Category: Importance of Food

This paper will discuss and explain the topic of eating disorders. This paper will explain how and why people develop things such as anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa. It will explain what researchers think is the reason why people struggle with such issues and how they can get help through many ways of treatment and how they can recover from this potentially deadly disorder. This severe type of mental disorder can destroy a peoples body and how they think, and getting help can be nearly impossible.

What Is An Eating Disorder

Eating disorders can happen to anyone at any time. Eating disorders are a mental illness that affects people’s emotions and how they think. People with eating disorders are constantly watching what they eat and how much food they consume in a day. They are always watching their weight on a scale, making sure they don’t gain anymore. Some of the most common types of eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Anorexia is a type of disorder in which people worry about their weight and what type of food they eat. Some people with anorexia nervosa exercise constantly for hours at a time, eating very little, and monitoring their weight. They restrict the number of calories they take a day, even reducing the calorie intake every day. People think by looking at a person, you can tell if they have an eating disorder. And the truth is, you cannot. They may look healthy on the outside, but mentally and internally, they are suffering. Another is Bulemia Nervosa. This type of disorder involves the person binge eating and later the person with self induce vomiting. People with bulimia tend to have a lack of self-control with eating. They tend to eat too much and want to make themselves “feel better” by vomiting the food they ate so they feel as if they’ve never eaten. And the last is binge eating. This is a severe, life-threatening disorder in which people eat large amounts of food in one sitting. All of these can be life-threatening but is possible to get treatment once a person admits they have a problem. It can be difficult to admit to this problem and that is why people stay quiet for many years about it, so they do not hurt the people around them.

People develop eating disorders for many different reasons. Some people develop this because they do not like how their body looks. This can be called body dysmorphia, which is an obsessive disorder in which people have negative thoughts on their body and how it looks. People develop these disorders because they think society wants them to be thin and to be in shape and healthy. Some other reasons why they develop are due to genetics, biochemistry, or culture (ULifeLine, 2019). Researches have found that eat disorders can run in the family and tend to have a higher rate in children and siblings. With biochemistry, people with eating disorders can have higher levels of chemicals that help regulate one’s appetite, a person’s mood, sleep, and stress levels. People with bulimia and anorexia have a chemical called cortisol which is a stress hormone. Some researchers suggest that people with anorexia have too much serotonin, which can keep them in a constant state of stress. Another way people can have this is due to them lacking self-esteem, or may have trouble coping with one’s emotions. In our society, magazines or books can be labeled “How to lose weight” or “Dieting Foods”. Some other factors can be people looking at another’s body and think to themselves that they wish they had that frame and body shape. Family can play a significant role. A person may have had a troubled childhood or family problems. Both anorexia and bulimia can develop due to psychological issues and can cause serious health damage to one’s body.

Types Of Treatment

Family members and close relatives or friends of a person who is suffering from an eating disorder want that person to seek help and treatment. Some forms of treatment include talking to a psychologist, a dietitian, or a medical specialist. Talking with a psychologist can help the person talk about what they are going through and how they can help them solve their problems. They can help provide medication and refer the person to a psychiatrist for further help. A dietitian can help the person develop a meal plan to help them get back to a healthy weight and help them overcome the fear of weight gain. Seeing a medical and dental specialist can help determine if you have developed any problems while the disorder was occurring. One way of treatment that many people will not go to is rehabilitation, because people assume they will force them to eat. And that is not the case. Rehab helps a person by giving them what they need and they help monitor their vital and weight but do not let the other person know how much they have gained to avoid them from worrying and to stop eating. They can help them work their way back into society and help stabilize their mental state. Within a few weeks or months, a doctor will see improvement, but the person receiving treatment will see it as them gaining or being forced to eat and to be healthy. “One of the greatest difficulties when struggling with an eating disorder is the feeling of complete isolation. The eating disorder has been compared to a ‘best friend’ or even ‘an abusive boyfriend’ as it takes on a role, rather than simply a mindset.

Recovery

Recovery is a process and is a personal decision to make if they want to get help and if they want to recover from a deadly mental disorder. Recovery differs from person to person and can depend on how a person handles recovery. A person would have to recover their physical body, mental health, and emotional state. For people to stay in recovery and to help them recover, a person has to understand what triggers their problems and help them get more involved in activities and connect with other people. It is a difficult process for someone to recover, but once a person seeks help, they can enjoy life once again, and be with loved ones and friends, without having to worry about what they are eating or how many calories they consume. Some people can relapse during recovery, which can delay one’s recovery process. Much like drug or alcohol addiction, people in recovery can often relapse once or twice during their recovery. Some people can experience depression or anxiety when they let go of their eating disorder (Reach Out, 2019). Recovery is possible, but it’s a person’s choice whether they want to receive help or if they want to continue the dangerous lifestyle.

Conclusion

Eating disorders are becoming common in today’s society. People don’t see or want to help someone who has a mental illness, but when a person receives help and is on their road to recovery, they can live a better, more healthy lifestyle with friends and family members.

Katherine Shone is an Advanced Sports Dietitian who consults at Olympic Park Sports Medicine Centre at AAMI Park. She has over 10 years of experience of working with all types of athletes, especially those who do endurance-based sports, such as triathletes, cyclists, swimmers, marathoners and ultra-marathoners. Her strong interest is in athletes with eating disorders and disordered eating. In this forum, Shone discussed the physical and psychological consequences of under-eating in a developed country.

• What is normal eating?

In the culture and time we live in, it is hard to know what normal eating is as disordered eating is prominent. We have the innate ability to control energy intake, hence we know when and how much to eat. An example of this is when children are permitted to decide when to eat and when to stop, they will only eat as much as they need. Hormones act as mechanisms that send signals to the brain so that we understand when we feel hungry (ghrelin) and adjust the concentration of blood when approaching fullness (leptin). However, disruptors, namely stress, drugs, alcohol, exercise, sleep deprivation and most importantly, dieting rules and beliefs, can interfere with our abilities to respond to these signals. Diet refers to the food usually consumed by a person, whereas a diet is anything that tells people what or how much to eat. Examples of diets include paleo, raw food, ketosis and carbohydrate loading. Sometimes, a diet such as carbohydrate loading may be needed by athletes, but essentially it teaches the body to disconnect. Instead of listening to internal cues, someone may be following external cues for how, what, when and how much to eat.

• Impacts of starvation

The physiological and psychological effects of severe and prolonged dietary starvation were discovered in a famous study done in the 1940s, called the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. The first phase of the experiment involved normalising the participants’ diet (normal amount of calories). The second step consisted of a calorie control diet (1500-1600 calories). Four critical changes in participants were noted:

• Physical changes (weight loss, reduction in metabolic rate, slowed pulse, fatigue and pale skin).
• Personality changes (increased depression, anxiety, tiredness and apathy; decreased concentration, mental alertness and ability to control emotions).
• Food preoccupation (a tendency to take longer to eat, consume more tea/coffee and be more possessive of food, alongside an increased interest in food).
• Social behaviour (an inability to see the humorous side of things and social withdrawal as food became the central topic of conversation).

