Essay, Research Paper: Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are devastating and harmful behavioral patterns that occur with in people for numerous reasons. The three types of eating disorders I will be discussing include the three most common of the disorders: anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive over eating (known as binge eating). Though the disorders take physical damage on the body, they are not in fact physical illnesses. You cannot catch and eating disorder. Rather, they are mental issues that develop more frequently within females but do affect the male population somewhat as well.
Anorexia is characterized by extremely low body weight and a distorted self body image accompanied with an intense fear of gaining weight. Extreme exercising is also commonly associated with anorexia. An anorexic may allow themselves any where from 100 to 1,000 calories a day. It is not food that turns them off however, it s the preoccupation with gaining weight. Food my in fact may be on their mind constantly. Some develop such obsessions with food that they will develop obsessions with cooking and preparing the foods probably never even tasting them. An anorexic can lose at least 15% to as much as 60% of their normal body weight. Bulimia occurs with or without anorexia symptoms. Individuals with bulimia tend to binge eat then self induce vomiting. However, binge eating is sometimes not a component of bulimia. Individuals may eat normal amounts, and then excuse themselves to the bathroom. Another common trait is the use of laxatives, diuretics, and enemas in thoughts that it will excrete those calories. Bulimics are not necessarily underweight. Some are even over weight if not at a normal weight, and they almost always have a swollen appearance to their stomachs. Compulsive overeating is a disorder in which individuals overeat, often using food as an addictive substance. As others may turn to alcohol, drugs, or gambling to alleviate stress, compulsive overeaters turn to food. Food has many associations with comfort. Compulsive overeaters may feel empty inside, and turn to food to help them feel full. A binge can average from any where between 1,000 calories to 20,000, or even as low as 100 calories.
An eating disorder can develop due to a number of reasons. It could be emotional and personality disorders, family pressures, a possible genetic tendency, not to mention a culture we live in that has an obsession with food and being thin. This is especially true for the young teenage girls, who see the models in the magazines and the young women on television. If one starts to see that image as beautiful as opposed to normal healthy figures than that will be how they desire to look.
Both men and women are at higher risk for eating disorders if they suffer from depression, personality disorder, or substance abuse. Anorexia and Bulimia have typically occurred in teenagers, however, over the past forty years, while they have increased among teenagers, rates have tripled among adult women.
Complications brought on by Anorexia are dangerous. Although many women with anorexia recover after treatment, many remain thin and display traits including perfectionism and a drive for thinness that could keep them at risk for recurrence of the disorder. Recovery usually takes between four and seven years. Many studies of anorexic patients have reported death rates ranging from 4% to 20%. Patients who are at the lowest weights when they are first treated are in the greatest danger. Heart disease is the most common medical cause of death in people with severe anorexia. The heart can develop dangerous rhythms, blood flow is reduced and blood pressure may drop. In addition, the heart muscles starve, losing size. Cholesterol levels tend to rise. An anorexics body does not receive many valuable nutrients it needs to function. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium and phosphate are normally dissolved in the body s fluid. They are particularly important because they affect electric currents that cause the heart to beat regularly. Anorexia causes low levels of reproductive hormones, changes in thyroid hormones, and increased levels of the stress hormones. Long term irregular or absent menstruation is common, which eventually may cause sterility and bone loss. Even after treatment, normal menstruation never returns in 25% of such patients.
Medical problems resulting from Bulimia include teeth erosion, cavities, and gum problems. Bulimic episodes can also result in water retention and swelling and abdominal bloating. Also purging results in loss of fluid and potassium, which cause extreme weakness and near paralysis. Possible ruptures of the esophagus or food pipe have been associated with forced vomiting as well. Bulimics are prone to depression and are also at risk for dangerous impulsive behaviors (like sexual promiscuity). In general alcohol and drug abuse is more common with bulimics than with anorexics; (Cocaine and amphetamines being the drugs most often used). Other behaviors like self cutting and stealing appear in all three disorder; anorexia, bulimia and compulsive over eating.
With compulsive over eating the biggest problems include obesity, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and severe depression. Not to mention that the compulsive over-eater, even if they do not become obese with surely gain weight and with most it will be a bad cycle. They will eat because they feel sad and angry that they are over weight, and continue gaining weight because they abuse food to try to comfort themselves.
Symptoms of bulimia may be very subtle, since women with this disorder practice it in secret, and although they may be underweight, they are not always anorexic. In general, people with bulimia are preoccupied with food and may abuse laxatives, diet pills, emetic (which make you vomit) or diuretics. As with anorexia, those with bulimia may also be compulsive exercisers. The strain of vomiting can sometimes cause broken blood vessels (so redness) in the eyes. Teeth are prone to cavities and to erosion of enamel from excessive acid. The gums may even be diseased and rashes and pimples may break out on the skin. Repeated induced vomiting with the fingers can produce small cuts and calluses across the tops of finger joints.
The primary symptom of anorexia is major weight loss from excessive and continuous dieting. In women, menstruation would be infrequent or absent. The skin may be dry and covered with fine hair, and normal scalp hair may be thin. The feet and hands may be cold and sometimes swollen. The stomach is often bloated after eating. Thinking may be confused of slow, and the anorexic may have poor memory and lack of judgment. Most of all with these two disorders there is a distorted self body image involved. The anorexic or bulimic could look into a mirror and see a completely different body then their own. Any of these symptoms is a warning!
Eating disorders are very scary and life threatening. Though figures say that they mostly occur with in teenage girls it could happen with any one. There is no one reason it happens either. Usually the patient with the disorder (mainly an anorexic or bulimic) will have an obsession with perfection and rituals. Though they are mental illnesses, treatment is available. Psychologically, as well as physically. If you suspect that someone you know has an eating disorder don t ignore it they are very dangerous!