimia nervosa regularly partake in discreet periods of overeating. Eating disorders are complex, alarming, and an increasing problem that continues to plague much of the population.

Young people are severely impressionable. Regular exposure to super-thin stars through music videos, movies, television and magazines, may have a negative impact on their self esteem and the way they view their bodies. Today's Hollywood portrays stars as being thin and beautiful, so naturally the young people want to emulate the looks of their favorite stars. This imitation can have devastating and life-threatening effects. Douglas Gentile, director of research at the National Institute on Media and the Family, believes there is a direct correlation between images in pop culture and female body images (Sentinel and Enterprise).

The National Eating Disorder Association defines anorexia as a disorder in which preoccupation with dieting and thinness leads to excessive weight loss. People with this disorder perceive themselves as fat or overweight even though they are severely thin. The process of eating becomes an obsession and as a result, strange eating habits develop. Anorexics may avoid meals, or pick out a few foods and eat them in tiny quantities. They may also carefully weigh and portion their food. People with anorexia may constantly check their weight, and use other techniques to manage their weight, such as extreme and habitual exercise. Purging by vomiting and the use of laxatives and diuretics are also examples of ways they control their weight (NEDA).

The outcome of anorexia nervosa differs with each individual. Some fully recover after a single incident, whereas others have an irregular pattern of weight gain and relapse. The death rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at fifty-six percent for each year, which is almost twelve times higher than the yearly death rate due to all causes of death among young females in the general population. The most common cause of death related to this disorder is complications of the disorder, such as cardiac arrest or even suicide (APA).

Besides society, there are other factors that can prompt a case of anorexia. Family is very important. Often within the family of an anorexic, emotions and problems are silenced. When the family does not offer support or time to listen, it makes it even harder for someone who is battling with the disorder to request help. Asking for help takes remarkable strength and courage, but when the family of someone who has come forward with their problems refuses to acknowledge that the individual needs help, it just makes getting treatment even harder. Many times someone with anorexia has had personal boundaries invaded. He or she might have been hurt physically or sexually. The abuse may not have come from someone in the family, but it triggers feelings of shamefulness, causing the person to starve themselves. Another thing that can increase the self-destruction is verbal and mental abuses, not just from family members, but also from people at school or other people the victim was close with (APA).

Another common eating disorder is bulimia. Merriam Webster defines bulimia as "a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression"(Dictionary). All victims of bulimia are plagued by overwhelming urges to binge on food. During a binge, bulimics often choose foods that are high-fat, high in sugar, and are easy to swallow. Bulimics usually eat in secret. A binge usually lasts about two hours and only stops when the bulimic gets a stomachache, tired, or interrupted (Whitty).

After the binge, purging is the norm. Bulimics usually make themselves throw up or use laxatives, diet pills or diuretics to clear of all the excess food. Some exercise compulsively to undo the damage until the cycle begins all over again. People with this eating disorder often suffer from depression, embarrassment, and guilt after a binge. They realize that their behavior is abnormal, and that they are out of control.

Many celebrities are currently battling eating disorders. Victoria Beckham, or Posh Spice from the Spice Girls, admitted in her autobiography Learning to Fly, that she was suffering from an eating disorder. "In the gym, instead of checking my posture or position,