• Impacts of Diets

According to Shone, dieting in the modern world is widely promoted and is offered as the solution to all sorts of problems, from self-esteem to happiness and health. However, dieting often has negative impacts on one’s life. The typical diet cycle starts with restriction, which may involve weight loss as people cut out certain foods or decrease calorie intake for a certain amount of time. Then, they tend to experience deprivation because some foods are cut out of the diet. They will begin to crave and eventually give in, as they start eating the previously restricted foods. The cycle begins again as their guilt leads to starting a new diet to fix the problem. The common symptoms of dieting include being moody, irritable, cold, constantly hungry and thirsty, hair loss, pale skin and constantly obsessing about food.

More importantly, dieting is the highest risk factor for gaining more weight in the long term. This statement was supported by a meta-analysis of US weight loss studies, where 95% of people who diet regain their lost weight, and more than 1 out of 3 people gained extra weight. An explanation of this is that calorie deprivation leads to changes in metabolism and hormones, where the body fights to restore the balance and protect the human against dying of starvation.

Dieting is therefore not the solution to improving health. Instead, people should engage in healthy behaviours/habits, such as exercising and eating more fruits and vegetables. It is crucial to recognize that the role of diet is significant, but it is only a part of many determinants of health.

Shone worked with Sally, a 35-year-old female athlete diagnosed with osteopenia who had not had a period in 7 years. She had dangerously low BMI, body fat and calorie intake compared to what she needed. Hence, she had low energy availability (LEA), meaning she did not have sufficient energy left for metabolism and human requirement (bone metabolism, reproductive function)

• Female Athlete Triad

The Female Athlete Triad was initially developed in the 1990s to explain observations found in female athletes with disordered eating, such as Sally. Later, it was discovered that irregular menstrual cycles, poor bone health and food intake occur along a continuum which an athlete can sit within (refer to Figure 1).

• Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S)

In 2014, Triad was expanded to RED-S, a syndrome referring to impaired physiological functions as a result of the significant deficit between the energy required to support sport and health. RED-S model is more helpful than Triad as it can be applied to explain how all athletes can be affected by the physiological impacts of under-eating shown in Figure 2. It also shows the performance consequences which are crucial as this can raise their awareness of under-eating and its negative impacts (refer to Figure 3). Some underlying causes of RED-S involve poor cooking skills, lack of resources, being too busy and forgetful.

• Eating disorders (ED) in sport

Engagement in sport may be protective, but it can put someone at a higher risk of developing an eating disorder as stated by Shone. Almost half of all female athletes and one in five of male athletes meet the criteria for ED or disordered eating, with high risks in aesthetic, endurance running and weight-class athletes. Some factors that induce ED are genetics, personality traits (perfectionism, neuroticism) and environment/culture (media exposure, thin-ideal). Recently, experts have also suggested that brain structure may play a role in the development of eating disorders.

Conclusion

Shone argued that diets, although prominent in the modern world, are not biologically sustainable and can lead to weight regain, and may destroy one’s relationship with food and self. Instead, healthy behaviours are more important to obtain optimal health status. In athletes, under-eating has detrimental effects on their health and performances, thus they need to be healthy humans first to be better athletes. Finally, Shone notified that anybody should reach out for help if they are struggling with eating and food.

In the fashion industry, models are constantly being put in the spotlight. So being thin is part of their job this can lead to serious health issues. Not just in models, but also in the women and men that see the models all over the media. Fashion is all over the world, but there’s one place that almost all of the famous designers come from. Europe is known for starting fashion trends that others quickly follow. Models in France do extreme diets and go through mental scarring to be “Paris thin”( Katherine L., and S. B. Austin.). Israel, Milan, and Madrid are other European cities that don’t give the required attention to eating disorders in their models. Even though they do have laws about models having a BMI (Body Index Mass) of 120 pounds, having to be over the age of 18. But with the whole world watching it’s not a surprise to see models starve to look “perfect”. ‘It is my job not to eat'(Katherine L., and S. B. Austin) was started by a runway model during an interview with Vogue.

Social media is a blessing but also a dangerous place. Some eating disorders can be developed due to negative perceptions of body image on social media. Back in 2017, there was a hashtag called “thinspo” that was popular on many social media platforms. The social media platform called Tumblr was notorious for having a large community of people who followed “thinspo”. This community consists of people who liked to post pictures of extremely thin women and men. They also shared dieting tips, meal plans, and recipes for low-calorie meals. They would also share their struggles and achievements with their weight loss. Many of the girls posting pictures of themselves looking worryingly thin. Tumblr has tried to stop this type of content from being posted and spread on its platform. In fact, there’s a community of people called inspirational that share their eating disorder transitions and discourage getting help (Chloe Angyal).

The Council of Fashion Designers of America have issued new terms of agreements so that whenever anything related to thinspo is posted then very quickly it is blocked and the account is deleted.“The Council of Fashion Designers of America recently issued a series of guidelines aimed at minimizing professional factors that could contribute to the development of eating disorders in models”(Wintour, Anna). But thinspo is only the tip of the iceberg and it is much worse the deeper you search on the internet to find material related to thinspo and glorifying eating disorders. On social media, many famous singers, actresses, models, and influencers who show their bodies on social media can give young girls a negative image about their bodies. It is crucial for social media platforms to do as much as they can to protect young people from these negative influences. More companies are now promoting body positivity so that men and women can feel perfect just the way they are.

Now that more people are starting to promote body positivity the fashion industry has received major backlash for keeping models so thin and unhealthy, it seems that the future is looking bright. More people are starting to promote the idea that loving your body is important and that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Judging others based on their weight or looks is quickly met with backlash from angry men and women on social media. It is crucial that we teach young people that being healthy is more important than looking exactly like those models on the runway shows. Aiming these problems can help decrease dysregulated eating behaviors and body dysmorphia (Treasure, Janet L., Elizabeth R. Wack). Though many don’t necessarily agree with this point of view. Some think that the body’s positive movement is leading to a problem regarding another eating disorder that is not as widely talked about like anorexia, binge eating disorder. This eating disorder usually leads to obesity and can be deadly. Some people who are obese will use the body positive movement as a shield to protect their unhealthy lifestyle and some have even capitalized from this.“Models are thin. But I do take my position seriously and I wouldn’t want to use very skinny girls.” (Crocker, Lizzie). It is a deadly disorder and it is critical that people realize that being healthy is the most essential thing. Being overweight and underweight are severe problems and neither one should be glorified. As a society, we grow and educate ourselves and we change. In the future, we could see a world where models are not promoting an exaggerated thin physique and instead models are regular healthy average women. This would in turn teach young women and men to be confident in the way they look and have a positive body image.

