Essay on Eating Disorders

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Bipolar Disorder
INTRODUCTION What is Bipolar Disorder? The word bipolar is defined as "relating to, associated with, or occurring in two polar regions7". Bipolar disorder is a concept described as a mental illness in which a person experiences dramatic mood swings. This disorder affects one in every one hundred p

"A Silent Childhood"
" A Silent Childhood" Childhood is such a precious, yet trenchant part of life. We all have memories of our days as children along with stories of lessons learned. Childhood is reflected by most as being a time of bliss and enlightenment. As I recall my childhood an avalanche of mixed feelings suff

Eating disorders are not severe diets; they are illnesses with severe health risks. There are three different types of eating disorders that include, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Each of these has very different qualities of poor health and very unusual habits. Denial is one of the main elements in these illnesses. It is hard for an individual to differentiate between healthy weight loss and an out of control problem. Friends and family members should watch for warning signs and seek help if the symptoms persist.

First, the most popular of all the eating disorders is Anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa, the technical term, is defined as a significant weight loss from excessive dieting. In basic terms a person with anorexia nervosa starves themselves. It involves extreme weight loss of at least fifteen percent below a person’s body weight. A person with Anorexia Nervosa fears becoming overweight, when in reality they may be just skin and bones. (www.psychcentral.com/disorders/)

Secondly, the next common eating disorder is Bulimia. Identified as, Bulimia Nervosa, it is a cycle of binge eating followed by purging to try and rid the body of unwanted calories. Other forms of Bulimia include abusing laxatives of diuretics, taking enemas, or exercising obsessively. There are two subtypes of Bulimia Nervosa. The first is the purging type, when a person regularly engages in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. The second is the non-purging type, when a person fasts or excessively exercise, but has not regularly engaged in self-induced vomiting or the misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. (www.psychcentral.com/disorders)

Lastly, Binge Eating is the most unnoticed disease of the three. Binge Eating is an uncontrollable eating that results in consequent weight gain. Behaviors of Binge Eating include eating more rapidly than usual, eating until uncomfortably full, even if the individual is not hungry. Most people suffering from binge eating eat alone because they feel embarrassed of the quantity of food they eat. This is why Binge Eating is sometimes overlooked because individuals hide and eat away from others. (www.psychcentral.com/disorders/)

Dr. John Grohol, an affiliate with the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, states that the main targets of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are teenagers. He also states that binge eaters include mainly obese women, or other individuals that are obese. (www.psychcentral.com/disorders/) “The problems of obesity and the tendency to become overweight is much greater in women than in men, because the pressure to be thin and stay thin is far greater on young women. It seems as though most people in our culture feel that a person can never be too thin.” This was quoted from Dr. Michael Myers, MD., a practicing physician, member of NAASO (North American Association for the Study of Obesity)....

Goldberg, Tricia. Signs, Symptoms, and Behaviors of Eating Disorders.

Kaplan, Jane. Optimal Eating: All About Eating Disorders, Nutrition and Healthy Eating. 1998-2000 http://www.optimaleating.com/article.htm

Myers, MD, Michael. Eating Behaviors and Moods. 1996-1999