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The problem with eating disorders
The problem with eating disorders
The problem with eating disorders
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Eating Disorders In civilized societies, there are continuous prizing of thinness than ever before. Occasionally, almost everyone is watchful of their weight. Individuals with an eating disorder take extreme measures to concern where they ultimately shift their mode of eating, this abnormal eating pattern threatens their lives and their well-being. According to Reel (2013), eating disorders are continually misapprehended as all about food and eating. However, there is more to that as the dysfunction bears from emotion concealing a flawed relationship with food, physical exercise and oneself. Persons with eating disorders convey fault-finding, poor self- esteem and intense body discontent. This can lead to extreme distress of gaining weight,
Unhappy about weight- Is a psychological factor where one gets discontented about her weight as she feels she hasn’t got thin enough. Even more severe, after realizing how skinny she has gotten, she still wants to lose even more weight. They end using diet tabs and cutting down the calorie by taking low-calorie food. Dissatisfaction never ends. Illness starts commencing more when they start engaging in high-calorie food as they overheat more than is needed.
b. Admittance/Denial- The distorted perception of the body image, keeps one wanting to lose weight even further. The thought of being happy with slim body surpasses the reality. The individual remains adamant about having a problem. In fact, there is no point of feeling thin enough and the dieting process continuous. Others may admit they have a problem, but due to feeling ashamed, they won’t seek help right away.
c. Withdrawal/Sociable- Those suffering from eating disorder end up withdrawing from family and friends just because they see them as an interference with their strict dieting. In the real sense, they feel hopelessness, depression, and suicide.
d. Solution to the problem- It is when the starvation takes control of the person as losses control over
Binge eating disorder can seriously affect one’s health. The first step is understanding the impact of binge on your health by visiting a specialized doctor. This is important as it addresses any chronic condition that may have developed as a result such as heart diseases, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity-just to name a few. Other than medical perspective, the physiological condition is subject to the interest in curbing binge disorder. Understanding the body such as learning body signals that the body send before and after meals and assessing fullness and hunger is so crucial in managing binge disorder. With time, these healthy measures will pay off and health state is restored.
b) Psychological. It starts with the understanding of underlying feelings, subconscious thoughts and conditions that consciously led to the conclusion that overeating is the best way to go. Although it may prove uncomfortable and challenging at times, understanding willingness or motives to address established thought patterns and behavior are essential in the process of managing and ending binge eating
Eating disorders are not caused by a single source, such as control, but are due to an accumulation of factors including genetics, upbringing, culture, and personality.
One possible factor is biology. A person might inherit a gene from their parents that predisposes them to a susceptibility to eating disorders. While that may not be enough on its own, it certainly starts that person off on the wrong foot and if combined with other factors it can lead to an eating disorder. For example, an individual could inherit a slow metabolism causing them to put on weight faster than others, which in turn could cause them to develop an eating disorder to counteract the weight gain.
Some of the symptoms associated with Binge Eating Disorder are frequent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a short period of time. A person uses the food to fill an empty void that they have and even though the food being consumed temporarily elevates them; Afterwards, a binger feels a sense of guilt, shame, or embarrassment. Due to consuming large amounts, a binger will eat in a secretive location away from others so they don’t feel judged by others. Sometimes a binger feels out-of-control or on auto-pilot when they begin there episode and also may not feel satisfied after bingeing. Binge Eating Disorder usually affects somebody who is overweight or obese, but people of regular weight can also be affected. (Smith, Segal, and J. Segal; February 2014)
Anorexia is an obsessive desire to control ones bodily appearance. It often starts with the refusal to obtain a healthy body weight. “This disorder is associated with under nutrition of varying severity with resulting secondary endocrine and metabolic changes and disruptions of bodily functions” (Kontic et al. 2013). An Anorexic person has a distorted view of themselves which can lead to devastating measures of self-starvation due to an immense fear of weight gain. In the same way, an individual suffering with Bulimia has a fear of weight gain, but goes about their technique in a different manner. Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating or, consuming a large amount of food in a short time followed by guilt. This guilt is the leading factor to the purging stage where the individual will rid themselves of the physical and emotional discomfort. The ridding stage can invo...
Eating Disorders (EDs) are a series of often life-threatening mental health disorders which are commonly used as coping mechanisms or as ways to mask one’s problems. The causes of these illnesses are still being researched, and the effects they have on a person’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing can often be as long as the sufferer’s life.
Binge-eating disorder is defined as an eating disorder in which a person frequently consumes large amounts of food while feeling out of control and unable to stop. Almost everyone overeats every once in a while but for some people overeating crosses the line to binge-eating disorder and it becomes a regular occurrence. Many people who have this disorder may feel embarrassed about eating large amounts of food in front of others however the urge and compulsiveness of this disorder continues to affect their eating habits. Binge-eating disorder is estimated to affect approximately 1-5% of the general population and also tends to affect women slightly more often than men. Binge-eating disorder is often associated with symptoms of depression and people diagnosed with this may often express distress, shame, and guilt over their eating behaviors.
Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.
Unhappy about weight- Is a psychological factor where one gets discontented about her weight as she feels she hasn’t got thin enough. Even more severe, after realizing how skinny she has gotten, she still wants to lose even more weight. They end using diet tabs and cutting down the calorie by taking low-calorie food. Dissatisfaction never ends. Illness starts commencing more when they start engaging in high-calorie food as they overheat more than is needed.
An eating disorder is characterized when eating, exercise and body image become an obsession that preoccupies someone’s life. There are a variety of eating disorders that can affect a person and are associated with different characteristics and causes. Most cases can be linked to low self esteem and an attempt to, “deal with underlying psychological issues through an unhealthy relationship with food” (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood, with females being most vulner...
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.
Nutritional counseling with the help of a registered dietitian is essential in all eating disorder treatments. Binge eating treatments focus on meeting nutritional needs by ensuring the correct vitamins and minerals are included in the diet, for example. The dietician can help adjust the foods consumed to meet changing health needs. Binge eating may be caused by certain biological factors such as a malfunctioning hypothalamus, low serotonin levels and genetic mutation. There are several medications on the market that may help with binge eating, and these should be prescribed by a doctor.
Another reason that an eating disorder can develop is that of other opinions. People can give an opinion thinking that it won’t affect that person. Some people might even say it to make someone feel bad about themselves. People with a low self-esteem feel obliged to listen to people with this mean opinions. For example, your coach
Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.
However, typically individuals will ignore the signs and symptoms and ‘pretend’ they are fine. This is in part due to social stigma about being severally overweight but also the addictive food that is being consumed.
There are many reasons that can contribute to the cause of eating disorders. One of the main reasons seems to be the obsession over every little pound a person is wearing. Sometimes low self-esteem or depression from any number of causes can usher in the eating disorder. Other times compulsive exercising can help shed the pounds but leave the enthused unhealthy looking.