Argumentative Essay On Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are the most prevalent type of mental illness in the world and are becoming increasingly more prominent with time. One can assume that the previous statement is bold, but it is a fact that more and more people ignore the truth behind eating disorders every day. Eating disorders are easily treatable but the person affected has to be willing to seek help. People agree that eating disorders are bad, but do they understand the horrific effects they have on a person? Most people do not necessarily know the actual effects of eating disorders. They sometimes choose to make assumptions about all the different types of eating disorders and decide to believe that the person affected can stop at any time. People also assume that those

Those who suffer from bulimia go through a process called “binging” and “purging.” To binge, one must consume a large amount of food in a short amount of time. After this binging episode, people might feel guilty and ashamed of their actions, so that is when they begin to purge. Purging consists of making oneself throw up, fast, over exercise and use laxatives to rid oneself of the current food one has just consumed (“What”). Bulimia is an example of a mental illness, and can also lead to death. The shame people can feel after binging is a psychological illness that continues to worsen until the food has left that person's body and they no longer feel ashamed for eating so much and almost ruining their body-image. Those who suffer from this disorder are used to their body only being one size and weight; so, when that positive self-image could potentially be altered, that is when the disorder kicks in and they begin to consume a great amount of food and the cycle repeats

Recent studies show that more and more teenage boys and girls have eating disorders now than ever before (Forgione). Someone is more likely to die from an eating disorder than die from anything else (Brown). For people to see themselves in the mirror and constantly hate the image looking back is hard and frustrating. To be judged in public and online is hard on the mind and body of a person who is already self-conscious. Anyone on the outside would find it difficult to understand completely what is going on in the mind of someone who is suffering from any type of eating disorder. One could be looking at a perfectly healthy girl and she could look at her own reflection and see a “fat” or “unacceptable” body-image staring back her her. It might even be a high school boy who does everything he can to maintain his weight because the guilt he feels after eating could possibly ruin his chances of maintaining his “perfect” weight. A middle-aged woman can be so upset with herself that she eats continuously but never does anything to stop it or change her ways. The many types of eating disorders are truly a disease not a choice. Sarah Schuster says, “These disorders are real--not a fad, not a lifestyle choice--and are about so much more than being thin, despite what many think.” These disorders, or illnesses, are a serious problem that occurs daily in the United States. Someone can