Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia

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Eating disorders can affect 10 million women and 1 million men in the U.S. (Stephen A. Lenz, 3). The U.S. is a wealthy country, and eating disorders are more common in wealthy countries (Meghan Rosen, 2). The most common eating disorder is Anorexia. The second most popular one is Bulimia. Many people are affected by these diseases every day. The people with these disorders live in a nightmare every day. The people most affected by these disorders are between 15 and 19 (Meghan Rosen, 2), and most teenagers keep it to themselves. They suffer with these disorders every day and the parents have no idea because they don’t know the signs of someone being anorexic or bulimic. I believe that there should be more education for eating disorders to parents in order to prevent them. But what is Anorexia and Bulimia? Anorexia is the deadliest of all mental disorders. This disorder involves malnutrition, excessive weight loss and faulty thinking about eating. People with anorexia are intensely afraid of getting fat and stick to extreme diets or exercise schedules to drop the weight. Many people with anorexia feel out of control. They may use food, dieting, and weight control to feel powerful. On the other hand though, bulimia is different from anorexia. Anorexia means fasting and extreme exercise, while bulimia is binging and purging. Bulimia is an eating disorder caused by frequent episodes of binge eating followed by frantic efforts to avoid gaining weight. Bulimia is classified right now as a distinct psychiatric disorder. Cause of bulimia could be poor body image, low self-esteem, history of trauma or abuse, major life changes or appearance- oriented professions or activities. Most people who are bulimic are overweight. Bulimia ... ... middle of paper ... ...Stephen, et al. "Effectiveness Of Dialectical Behavior Therapy For Treating Eating Disorders." Journal Of Counseling & Development 92.1 (2014): 26-35. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. Robinson, Paul, et al. "Study Protocol For A Randomized Controlled Trial Of Mentalization Based Therapy Against Specialist Supportive Clinical Management In Patients With Both Eating Disorders And Symptoms Of Borderline Personality Disorder." BMC Psychiatry 14.1 (2014): 1-21. Academic Search Premier. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. Graves, Bonnie. "Chapter Four: What Causes Anorexia?." Anorexia. 29. n.p.: Capstone Press, 2000. Health Source - Consumer Edition. Web. 3 Apr. 2014. Smith , Melinda, and Jeanne Segal. "Bulimia Nervosa." : Signs, Symptoms, Treatment, and Help. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Apr. 2014.

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