Eating disorders are known to be more prevalent in women, it is fairly reasonable to question why does the uncivilized society exhibit such gender? Western culture of the contemporary time not only prefers ‘thinness’ in women but also a curvy figure. Is it possible that they are aspects other than social and emotional that influence people to cut down or increase diet and chase the ideal body? People who routinely work out are admired disregarding their miserable mental state since ‘working out is the new sexy norm; which should be chased by all those who want to conform. Nowadays, women also prefer men with six-packs and six feet height; so it can be assumed that there might be some sort of pressure on men as well. Therefore, even if a small percentage of men suffering from eating disorders are well-thought-out, the question I further ask is that why are women more prone to the disorder?

To begin with, what is an eating disorder? It is a state where an individual either eats or diets in an extreme way that confines their daily life activities. In what organ do you think consumption and satiety are being controlled by your body? It is our brain. Then why is it still not acknowledged as a mental disorder in several states or even countries? There are numerous potential reasons: it could be due to the inefficiency of the medical research or techniques, insufficient medical providers, or even economic factors because insurance companies have to pay for an additional range of medical complications. In my opinion, besides the factors mentioned, social acceptance and emotional distress are the major contributors towards eating disorders and not medicinal problems/heritability. The article written by “Garner & Garfinkel about the social factors” stated that the disorder is more common amongst upper-class women than the labor class. It is very likely that these women face persuasion to dress up in a certain way to maintain their ‘successful’ standard in society. The preference of thinness begins during the adolescence stage where girls may either choose professions that require them to be of thin shapes, such as models, dancers, other performers, or just due to social norms.

In the video, “Pretty Hurts”, by Beyoncé, it was observed how models were constantly measuring their waist size and body weight to remain an active contestants in the competition. And from the newspaper advertisement, even though the girls were not professionally enrolled in any career, yet it was proven that those young teenagers were miserable because of their disorder; probably due to social pressures.

Famous pageants like Victoria’s Secrets fashion show, Miss Universe/World, have very strict policies choosing models on the basis of a certain height, body weight, waist, and generally a model figure. These kinds of restrictive rules align the young generations’ minds towards feeling bad about those certain things they are missing. Instead of focusing on the good, they tend to focus on everything that they do not reflect as compared to those models. Overall, career choice and position in society have been known to be promoting the disorder in women.

The gender discrepancy could be rationally attributed to the recent cultural alteration that has impacted individuals, especially women’s, self-concept. Women are naturally more emotional than men. I would not certainly say that they are less confident but due to their emotional side, they are more worried about society’s philosophy about them. Society tends to judge women on their external appearance—the clothes they wear, hair, nails, make-up, etc—men could literally wear the same jean for a whole week and no one would bother. Despite the societal judgment though, the ‘thinner’ thoughts may also procure from the inside.

In comparison, Indian culture is also confined with the thought process of the Western culture, that is, the thinness of women plays a major role. I have experienced real-life instances where the man prefers a skinny wife but disregarding his own body size. Furthermore, even the general audience believes that it will be easier to get the skinny girl married. Given this fact, it can be estimated that many diverse cultures exhibit identical types of feelings.

Women are more probable to suffer from eating disorders, though it is significant to note that it commences during youth years. Adolescents endure a lot of peer pressure all through their school years; they might go through bullying, family matters, emotional & study pressure, and judgments. Teens who have grown up watching Disney Channel may also feel persuaded by those perfect-sized Disney princesses. It is apparent to say that, in general, our society prefers skinny figures; however presenting only one kind of body image on television is not a very good learning message for children. Moreover, social media can be a beneficial and the most devastating thing, depending on the usage. On platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube, we see beauty bloggers and other fitness freaks demonstrating the best of them by posting pictures in different postures. I can undoubtedly comment that we cannot relate to them, so they should not be considered ideal role models. Surrounding yourself with people who would understand you and guide you through these difficult phases of life is very essential as it is one step forward towards treating one’s mental health rights. Peers may body shame one another and as a result, the victim begins to feel depressed and may walk on the path that obliterates their health. Personally, I also feel complex in my own body since I don’t feel as lean as my boyfriend. Therefore, I prefer to have a specific type of body to complement him. I have had instances in my life where I would be worried about what people say or think about me. Although societal judgment is not the only factor that urges me to feel that way, it’s also because of my own inner satisfaction. Therefore, I believe that eating disorders arise from one’s own self-scheme.

Moreover, I do believe that people should not be considerate of what the world thinks of them. This is something that I continue to work on daily—that is to stay away from the negativity and focus on things that are much more important than unintelligent judgments. Nonetheless, people should never comment on someone’s weight gain/loss. A few years ago, I was constantly losing weight and I cannot even describe the happiness that I felt stepping on the weighing machine. The numbers were going down, and so was my health. I had no energy at all, and sometimes while walking my eyes would go blank, so I had to stop right there for a few seconds to revive my vision. I was diagnosed with Tuberculosis at the age of 16 the youngest patient that my rehab center had treated. I lost more than 20 pounds and I looked thinner than ever. Not to mention, I felt miserable at that time because just like those teenage girls I mentioned before, I had to live away from my home for 4 months and that too in an isolated unit.

Therefore, obtuse judgments should not be given such preference that they exceed the human value itself. Our precious time should not be wasted in trying to impress everyone. Even though my story does not include any eating difficulties, I did lose a lot of weight, which was certainly very harmful to my inner body systems. Similarly, weight loss for anorexic patients is indeed very dangerous and may result in life-threatening conditions. Eating disorders must be strictly implemented as mental disorders in all countries in order for individuals to seek proper treatment.

On a daily basis, society is exposed to and influenced by information from different methods that affect the way we perceive our self-image. Negative body image is a sign of a pressing concern known as an eating disorder. This particular mental health disease known as an eating disorder is regarding food and it is a way to cope with challenging problems or wanting to recover the feeling of self-power, thereby maintaining control. An eating disorder is a complex disease that impairs a person’s judgment of how they value themselves with respect to their character and self-confidence. Two common eating disorders are anorexia and bulimia, Specifically, people who endure anorexia nervosa may decline to keep their weight at a healthy weight for their frame by decreasing the quantity of food they eat or exercising a lot more than usual. “Bulimia nervosa involves days of uncontrollable binge-eating, accompanied by purging eliminating food, such as by vomiting or using laxatives. Also, an uncommon eating disorder is binge eating involves periods of over-eating. Ultimately, the primary concern of someone with an eating disorder is their weight. Respectively, their caloric intake, grams of fat, and physical activity are the main focus of their daily life. As a result, this obsession enables them to dismiss the unpleasant emotions or circumstances that are the root of their dilemma, which provides them with a misleading feeling of remaining in command.

