Bulimia and Anorexia Is a Growing Epidemic in America

Bulimia and anorexia is a growing epidemic in America. Bulimia and Anorexia can start at any age, but is most common between the ages of 11-17 years old. Of all the individuals that experience this illness only 50% of all of them are ever cured, and another 6% that suffer from this horrible illness will experience death. This illness has become very deadly to our young adults.

Bulimia and anorexia can cause a distorted image in a persons mind because they truly believe they are overweight. In their minds they are beyond doubt obese. Even if the person weighs only 95 pounds. This sickness has the person thinking they are overweight. This could bring about a severe bout of depression. Once the person hits the stage of depression professional help is needs because the feeling of being overweight and depression could put the individual over the edge.

Individual experiencing Bulimia go on what is called eating binges. Eating binges are when people eat longer amounts of food in less then two hours. (Internet3) Then after they binge they feel guilt or shame so they need to undo their behavior. To undo their behavior they make themselves vomit, or they take laxatives, water pills or starve themselves. (Cauwel21) Binge and poring usually occurs more than two times a week for at least three months. (Internet1)

What cause bulimia and anorexia? It can be brought on by stress or depression, but most often dieting causes it. (Erichsen 12) Stressful situations such as death can bring about bulimia and anorexia. Also many young adults frequently experience sessions of depression for various circumstances during their adolescent’s years. But, again most of the time bulimia and anorexia is trigger by dieting. (Moe 21) Many psychological factors play a big role in the cause of bulimia and anorexia. People that have a fear of growing up sometimes have incidents with anorexia because they think that if they stop eating they want get older or bigger. (Erichsen15)

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People need to take control of themselves if they are anorexia or bulimia because they can control how much they eat or if they want to eat.

(internet1) If a person feels out of control because of difficulties at home they should control what they eat or if they are going to eat.

The people that suppress anger need to release it and get it out.

If there is a major life change, such as divorce, family problems, loss of relationship, or if they move to a new place.(internet2) They to make sure they are in control of themselves. They need to make sure that they eat and decide how much to eat so that they will not become an easy target to fall in the same old trap.

Some of the symptoms for anorexia and bulimia are not very noticeable. A signs of this behavioral is a person’s refusal to eat, or the person being very picky about what they eat. The

Also another symptom could be if the person is on a continuous diet and exercise all the time. (Erichsen) In addition if the person is sensitive to the cold weather or cold items this could be a sign too. People that have fear of gaining weight or becoming fat can as well become sufferers of this illness. The person that eats a lot of food, but their weight still stays the same can experience this problem. If a person goes to the bathroom after meals this could be a problem. If there are signs of vomiting or a smell of vomiting.(internet3)

Many girls worry about their bodyweight, but that does not mean

that they are anorexia or bulimia. Some of the boys and girls that have this illness can look in a mirror and see themselves as fat, but the real picture is that they are as thin as a sheet of paper. (Moe15) Some girls become anorexia so they can lose their menstruation cycle.(Moe10) This allows them to experience swelling of the lower