In a society that discriminates against people, particularly women, who do not look slender, many people find they cannot - or think they cannot - meet society's standards through normal, healthy eating habits and often fall victim to eating disorders. Bulimia Nervosa, an example of an eating disorder that is characterized by a cycle of binge eating and purging, has become very common in our society. Although it generally affects women, men too are now coming to clinics with this kind of disease. This is not a new disorder. It can be brought on by a complex interplay of factors, which may include emotional, and personality disorders, family pressures, a possible genetic or biologic susceptibility, and a culture in which there is an overabundance of food and an obsession with thinness. Common signs of this problem are pre-occupation with the body, a need for control and perfection, difficult interpersonal relationships, and a low self-esteem. It seems that irrespective of the initial triggers, bulimia can become a rigid pattern, which is difficult to change. The purpose of this paper is to reason out why bulimia is detrimental to our society. It focuses on its bad effect to the health of an individual and to the society. Perhaps you do not have this kind of eating disorder but you are definitely affected by it. Bulimia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a secretive cycle of bingeing and purging. Binge eating is the uncontrolled consumption of large amounts of food lasting a few minutes to several hours. Purging or ridding the body of food eaten during a binge through self-induced vomiting, laxatives, fasting, severe diets, or vigorous exercise follows this. The cause of bulimia is really unknown. It may develop due to a combination of emotional, physical, and social triggers. The precise reasons for developing it are probably different for each person. Bulimia is more common in western societies, and some people link them to media images of thinness. Being thin is often linked to being successful. Bulimia may occur in several family members. People who have a mother or sister with an eating disorder are more likely to develop one, although it is not clear whether this is due to genetic factors or the learning of certain behaviors. Bulimia nervosa can be extremely harmful to the body. The recurrent binge-and-pu... ... middle of paper ... ...bulimia is and encourage them to fight this kind of disorder. If we will not work it out, this can influence more people leading to a malfunction society because we all know that bulimia is actually detrimental to our society. BIBLIOGRAPHY: Bulimia nervosa. Workplace Blues. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from http://www.workplaceblues.com/mental_health/healthcons.asp BUPA’s Health Information Team. (2003 November). Bulimia nervosa. BUPA. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from http://hcd2.bupa.co.uk/fact_sheets/pdfs/Bulimia.pdf Clark, D. & MacMahon B. (1981). Preventive and Community Medicine 2nd Ed. Boston: Little, Brown and Company. Eating disorder. Bambooweb. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from http://www.bambooweb.com/articles/e/a/Eating_Disorder.html Eating disorders. MoDMH: Division of Comprehensive Psychiatric Services. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from http://www.dmh.missouri.gov/cps/facts/eating.htm Eating disorders. Perth Clinic. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from http://www.perthclinic.com.au/treatmentprograms/eatingdisorders.html Mongeau E. (2001 February). Eating disorders: a difficult diagnosis. Vital Signs. Retrieved January 6, 2005, from www2.mms.org/vitalsigns/feb01/hcc1.html
As she walks into the room, all eyes are on her. She has everything an eighteen year old could ever want. She wears the latest name brand clothes, has beautiful long hair, and of course she has the hostess body. The guys all drool over her every time she walks by. All of the other girls envy her. However, little do they know, this beautiful young woman does not have it all together. She has a secret, and this secret is an eating disorder called bulimia nervosa. For this purpose, the topics that will be discussed are the meaning, symptoms, causes, and treatments for bulimia nervosa.
That can eventually lead to the abuse of diuretics or laxatives because often one can feel a sense of control through that use. Another cause can be genetics. There has been many studies that show evidence of how genetics have an impact on those who become bulimic. For example, if a mother was bulimic, there is a chance that her daughter could become bulimic as well because her mother’s traits may have passed down to her as well. The influence from family, friends, and society has a big impact and can also lead one to become bulimic. Bulimia can be conceived as such a dreadful disorder because it can lead to a serious of chronic diseases and health problems. Bulimia, in severe cases, can even end in death. Although it can lead to lousy relationships, one should never give up on somebody who has bulimia. It is eminently important that one communicates their concerns in a positive and respectful way. One should never place any shame, blame, or guilt on a person with bulimia. It would be best to understand this disorder, and know not to judge, insult, or comment on looks. Those are the best ways to help somebody with bulimia, with an overall sense of calmness and
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating as well as by self-induced vomiting and/or laxative abuse (Mitchell, 1986). Episodes of overeating typically alternate with attempts to diet, although the eating habits of bulimics and their methods of weight control vary (Fairburn et al., 1986). The majority of bulimics have a body weight within the normal range for their height, build, and age, and yet possess intense and prominent concerns about their shape and weight (Fairburn et al., 1986). Individuals with bulimia nervosa are aware that they have an eating problem, and therefore are often eager to receive help. The most common approach to treating bulimia nervosa has been with cognitive-behavioral therapy.
