FREE ESSAY ON EATING DISORDERS

EATING DISORDERS

11-2-01 Eating Disorders
Bulimia is an illness characterized by uncontrolled episodes of overeating usually
followed by self-induced vomiting or other purging. Alternative names for Bulimia are
Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Purge Behavior, and also Eating Disorders. In bulimia, eating
binges may occur as often as several times a day. Induced vomiting known as purging
allows the eating to continue without the weight gain; it may continue until interrupted
by sleep, abdominal pain, or the presence of another person. The person is usually aware
that their eating pattern is abnormal and may experience fear or guilt associated with
the binge-purge episodes. The behavior is usually secretive, although clues to this
disorder include over activity, peculiar eating habits, eating rituals, and frequent
weighing. Body weight is usually normal or low, although the people may perceive
themselves as overweight. 
The exact cause of bulimia is unknown, but factors thought to contribute to its
development are family problems, maladaptive behavior, self-identity conflict, and
cultural overemphasis on physical appearance. Bulimia may be associated with depression.
The disorder is usually not associated with any underlying physical problem although the
behavior may be associated with neurological or endocrine diseases. The disorder occurs
most often in females of adolescent or young adult age. The incidence is estimated to be
3% in the general population; but 20% of college women suffers from it. A cultural and
family de-emphasis on physical appearance may eventually reduce the incidence of this
disorder. There are several symptoms associated with bulimia such as: binge eating
followed by purging, self induced vomiting, inappropriate use of diuretics and laxatives,
menstruation is absent or deceased, and overachieving behavior. 
Bulimia is characterized by a cycle of binge eating followed by purging to try and rid
the body of unwanted calories. A binge is different for all individuals. For one person a
binge may range from 1000 to 10000 calories, for another, one cookie may be considered a
binge. Purging methods usually involve vomiting and laxative abuse. Other forms of
purging can involve excessive exercise, fasting, use of diuretics, diet pills and
enemas.
Bulimics are usually people that do not feel secure about their own self worth. They
usually strive for the approval of others. They tend to do whatever they can to please
others, while hiding their own feelings. Food becomes their only source of comfort.
Bulimia also serves as a function for blocking or letting out feelings. Unlike anorexics,
bulimics do realize they have a problem and are more likely to seek help.
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder associated with a distorted body image that may be
caused by a mental disorder. Inadequate calorie intake results in severe weight loss.
There are a couple of alternative names associated with anorexia such as anorexia nervosa
and eating disorder. 
The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but social attitudes towards body
appearance and family factors play a role in its development. The condition affects
females more frequently, usually in adolescence or young adulthood. Gorging followed by
vomiting (spontaneous or self-induced) and inappropriate use of laxatives or diuretics
are behaviors that may accompany this disorder. Risk factors are being Caucasian, having
an upper or middle economic background, being female, and having a goal-oriented family
or personality. The incidence is 4 out of 100,000 people. In some cases, prevention may
not be possible. Encouraging healthy, realistic attitudes toward weight and diet may be
helpful. Sometimes, counseling can help. There are several symptoms associated with
anorexia, such as: weight loss of 25% or greater, cold intolerance, constipation,
menstruation is absent, skeletal muscle atrophy, loss of fatty tissue, low blood
pressure, dental cavities, increased susceptibility to infection, blotchy or yellow skin,
dry hair, hair loss, and also depression. Anorexia is characterized by a significant
weight loss resulting from excessive dieting. Most women and an increasing number of men
are motivated by the strong desire to be thin and a fear of becoming obese. Anorexics
consider themselves to be fat, no matter what their actual weight is. Often anorexics do
not recognize they are underweight and may still feel fat at 80 lbs. Anorexics close to
death will show you on their bodies where they feel they need to lose weight. In their
attempts to become even thinner, the anorexic will avoid food and taking in calories at
all costs, which can result in death. An estimated 10 to 20% will eventually die from
complications related to it. Anorexics usually strive for perfection. They set very high
standards for themselves and feel they always have to prove their competence. They
usually always put the needs of others ahead of their own needs. A person with anorexia
may also feel the only control they have in their lives is in the area of food and
weight. If they can't control what is happening around them, they can control their
weight. Each morning the number on the scale will determine whether or not they have
succeeded or failed in their goal for thinness. They feel powerful and in control when
they can make themselves lose weight. Sometimes focusing on calories and losing weight is
their way of blocking out feelings and emotions. For them, it's easier to diet then it is
to deal with their problems directly. Anorexics usually have low self-esteem and
sometimes feel they don't deserve to eat. The anorexics usually deny that anything is
wrong. Hunger is strongly denied. They usually resist any attempts to help them because
the idea of therapy is seen only as a way to force them to eat. Once they admit they have
a problem and are willing to seek help, they can be treated effectively through a
combination of psychological, nutritional and medical care. Uncontrollable eating and
consequent weight gain characterize compulsive overeating. Compulsive overeaters use food
as a way to cope with stress, emotional conflicts and daily problems. The food can block
out feelings and emotions. Compulsive overeaters usually feel out of control and are
aware their eating patterns are abnormal. Like bulimics, compulsive overeaters do
recognize they have a problem. Compulsive overeating usually starts in early childhood
when eating patterns are formed. Most people who become compulsive eaters are people who
never learned the proper way to deal with stressful situations and used food instead as a
way of coping. Fat can also serve as a protective function for them, especially in people
that have been victims of sexual abuse. They sometimes feel that being overweight will
keep others at a distance and make them less attractive. Unlike anorexia and bulimia,
there are a high proportion of male overeaters. The more weight that is gained, the
harder they try to diet and dieting is usually what leads to the next binge, which can be
followed by feelings of powerlessness, guilt, shame and failure. Dieting and bingeing can
go on forever if the emotional reasons for the bingeing are not dealt with.In today's
society, compulsive overeating is not yet taken seriously enough. Instead of being
treated for the serious problem they have, they are instead directed to diet centers and
health spas. Like anorexia and bulimia, compulsive overeating is a serious problem and
can result in death. With the proper treatment, which should include therapy, medical and
nutritional counseling, it can be overcome. There are several symptoms associated with
compulsive eating such as: binge eating, fear of not being able to stop eating
voluntarily, depression, self deprecating thoughts following binges, withdrawing from
activities because of embarrassment about weight, going on many different diets, eating
little in public while maintaining a high weight, believing they will be a better person
when thin, feelings about self based on weight, social and professional failures
attributed to weight, feeling tormented by eating habits, and also weight is the focus of
life. Many physical and medical complications can be associated with this disorder such
as: weight gain, fatigue, heart ailments, diabetes, arthritis, embolism, sleep
deprivation, high blood pressure, and cardiac arrest and death. In today's society we are
now seeing more children under the age of twelve developing eating disorders. Anorexia
nervosa and compulsive eating is the most common among such young children, but there are
cases of bulimia being reported. It is estimated that 40% of nine year olds have already
dieted and we are beginning to see four and five year olds expressing the need to diet.
