Anorexia: Social Issue

Each year millions of people in the United States are affected by serious and

sometimes life-threatening eating disorders. The vast majority are adolescents

and young adult women. Approximately one percent of adolescents girls develop

anorexia nervosa, a dangerous condition in which they can literally starve

themselves to death. Another two to three percent develop bulimia nervosa, a

destructive pattern of excessive overeating followed by vomiting or other "

purging " behaviors to control their weight. These eating disorders also occur

in men and older women , but much less frequently. The consequences of eating

disorders can be severe. For example, one in ten anorexia nervosa leads to death

from starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide. Fortunately, increasing awareness

of the dangers of eating disorders, sparked by medicall studies and extensive

media coverage, has led many poeple to seek help. Nevertheless, some people with

eating disorders refuse to admit that they have a problem and do not get

treatment. Family and friends can help recognize the problem and encourage the

person to seek treatment.

Anorexia nervosa is a disorder where people intentionally starve themselves. It

usually starts around the time of puberty and involves extreme weight loss.

Sometimes they must be hospitalized to prevent starvation because food and

weight become obsessions. For some, the compulsiveness shows up in strange

eating rituals, some even collect recipes and prepare gourmet feasts for family

and friends. Loss of monthly menstrual periods is typical in women with this

disorder and men with this disorder usually become impotent.

People with bulmia nervosa consume large amounts of food and then rid their

bodies of the excess calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or excersising

obsessively. Some use a combination of all these forms of purging. Many

individuals with bulimia " binge and purge " in secret and maintain normal or

above normal body weight, they can often successfully hide their problem from

others for years. As with anorexia, bulimia typically begins during adolescence.

The condition occurs most often in women but is also found in men. Many

individuals with bulimia, do not seek help until they reach