The qualitative research of eating diseases is a developing area, with researchers expressly involved in how qualitative study techniques can assist us in understanding limits to consider, social relations, medical assistance, and rehabilitation opportunities. National Eating Disorders Collaboration, 2018) “Recently, the Butterfly Foundation, in collaboration with the Mental Health Commission of NSW, published a practical guide on recovery-orientated practice, ‘Insights in Recovery. A consumer-informed guide for health practitioners working with people with eating disorders”. Furthermore, the qualitative analysis presents a vital contribution to evidence-based applications. Qualitative research has a wide range of use in cerebral health analysis such as obtaining extensive insights on an event, to the growth and examination of a theory. Qualitative methods have been especially suitable for eating disease studies since it strengthens people who use their methods through active support, which allows specialists to aid through listening to various situations.

While qualitative research in eating illness has examined countless fields, two current qualitative investigations have examined the social relations and networks of people with an eating disease before and throughout their hospital stay. Patel requested that seventeen patients from an expert service in the United Kingdom participate in focus groups and individual discussions to investigate communicative functioning among youths with an eating disorder. The research found that youths with an eating disease either stated that they had no close friends before admission or lost their relationship with acquaintances throughout their hospitalization. Sadly, the adolescents believed that they lost contact with the outside environment as a result of lengthy, restless visits and hospital programs strengthening challenges in sustaining connections with friends and companions.“This created a feeling that “life’s going on without [them]”, their social networks were diminishing and they felt a sense of isolation on the transition back to school.” During the growth of bonds, the patients expressed their phobias and social distress, including experience from others and social sensitivity. Therefore, it ended in the worry of being denied.

Therefore, this means they can understand for themselves the incentives they receive in their everyday life and associate their own meanings to them. The increasing clarity of support organizations has inspired a vast amount of social scientific research prepared to expose how organizations benefit volunteers. A significant amount of investigation is derived from the cultures of the social knowledge theory and symbolic interaction. Furthermore, the social movement theory was used to convey the case of eating disorder support groups as the study seeks to investigate how assistance groups invite and maintain sufficient support. Symbolic interactionists look instead to advocate organizations’ value as exchanges for personalized storytelling in which members obtain a vocabulary to express their illness and narrated support that enables reconstructive individuality work. “A meticulous sociological method of support gatherings requires that we only ask how such groups serve members but also examine the processes required for thriving group functioning.” Not to mention, eating disease assistance organizations contribute a great case for investigating support group mobilization. “Eating disorders aid societies are largely unstructured. Moreover, eating disease care association participants are amazingly distinct with regard to their illness struggle.” Usually, the term eating disease summarizes various distinguishing markers. In addition, organizations incorporate participants at many steps into rehabilitation. However, other people have never met the diagnostic guidelines but nonetheless, use the eating disease label as a method to explain and describe their experience. “Successfully incorporating a diverse array of sufferers significantly increases the ability to eat disorder support groups to sustain adequate participation but nonetheless presents a challenge.” Also, social institutions such as schools can lead to a factor of eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge-eating. “Society is a big influence on everyone, especially children and teens. Things like advertisements and social media are very impactful in the eyes of a young person, especially when it comes to body image.” Additionally, there was an article that stated that “earlier this year, sociologists found robust cross-cultural evidence linking social media use to body image concerns, dieting, body surveillance, a drive for thinness and self-objectification in adolescents”. In short, eating disorders continue to be an ongoing and concerning societal issue.

Various tactics can be formed to reduce the influence of social expectations, especially demands for females to be thin. Eventually, teaching children not to be concerned with their weight, which means that they must learn to accept a wide range of body physiques. Additionally, it implies putting limited importance on looks and more importance on their personality and uniqueness. Not to mention, schools should implement an appropriate place for prevention meetings since young females are at greater risk for generating eating dilemmas. Therefore, school counselors and teachers should enhance their knowledge about the problems and continuing factors of eating diseases, particularly girls who are in touch with easily impacted and vulnerable social gatherings. Also, educators should teach students about adopting a broad variety of weights and the risks of dieting. These problems can quickly be included in physical education, science, and health classes. Most importantly, high school students can be involved in conversations about social influences on females to be skinny while avoiding social media. Health specialists who operate in all branches of health care, caregivers and parents, peers, and all other family members can participate by not concentrating on body image and fat, or loss of weight, along with declining to support dieting or the desired weight goal of being skinny as healthy or valuable behavior. Ultimately, we can all diminish the influence of social demands by taking effective action and not placing so much stress on students to exceed in school, while working or social areas as the primary means by which they start to feel good about themselves.

We live in a time of reckoning when it comes to body image and particularly female body image. From marketing campaigns to hashtag campaigns on Twitter that admonish fat-shaming, to international fashion brands incorporating women with healthy body weight into their print and television advertising, it seems like society, as a whole, has only recently begun to accept that there is a significant connection between self-esteem, via the normalization of unrealistic standards of beauty, and eating. It is crucial to understand how one’s socially influenced self-image influences pathological eating habits, including binge-eating and under-eating. From that understanding, pathological eating can be explained in terms of the social stigma of being fat or overweight, and the corrective or compensatory measures people take with their diets to move further away from the stigma.

Body-image

Over the last several decades, dozens of studies have been conducted on the effects that exposure to media images of the ideal female body on young women has on young women. The overwhelming majority of these studies demonstrate adverse effects on self-esteem and body-image (Harrison et al., 2006, p. 507). Women exposed to images of thin models end up feeling worse about their bodies than women exposed to pictures of average and plus-size models (Harrison et al., 2006, p. 508). The unattainable female beauty standards that are normalized and spread by western media, understandably, have a powerful effect on the emotions and mental health of women.

For men, similar effects are observed when the images shown are tweaked for male desires and sensibilities. Men are inclined to believe that their bodies are small and weak when they are shown idealized male bodies (Harrison et al., 2006, p. 508). Concerns over one’s body image, and mainly, dissatisfaction over one’s body, are strong predictors for both dietary restraints, as well as disordered eating. One of the responses to feelings of stigmatization and male body inadequacy is what is commonly referred to as muscle dysmorphia. Men are socialized to believe that similarly, extreme body ideals are the norm and what should be strived for (the actors who appear in superhero movies, comic books, action figures, etc.). This social pressure is also capable of producing disordered eating (such as eating copious amounts of protein and calories to gain weight and extreme dieting to cut weight) (Klimek et al., 2018, p. 352).