It's a shame that children so young are being robbed of their childhoods. Why is it that
so many young children are becoming obsessed with dieting and their weight? I feel the
family environment has a lot to do with it, along with the fact that children are
constantly being exposed to the message society gives about the importance of being thin.
Children raised in a dysfunctional family are at a higher risk for developing an eating
disorder. In a home where physical or sexual abuse is taking place, the child may turn to
an eating disorder to gain a sense of control. If they can't control what is happening to
their bodies during the abuse, they can control their food intake or their weight.
Self-imposed starvation may also be their way of trying to disappear so they no longer
have to suffer through the abuse. Eating disorders continue to be on the increase in
today's society and not just among teenage girls. Many people believe that eating
disorders affect only teenage girls, but that could not be further from the truth. Women
are under just as much pressure to be thin as teenagers are. We are seeing more and more
women developing eating disorders in their twenties, thirties, forties, and beyond. The
onset on anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating can occur at any time in a person's
life. Even though the reasons for the development of an eating disorder may vary, the
feelings about oneself are usually the same. The women suffer with feelings of self-hate,
worthlessness, low self-esteem, and they usually feel that in order to be happy, they
must be thin. Some may feel their lives are out of control and they turn to the one area
of their lives that they can control, their weight. Others may believe that once they
attain the ideal body image, then their lives will become perfect. Stimulant laxatives
such as Ex-Lax and Correctol are the most common laxatives used by someone with an eating
disorder. Laxatives have little or no effect on reducing weight because by the time they
work, the calories have already been absorbed. The person usually feels like they have
lost weight because of the amount of fluid that is lost. That feeling is only temporary
because the body will start to retain water within a 48 to 72 hour period. This usually
leaves the person feeling bloated and fearing they are gaining weight. This is usually
what leads to repeated use of these products. Laxative abuse can cause bloody diarrhea,
electrolyte imbalances and dehydration. Many people find that after prolonged use they
cannot move their bowels without them. The person may also experience constipation,
severe abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting. Laxative abuse is very dangerous, can lead to
permanent damage to the bowels, severe medical complications and even death. Laxatives
are not always used for the sole purpose of trying to rid the body of calories that have
been consumed. Just like vomiting is used as a way for someone to release built up
feelings and emotions, laxatives can also be used for the same reason. A person may also
abuse laxatives as a way to harm himself or herself. The physical pain resulting from
laxative abuse may be a reason that a person continues to use them. They may believe they
deserve the pain or they may find that dealing with physical pain is easier then dealing
with emotional pain. The sale of diet pills continues to be on the rise in North America.
Many people are lead to believe that they are a safe and effective way to lose weight.
Most diet pills on the market are not safe, can cause serious side effects and have
resulted in death. Popular diet pills such as Acutrim and Dexatrim contain a combination
of phenylpropanolamine and caffeine. Phenylpropanolamine is a stimulant and affects the
central nervous system. It can produce symptoms such as increased heart rate, dizziness,
high blood pressure, nausea, anxiety, irritability, insomnia, dry mouth and diarrhea.
Fenfluramine (Fen-Phen) is also found in many diet pills and it is quite popular. Like
all diet pills, it stimulates the central nervous system and can be addictive. Its side
effects can include diarrhea, high blood pressure, dry mouth, rash, palpitations and
chest pains. Most doctors that prescribe Fen-Phen ignore the manufacturers warnings about
who should use these pills and how long they should be taken. People using them are
usually not informed of the warnings either. The manufacturer of Fen-Phen states that it
should only be used in treating obesity and when the persons weight is at a point where
it is a serious threat to their health. Many doctors claim that Fen-Phen is safe and can
be taken for life. The manufacturer says these pills should not be taken for more than 3
months. Taking them for any longer can put you at risk for developing Primary Pulmonary
Hypertension, a rare but generally fatal lung disease. The life expectancy for someone
that develops Primary Pulmonary Hypertension is less than 3 years. Ephedrine is found in
many diet pills and food supplements and is probably the most dangerous. It has been
linked to many deaths from heart attacks, seizures and strokes. Its side effects can
include irregular and rapid heart rates, nausea, diarrhea, dizziness, chest pains,
breathing problems, headaches, anxiety and cardiac arrest.Diet pills are not an effective
or healthy way to lose weight. They are very dangerous and can lead to serious medical
problems and death.Diuretics