Eating Disorders Essay, Research Paper
11-2-01 Eating Disorders
Bulimia is an illness characterized by uncontrolled episodes of gorging normally followed by self-induced emesis or other purge. Alternate names for Bulimia are Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-Purge Behavior, and besides Eating Disorders. In binge-eating syndrome, eating orgies may happen every bit frequently as several times a twenty-four hours. Induced purging known as purge allows the feeding to go on without the weight addition ; it may go on until interrupted by slumber, abdominal hurting, or the presence of another individual. The individual is normally cognizant that their feeding form is unnatural and may see fright or guilt associated with the binge-purge episodes. The behaviour is normally close, although hints to this upset include over activity, curious eating wonts, eating rites, and frequent deliberation. Body weight is normally normal or low, although the people may comprehend themselves as corpulence.
The exact cause of binge-eating syndrome is unknown, but factors thought to lend to its development are household jobs, maladaptive behaviour, self-identity struggle, and cultural overemphasis on physical visual aspect. Bulimia may be associated with depression. The upset is normally non associated with any implicit in physical job although the behaviour may be associated with neurological or endocrinal diseases. The upset occurs most frequently in females of stripling or immature grownup age. The incidence is estimated to be 3 % in the general population ; but 20 % of college adult females suffers from it. A cultural and household de-emphasis on physical visual aspect may finally cut down the incidence of this upset. There are several symptoms associated with binge-eating syndrome such as: orgy eating followed by purging, ego induced emesis, inappropriate usage of water pills and laxatives, menses is absent or deceased, and overachieving behaviour.
Bulimia is characterized by a rhythm of orgy eating followed by purging to seek and free the organic structure of unwanted Calories. A orgy is different for all persons. For one individual a orgy may run from 1000 to 10000 Calories, for another, one cooky may be considered a orgy. Purging methods normally involve purging and laxative maltreatment. Other signifiers of purging can affect inordinate exercising, fasting, usage of water pills, diet pills and clyster.
Bulimics are normally people that do non experience secure about their ain ego worth. They normally strive for the blessing of others. They tend to make whatever they can to delight others, while concealing their ain feelings. Food becomes their lone beginning of comfort. Bulimia besides serves as a map for barricading or allowing out feelings. Unlike anorectics, bulimics do recognize they have a job and are more likely to seek aid.
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating upset associated with a deformed organic structure image that may be caused by a mental upset. Inadequate Calories intake consequences in terrible weight loss. There are a twosome of alternate names associated with anorexia such as anorexia nervosa and eating upset.
The exact cause of this upset is non known, but societal attitudes towards organic structure visual aspect and household factors play a function in its development. The status affects females more often, normally in adolescence or immature maturity. Gorging followed by purging ( self-generated or self-induced ) and inappropriate usage of laxatives or water pills are behaviours that may attach to this upset. Hazard factors are being Caucasian, holding an upper or in-between economic background, being female, and holding a goal-oriented household or personality. The incidence is 4 out of 100,000 people. In some instances, bar may non be possible. Encouraging healthy, realistic attitudes toward weight and diet may be helpful. Sometimes, reding can assist. There are several symptoms associated with anorexia, such as: weight loss of 25 % or greater, cold intolerance, irregularity, menses is absent, skeletal musculus wasting, loss of fatty tissue, low blood force per unit area, dental pits, increased susceptibleness to infection, blotchy or xanthous tegument, dry hair, hair loss, and besides depression. Anorexia is characterized by a important weight loss ensuing from inordinate dieting. Most adult females and an increasing figure of work forces are motivated by the strong desire to be thin and a fright of going corpulent. Anorexics consider themselves to be fat, no affair what their existent weight is. Often anorectics do non acknowledge they are scraggy and may still & # 8220 ; experience fat & # 8221 ; at 80 pound. Anorexics near to decease will demo you on their organic structures where they feel they need to lose weight. In their efforts to go even thinner, the anorectic will avoid nutrient and pickings in Calories at all costs, which can ensue in decease. An estimated 10 to 20 % will finally decease from complications related to it. Anorexics normally strive for flawlessness. They set really high criterions for themselves and experience they ever have to turn out their competency. They normally ever put the demands of others in front of their ain demands. A individual with anorexia may besides experience the lone control they have in their lives is in the country of nutrient and weight. If they can & # 8217 ; t command what is go oning around them, they can command their weight. Each forenoon the figure on the graduated table will find whether or non they have succeeded or failed in their end for tenuity. They feel powerful and in control when they can do themselves lose weight. Sometimes concentrating on Calories and losing weight is their manner of barricading out feelings and emotions. For them, it & # 8217 ; s easier to diet so it is to cover with their jobs straight. Anorexics normally have low self-esteem and sometimes experience they don & # 8217 ; t merit to eat. The anorectics normally deny that anything is incorrect. Hunger is strongly denied. They normally resist any efforts to assist them because the thought of therapy is seen merely as a manner to coerce them to eat. Once they admit they have a job and are willing to seek aid, they can be treated efficaciously through a combination of psychological, nutritionary and medical attention. Uncontrollable feeding and attendant weight addition characterize compulsive gluttony. Compulsive overeaters use nutrient as a manner to get by with emphasis, emotional struggles and day-to-day jobs. The nutrient can barricade out feelings and emotions. Compulsive overeaters normally feel out of control and are cognizant their feeding forms are unnatural. Like bulimics, compulsive overeaters do acknowledge they have a job. Compulsive gorging normally starts in early childhood when feeding forms are formed. Most people who become compulsive feeders are people who ne’er learned the proper manner to cover with nerve-racking state of affairss and used nutrient alternatively as a manner of get bying. Fat can besides function as a protective map for them, particularly in people that have been victims of sexual maltreatment. They sometimes feel that being overweight will maintain others at a distance and do them less attractive. Unlike anorexia and binge-eating syndrome, there are a high proportion of male overeaters. The more weight that is gained, the harder they try to diet and dieting is normally what leads to the following orgy, which can b
e 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