The social psychology behind eating disorders is relatively straight forward. Individuals, pressured by the norms and values with which they have been socialized, feel compelled to meet those norms and values. Physical appearance is related to one’s self-esteem, and self-consciousness about one’s body (exacerbated by constant media images and socially sanctioned stigmatizing of those with undesirable bodies) leads to poor self-evaluation (Brechan & Kvalem, 2015, p. 54). In a society where unattainable standards of body perfection and beauty are normalized and inculcated into young minds, people understandably feel overwhelmed by their inability to meet these standards, and, motivated by the cognitive dissonance they experience when comparing their own imperfect bodies to those they see in the media, and perhaps even around them, engage in pathological eating as a corrective measure.

Social stigma and behavior

The social-psychological mechanism behind pathological eating can be explained in terms of the associated stigma. For stigma to occur, people in a society have to do five things: label and distinguish human differences; attribute negative stereotypes to those differences; placement into distinct in and out-group categories; the stigmatized experience status loss and discrimination that create inequality; those doing the stigmatizing have the political, social and economic power to do so (Abu-Odeh, 2014, p. 250-251). Fatness as a stigma is characterized by all five of these aspects. Fat is linked with negative stereotypes such as a lack of self-control, laziness, stupidity, low self-worth, poor social skills, and slovenliness (Abu-Odeh, 2014, p. 250). To be fat is to deviate from the norm and to stand out in a negative sense.

People with poor self-esteem and body-image, understandably, are troubled by the associated stigma and feel an intense drive to correct for it. This, in turn, affects healthy eating habits. This link between social psychology and eating behavior is especially pronounced in young women, where social pressure and achievement threats associated with weight and body type (i.e., fat and overweight women are doomed) precipitate eating disorders (Sanftner & Crowther, 1998, p. 395). With some women, the psychological effects of fat stigmas produce such frequent and unpleasant emotional states, that they end up binge eating, rather than undereating (Sanftner & Crowther, 1998, p. 395).

Conclusion

It is society and social influences on individual psychology that affect eating behavior, especially in young women, but also in young men. The desire to conform to what is perceived to be socially constructed ideals ends up influencing how and what people eat. In young women, the stigma attached to fatness, and the ideal body type portrayed in popular media is different than it is for me. The stigma of being an overweight woman prompts many women to engage in disordered eating that typically includes extreme dieting, undereating, and even regurgitating food after eating. For men, the idealized male form is generally portrayed as the impossibly muscular man. Just as femininity is linked to thinness, masculinity is linked to muscularity. Failing to live up to these ideals and the perception that one is, therefore, stigmatized produces negative emotional states and even mental illness in people, which prompts pathological eating behaviors.

References

1. Abu-Odeh, D. (2014). “Fat Stigma and Public Health: A Theoretical Framework and Ethical Analysis.” Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 24(3): 247-265.
2. Brechan, I. & Kvalem, I.L. (2015). “Relationship between body dissatisfaction and disordered eating: Mediating role of self-esteem and depression.” Eating Behaviours 17(2015): 49-58.
3. Harrison, K. et al. (2006). “Women’s and Men’s Eating Behavior Following Exposure to Ideal-Body Images and Text.” Communication Research 33(6): 507-529.
4. Klimek, P. et al. (2018). “Thinness and muscularity internalization: Associations with disordered eating and muscle dysmorphia in men.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 51(2018): 352-357.
5. Sanftner, J.L. & Crowther, J.H. (1998). “Variability in Self-Esteem, Moods, Shame, and Guilt in Women Who Binge.” International Journal of Eating Disorders 23(4): 391-397.

A popular disorder that affects millions of people is an eating disorder. It’s estimated that at least 30 million people of all ages and gender suffer from this disorder in the U.S. Eating disorders are portrayed as mainly affecting females which may be more than men, but men are just as affected by this disorder, it’s just not talked about. I personally believe that eating disorders should be more talked about, I know when I was in high school no one talked about it there were no lectures on them or anything. It’s so important to develop a positive body image when you’re young and are in school surrounded by so many other influences that promote what they think to be the “perfect body type”. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, and the numbers just keep on growing. Bones become weak, damage to smooch and esophagus, skin gets dry also develops a yellowish tint, low blood pressure, tiredness all the time, infertility, and multiple organ failure and damage. With an eating disorder, the person could get to the point where you can see their bones and just look unhealthy and feel ill but they are still going to have the mentality that they need to lose more weight.

Next, there are so many different types of eating disorders like bulimia nervosa, anorexia, binge eating, night eating syndrome, pica, and rumination. Now mostly the first few mentioned first are the most common well-known eating disorders the rest mentioned above are not really that well known. To start with definitions Bulimia nervosa deals with bingeing and purging food in short periods of time. Getting rid of the food and calories through vomiting, enemas, and laxative abuse. This is when you would see some series of damage to the esophagus and teeth from the hydrochloric acid produced by the stomach, that’s supposed to remain in the stomach. By throwing up constantly you are then damaging the esophagus by the acid coming up it will slowly start deteriorating the lining of the esophagus. Next Binge eating is characterized by periods of compulsive uncontrolled, continuous eating that goes well beyond the point of feeling comfortably full. There is no purging like bulimia, instead, there may be sporadic fasts and repetitive diets. The individual may often feel shame or self-hatred for the binge. Also, the weight is different from the other eating disorders the weight of the individual may be normal to mild, moderate, or severe obesity. This is also similar to binge drinking just subbing out the food for alcohol. Next Pica is a very odd eating disorder defined as persistent eating of nonnutritive substances for a period of at least one month. People will ingest non-food substances like clay, dirt, sand, stones, hair, plastic, paint, wood, light bulbs, burnt matches, and many more things. It’s observed frequently in children since as we know they will put anything in their mouths. Pica is the most common eating disorder seen in individuals with developmental disabilities. It’s also can be one of the most dangerous eating disorders to the body by what they are ingesting even if it’s just a month at a time they ingest nonfood substances, the consequences could be life-threatening. Rumination is a bit different from the other eating disorders dealing with the involuntary or voluntary regurgitation and re-chewing of partially digested food. The food will then be swallowed or expelled, the regurgitation also doesn’t taste sour or bitter to the individual and It has to last for at least a month for it to be diagnosed.

When someone is living with an eating disorder like anorexia which is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. They are consistently obsessing about their calorie intake. How many calories they’re eating, and how many calories they are going to be burning that day. The hunger they experience is always there never going away, so they find other activates to keep themselves occupied which could be something like working out. Also, they must maintain their appearance and just act like everything is okay around family and friends. They have to stress about eating in front of people especially when it’s their parents they’re eating with. By cutting everything up into small pieces and calculating the calories they will be consuming, also what they will have to burn off later. While eating they will also take their time to make it look like they ate a lot when in fact they didn’t. One girl named Nicole posted that upon waking up she immediately goes on a run usually doing 6.5 miles, does 800 sit-ups, and strength training. This is completely insane especially with how many calories that workout would burn when they don’t have calories like that to lose. Anoxia is potentially one of the most common and serious eating disorders. It affects all gender and ages, it is more common in females nine out of ten people with anorexia are females. There are many possible contributors for someone to develop anorexia like psychological, environmental, and social factors the can contribute to the development of this eating disorder. Many experts even believe that this disorder could be part of an unconscious attempt to come to terms with unresolved conflicts or childhood experiences that were painful. Sexual abuse hasn’t been shown to be a contributor to anoxia but instead to bulimia.