Another factor is low self-esteem. One anorexic said of her low self-esteem, "My goal in life was to please; like a chameleon, I'd change to suit whomever I was with. I always felt I was in the way…" (D., 1). Anorexics with low self-esteem often feel they are worthless and do not deserve to eat. Not only do they not eat, but they constantly berate themselves with insults. They hate their bodies, and cannot realize their true appearance, instead seeing a distorted image. When she weighed a mere 98 pounds, Marcia told herself, "You are a pig. You are disgusting. You must suffer" (D., 5). Bulimics also suffer from low self-esteem and feel ashamed of their behavior. Feeling guilty after eating is a co...
...d with anorexia has increased a lot during the last 30 years which is very heavily influenced with the body image that is presented by the media. Bulimia nervosa was first used in 1979 by Russell to describe one of his patients. Later in 1988 Cooper and Fairburn described bulimia as “a profound and distressing loss of control over eating,” and “irresistible cravings for food”. Today these eating disorders are classified by the DSM V, which I mentioned earlier.
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...
Miller, Charlotte. "Eating Disorders." Doctors, Patient Care, Health Education, Medical Research. N.p., Oct. 2013. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Bulimia is one of the major eating disorders among teens. Bulimia is when someone binges− eats a lot of food in a short period of time− and then purges, ...
Hoek, Hans Wijbrand, and Daphne Van Hoeken. "Review of the Prevalence and Incidence of Eating Disorders." International Journal of Eating Disorders 34.4 (2003): 383-96. Print.
Bulimia nervosa is a slightly less serious version of anorexia, but can lead to some of the same horrible results. Bulimia involves an intense concern about weight (which is generally inaccurate) combined with frequent cycles of binge eating followed by purging, through self-induced vomiting, unwarranted use of laxatives, or excessive exercising. Most bulimics are of normal body weight, but they are preoccupied with their weight, feel extreme shame about their abnormal behavior, and often experience significant depression. The occurrence of bulimia has increased in many Western countries over the past few decades. Numbers are difficult to establish due to the shame of reporting incidences to health care providers (Bee and Boyd, 2001).
Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that needs to be addressed. It affects not only the bulimic, but also the bulimics friends and family. There are many solutions to this problem, but they go unnoticed because people chose to ignore bulimia and its seriousness. We need to spread the word. We need to make people aware of things they choose to ignore just because it isn’t affecting them. We need to make resources such as books, movies, and Prozac more accessible. A person with bulimia should not be scared or embarrassed to reach out to a friend or family member. He/she would want to help in any way they can. No one wants to sit back and watch a loved one suffer, especially if something can be done about it.
Bulimia Nervosa is defined by frequent chapters of binge eating followed by throwing up or regurgitation. The goal from that is to not gain weight from excessive eating. People with Bulimia Nervosa are obsessed with their body shape and weight. Being obsessed with their body and weight can lead to their self-esteem and self-worth being defined by their looks. The reasons for developing Bulimia Nervosa are different for many people. No case is the exact same and it effects everyone different. Some known causes include but, are not limited to, genetic predisposition and a mixture of environmental, social and cultural influences. Someone with Bulimia Nervosa can be lost in a dangerous series of eating out of control and tries to compensate for that which can lead to feelings of disgust, guiltiness, and shame. These activities can become more habitual and uncontainable and lead to being obsessed with food, thoughts about eating (or not eating), weight
Bulimia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder that entails a cycle of overeating followed by compensation in the form of self-induced vomiting or taking laxatives. Bulimia is extremely harmful to the body, even life-threatening. It can disrupt the functioning of organs and destroy the digestive system. Electrolyte imbalances can lead to heart attacks. Frequent vomiting causes inflammation and tooth decay. The use of laxative can lead to chronic bowel movements, and gastric ruptures. Bulimia Nervosa affects 1-2% of young adult women. About 80% of patients that suffer from Bulimia Nervosa are female.
Both bulimics and anorexics are motivated by a desire to lessen weight. Anorexia is explained in Eating Disorders as: “Anorexia nervosa is a condition in which a person starves him or herself. The key feature of this disorder is the refusal to eat enough food, resulting in a body weight that is far below a healthy level” (Keel and Levitt, 3). While bulimia is explained as: “Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating in which an individual feels a loss of control over food consumption and eats very large amounts of food in single sittings” (Keel and Levitt, 7). From this, it is obvious that patients of both disease resort to measures of losing weight.
Matthews, John R. Library in a Book: Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc. 1991