From the videos, I have watched on eating disorders they don’t just intentionally happen. It mostly all starts with the individual wanting to lose weight to be more like the people they see on social media or the people they’re surrounded by. For example, when you look at models you only ever see one body type, like with Victoria secret they’ve been criticized for it how their fashion show and ads really just have one body type which is sad. Also with eating disorders, there have been cases of siblings both having an eating disorder and basically making competition on who can lose the most weight. There were two identical twins on a Dr. Phil episode that was extremely anorexic and while the sisters looked at each other they could tell the other twin was underweight and needed to gain more weight. But when they looked at themselves they thought that they looked good when in fact they both looked the same. The point of saying this is that it gets to the point when it’s just psychological that when they look in the mirror they just see all the negative and that they need to lose even more weight.

The cases of eating disorders have increased over the year and seem to keep on increasing. I believe that more awareness should be brought to eating disorders and it should be talked about especially in high school when the minds of children are still developing. Eating disorders all start from the individual wanting to lose weight, so if this is the case then there are healthy ways of going about this that don’t involve starving yourself or making yourself throw up. But then again teaching children that there all beautiful and just to have self-love for their body is a great way to reduce the chances of negative body image thoughts.

There are a lot of illnesses, diseases, and addictions in America today. The one we hear the most about is cancer. Cancer has so many variations and forms. Some are curable and some are fatal. The one disease and addiction we don’t hear and know about is eating disorders. “Eating disorders are a very serious problem”, according to Kathleen Merikangas, Ph.D., senior investigator at the National Institute of Mental Health (Doheny, 2011).

An eating disorder is a condition that causes unhealthy eating habits to form. It starts by skipping meals, eating a large amount of food only to throw it back up. Eating disorders affect teens more so than adults. It starts in school when a teen goes to school and are bullied because they are chubby or not as fit as others. They want to fit in so much that they do things to their bodies just to fit in. Eating disorders can also start at home. It could come from some siblings being smaller than others and they want to gain weight or some being larger and wanting to be smaller. Regardless of the situation it is a very serious mental illness.

There are many eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, Binge Eating Disorder, Avoidant Restrictive Food Intake Disorder, Rumination, and Pica. The three disorders I want to focus on are anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and pica. These are the top three when it comes to eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa is known as a self- starvation issue. It involves a severe and excessive amount of weight loss. Most people who suffer from anorexia often see themselves as being fat or overweight. We may see them in a different light, but when they look in the mirror all they see is a fat person. They have a habit of checking their weight over and over again and they even restrict the amount of food they eat.

Some common symptoms are being seriously underweight, very restricted eating patterns, intense fear of gaining weight, constant unwillingness to maintain a healthy weight, and a distorted body shape despite being underweight (Alina Petre, 2019). Anorexia can have some serious effects on one’s health. Severe thinning of the body, brittle bone due to lack of calcium and vitamin C, thin hair and brittle nails. Anorexia affects women more than men. It usually starts as a young youth or teen.

The next disorder is bulimia. It is the opposite of anorexia. Bulimia involves eating a lot of food at one time known as bingeing. The person will eat a large amount of food and get rid of what they just ate they will purge, known as self- induced vomiting. They may also take things like laxatives, weight loss pills or even go as far as to use an enema. They judge the way they look and always finding flaws to justify their actions. Some signs of bulimia are, being preoccupied with body shape, fearing weight gain, eating large amounts of food at one time, forcing oneself to vomit or extreme exercise and fasting along with calorie restriction (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

Bulimia begins in the late teens. If a relative has an eating disorder, then it can be passed down to other children. Trauma and stress are also contributing factors, as well as depression and substance use. People who suffer from bulimia can develop some serious health complications. They include negative self-esteem, dehydration, severe tooth decay, digestive problems, misuse of alcohol and even suicidal thoughts of suicide (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

There is one more eating disorder to which I would like to discuss. It is a disorder that I didn’t know about until I started my research. This eating disorder is pica. Pica is a disorder where someone craves foods that are not classified as food. These foods include ice, hair, dirt, laundry detergent, dirt, soap or chalk. It occurs in both children and adults. This is a very dangerous disorder as it may cause poisoning, infections and other nutritional deficiencies. When it comes to eating disorders, it is thought that only women suffer from anorexia, bulimia and other eating disorders. Statistics say that “15% of people diagnosed with eating disorders are men” (Varga). The reason this is such a small number, not to be dismissed is that men are less likely to come forward or show signs because of stigmas. Not many people seek help or treatment only about 1 in 10 seek help privately

Some of the factors to help determine if someone has a disorder are genetics which means that if parents or siblings suffer from an eating disorder then it may be passed down from generation to generation. Environment, depending on the environment in which you live, meaning supermodels, bodybuilders, popularity, and success. All of these make life seem like a competition and just trying to fit in could cause someone to develop eating disorders in order to look a certain way and to be accepted. Peer pressure can be a large part of eating disorders for teens. They find themselves being bullied and ridiculed due to their weight and size. Bad relationships and breakups can also lead to these disorders. The eating disorder tends to fill a void when it is felt as if something is not meeting up to certain standards.

All eating disorders are very serious illnesses, but like most illnesses and addictions there is treatment. It may not happen overnight and may not even be cured, but with therapy, it can be controlled. It takes doctors, dieticians, exercise and fitness specialists along with psychologist. With this in mind it takes a whole team to get this sickness under control. Just like with any addiction there has to be an admittance of being an addict. Getting the mind to focus on the problem at hand.

When trying to help someone with an eating disorder it has to be understood that the person will be in denial and may not want help at all. They will get angry and will not want to be bothered about nor will they be willing to talk to anyone. Interventions are sometimes used by family members, but most do not succeed. It is best to try and get them to seek professional medical assistance. Because eating disorders can’t be cured with medicine alone it must be combined with psychological therapy (Mayo Clinic, 2018).

There is help offered on a volunteer basis. A place to start is the National Alliance on Mental Illness. They have a helpline that can answer any questions someone may have pertaining to eating disorders. When trying to overcome eating disorders one of the first things to do is conclude that the disorder is very destructive and hard to control. A good place to start is with a change in lifestyle. Removing themselves from any reminders that may cause negative behavior. Try and identify what may be a trigger to their disorder. It could be friends, or a certain place or even facing the person or thing that is causing the behavior.

Begin to accept themselves the way they are is a good start. Learn to say I love myself and the way I look brings about a positive attitude. Find a role model or mentor who can help to build positive attributes and attitudes. Get involved in new activities that hold their interest to the point that they don’t have time to think of the negative things in your life. Read all of the literature about the disorder to better educate themselves on what caused their disorder and what can be done to overcome it. Find an emotional support group that will support their recovery. A support group will provide someone to share their fears with, without passing judgment. A good family support group is needed as well. The family has to be open to what the person is dealing with. It takes both family and professionals to help to start to heal and overcome this illness.

In conclusion, with the rapid obsession to be fit and all of the new diet fads you never know what a person is going through. There is always a commercial about losing weight and getting in shape. The commercials have the skinniest supermodels with their beautiful bodies and makeup with the perfect smile and hair. Along with this there is always that one person who has been bullied in school talked about on their job or even laughed at by family members just because they are too big.

People who suffer from anorexia and bulimia always see themselves as fat. When they look in the mirror their mind tells them they are fat and then the cycle begins. They lose so much weight until they look like skin and bones. They wear big and baggy clothes just to hide the saggy skin and thin bones. They become very ill with brittle bones due to lack of calcium. Dehydrated due to overeating and then using self-induced vomiting to get rid of what they just ate because they feel guilty for all of the food they just consumed.

Anorexia is said to be the most dangerous of all eating disorders. Eating disorders are not gendered specific. They affect people of all races, ages, sexual orientations, and ethnicities. According to the National Eating Disorder Association more than 20 million women and 10 million men will suffer from an eating disorder at some point in their life (NEDA, 2018).

If you think someone is suffering from an eating disorder don’t ignore them. Don’t put up a façade and thing that they are skinny because that’s the way they are built. Eating disorders are hidden illnesses. Most people are ashamed and don’t want to admit that they have a problem just like anyone with a disorder or addiction would. Never bully anyone because of their appearance simply because you never know what they may be going through. Encouragement goes a long way and could even save a person’s life. Whether it is starving oneself or eating things that are not food and are not to be consumed as in Pica. Eating disorders are very real and deserve more attention than they are given.

References

1. Alina Petre, M. R. (2019, October 30). 6 Common Types of Eating Disorders (and Their Symptoms). Healthline. Retrieved from Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-eating-disorders#anorexia
2. Doheny, K. (2011, March 7). Study: Eating Disorders in Teens Are Common. Retrieved from WebMD: https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/news/20110307/study-eating-disorders-in-teens-are-common#1
3. Mayo Clinic. (2018, May 20). Bulimia nervosa. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/bulimia/symptoms-causes/syc-20353615
4. NEDA. (2018). Retrieved from National Eating Disorder Association: https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/
5. Varga, L. (n.d.). 10 Different Eating Disorders, How to Spot Them and Why They’re So Dangerous. Retrieved from Healthprep: https://healthprep.com/addictions/10-different-eating-disorders-how-to-spot-them-and-why-theyre-so-dangerous/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=2006873986&utm_content=71392442596&utm_term=eating%20disorders&gclid=CjwKCAiAzuPuBRAIEiwAkkmOSIQ

Living in a culture where body image is an important component to a person’s character, the “perfect” body isn’t so perfect after all. Do we the people currently living in this society know how to help those who are affected? The consistent and excessive effort that many people put into weight loss eventually and most commonly lead to an eating disorder. This disorder is more commonly found to affect women, although men are also affected. As it has been proven that eating disorders are very rarely intentional, they could occur shortly after people follow a very strict diet that eventually leads to a lack of nutrients for the human body. Cultural beliefs and social media are huge influences in a variety of eating disorders, people are affected throughout time and may not even realize it. Have you wondered, what truly comes behind eating disorders and what people need to face during this struggle? It is common that people who struggle with an eating disorder tend to feel the necessity of receiving some kind of reward for their appearance after changing their eating habits. Eating disorders are also commonly known to be used as a coping method for people who face difficult times, which eventually leads to a situation that is completely out of there reach to resolve.

What are Eating disorders? Eating disorders are commonly thought to be a choice someone decides to make, but it most definitely isn’t always intentional. Eating disorders are very serious and fatal illnesses that are abnormal eating habits that ruin ones health. Eating disorders are commonly confused with normal eating habits, which is not the case. Although they are known to be a close obsession with the image of losing weight and being thin. The cause of these eating disorders are commonly known to be caused by physiological and social factors. In author Nuna Alberts’ article “Eating disorders 101” she clarifies that “Eating disorders are complex illnesses caused by an interaction of genetic, biological, behavioral, psychological, and social factors, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (Alberts 4). This clarifies the impact that these factors have on eating disorders. An example of these social factors is publicity on social media of other females or males modeling clothing with the “perfect” body. Susan Cowden, a passionate writer, has also stated that “research has shown that adolescent girls who regularly read and look at fashion magazines are two to three times more likely to diet in order to lose weight because of an article.”(Cowden 13). Social media and the advertisements companies make have truly impacted a person’s self confidence by mostly hiring people under a certain amount of weight and using them as the models, to advertise their items. This is a very common issue in today’s society, and more awareness needs to be considered.

Living in a world where everybody is different, diversity lies within all of us. Whether we are speaking about age, ethnicity, gender, race or even sexual preferences we all lie within our own groups, as we hold different preferences and beliefs in all that we do. Would you have ever thought that this would have anything to do with eating disorders? Diversity is an argumentative topic to speak upon, but throughout the studies that people have done on this, it is widely said that eating disorders only affect young, white, and straight, middle class women. Therefore “the misconception that eating disorders do not affect people of color, Lesbian, Gay, bisexual or transgender communitites, men, or older people can be detrimental to diagnois and treatment.”(Muhlheim, Farrar, and Vandemark 2.)

As authors Lauren Muhlheim, Tabitha Farrar, and Dagan Vandemark have stated in there article “Diversity and Eating Disorders” that certain people refuse to even visit a doctor because of the low advantage of even being diagnosed is a serious issue. For example, the studies done in 2006 have discovered that people of color are much less likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder, even after following the same or similar symptoms and behaviors that a white patient would claim to be experiencing. This affects the ability of people with eating disorders to feel comfortable enough to speak about the situation with someone who knows how to professionally help. This same issue tends to occure in gay, lesbian, Bisexual and Lesbian people, although most people diagnosed with eating disorders are woman, it is sure shocking to know that eating disorders are still as common in other genders. “A study published in the International Journal of Eating Disorders examined the prevalence of eating dsorders in bisexual, lesbian and gay communities. Researchers found that out of a small sample of over 500 people, there was a significantly high prevalence of eating disorders among gay men.”(Muhlheim, Farrar, and Vandemark 2).

After having an understanding of this situation involving certain people’s personal preferences, it is important to knowledge that judgment due to a certain diverse group, all types of people are affected physically and emotionally because studies have shown that the sooner an eating disorder is treated, the higher chance of recovery or survival a person has. Overall, a person who is struggling with any of these symptoms must be comfortable and confident enough to know that there are people out there willing to help no matter what your gender is, your age, ethnicity or even sexual preferences are and there needs to be professionals who understand this.

An eating disorder is a serious and potentially life-threatening mental illness that causes a person to have an abnormal relationship with food as well as an obsession with their body weight or shape. It is not considered to be a life choice nor a cry for attention. Eating disorders can occur in both men and woman, young and old, rich and poor, and from all cultural backgrounds. This can affect a person’s day to day life activities (Eating Disorders Victoria, 2016). Hundreds of years ago it was common for woman to practice self-starvation as a religious practice. These women would starve themselves for weeks or eat very little for months at a time. It was believed that by doing so they would show their devotion and dedication to God. These women were believed to be witches and were burned at the stake. In 1689 English physician Richard Morton described the first symptoms of an eating disorder in which he termed “wasting disease”. It wasn’t until 1873 that the term anorexia came to be established by Sir William Gull. It has been said that there was a need for spiritual perfection as well as bodily perfection, which occurred in both males and females (Eating Recovery Center, 2018).

Signs and symptoms

One who suffers from an eating disorder may be due to their Neurons. Neurons send signals to each other using chemicals called neurotransmitters. For eating disorders there are two primary neurotransmitters called serotonin and dopamine. These two primary neurotransmitters play a huge role in how people think and behave as well as their personalities (Ulifeline, 2019). It is more common for woman to suffer from an eating disorder, affecting an estimated 20 million woman and ten million men in the United States today, in which 90 percent of these woman are between the ages of 12 and 25 (National Institute of Mental Health, 2010). Some people struggle with one type of eating disorder while others bounce between one type, to another. Regardless of which type a person is struggling with they are all extremely severe and most times a person can sustain permanent damage. Genetics also plays a large part in eating disorders. After many years of research from medical experts they have found that eating disorders tend to run in families. This is more common in identical twins, even more so than fraternal twins or any other siblings. Research has shown that if one twin suffers from an eating disorder it’s a 50 percent chance the other twin will suffer from one, too. As common as eating disorders are today, it is still generally hard to detect or diagnose because of the fact that most people who suffer from an eating disorder tends to be secretive about it, or may not even realize what they are doing is considered an eating disorder, and because of this, many times it will go undetected for a long period of time, causing severe damage to person. Some of the signs to look out for are emotional changes, when someone typically starts to isolate themselves or avoids meals. A change in behavior, and most noticeably physical changes. A person will typically be a chronic dieter despite being extremely underweight and may also suffer from depression (Mercy Multiplied, 2018-2019).

Types of eating disorders

There are four common types of eating disorders that medical experts recognize. The most common type being anorexia, anorexia is generally developed during adolescence or young adulthood and tends to affect more woman than men (Mercy Multiplied, 2018-2019). They tend to constantly monitor their weight and avoid eating certain types of food, restrict their calories or even just not eat at all. Patients with anorexia tend to weigh at least 15 percent less than the normal healthy weight for their height. Patients with anorexia view themselves as overweight, even if they are dangerously underweight (Mercy Multiplied, 2018-2019). When patients who suffer from anorexia look in the mirror they see a distorted body image that is not there they are the only ones who see this image. They are generally very secretive about their eating disorder because they do not want anyone to get in the way of what they are doing; they tend to wear baggy clothes to cover up the fact that they are severely underweight. These patients have a constant fear of being overweight and will do extensive exercise to be sure to avoid that (Health line, 2005-2019.

The second most common is bulimia nervosa; this is a very serious and life threating eating disorder. Patients with bulimia usually are a normal weight or even overweight. The process of bulimia is usually someone with low self-esteem, who makes unrealistic goals for themselves and when they don’t accomplish what they were out to accomplish they will binge eat, once they are finished eating they will feel extremely disgusted with themselves causing them to force vomit, take laxatives or diuretics. To fit the diagnosis these cycles of binging and purging must be done consistently at least once a week for a period of three months, but can be done as often as multiple times a day (Health line, 2005-2019).

Binge eating is also considered to be an eating disorder, this is when a person consumes an abnormal amount of food in short amount of time while not feeling full, and feels like they have a lack of control over the amount they are consuming. This is usually done for comfort or they are trying to fill a void in their life (Mayo Clinic, 1998-2019). A patient who suffers from binge eating will usually do this in secret due to the embarrassment and feeling ashamed of one’s self. In order for this to be diagnosed they must have recurred episodes of binge eating over a period of at least three months. Lastly, we have pica, pica is an eating disorder where people crave non-food items such as, clay, chalk, dirt, rocks and hair (Health line 2005-2019). The actual reason is unknown however, medical experts have found that it is more common in people who lack certain nutrition and minerals such as iron or zinc, even though the non-food items being consumed do not supply these minerals lacking. This is also most common in patients with autism. Pica can be very dangerous, even, causing poisoning and may result in surgery due to blockage (Health line 2005-2019).

Diagnosis

If a doctor suspected a person has an eating disorder they will typically do several tests and exams to help pinpoint a diagnosis and check to make sure no serious damage has been done to a person’s body. This can take several months or even several years to conclude. It help if parents or loved ones pay attention to the behaviors of their children or loved ones because there will always be signs. It is extremely important to seek help for loved one as soon as possible to avoid any permanent damage or even death (Mayo Clinic, 1998-2019).

Treatment is generally challenging because when a person is suffering from an eating disorder they are usually in denial and do not feel they are doing anything wrong to themselves. The main treatment is done by psychotherapy; this is done by establishing healthy eating patterns. If it’s for anorexia they will normally require them to eat with supervision and if they are unwilling then they will have a feeding tube placed. Often times other physicians and therapist are involved because there can be complications during the course of treatment that require monitoring. There are a number of settings where eating disorders can be treated, such as residential programs where patients stay for several weeks or even months and offer 24 hour supervision and monitoring. Regular office visits which are typically done weekly depending on the severity of the eating disorder (Mayo Clinic, 1998-2019).

References

1. Eating Disorders Victoria (2016). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from https://www.eatingdisorders.org.au/eating-disorders/what-is-an-eating-disorder
2. Eating Recovery Center (2018). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/february-2018/let%E2%80%99s-get-real
3. Health Line (2005-20190). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-eating-disorders
4. Mayo Clinic (1998-2019). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/eating-disorders/in-depth/eating-disorder-treatment/art-20046234
5. Mercy Multiplied (2019). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from https://mercymultiplied.com/eating-
6. ULifeline (2019). Eating Disorders. Retrieved April 01, 2019, from http://www.ulifeline.org/articles/400-eating-disorders-why-do-they-happen