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Alisha Nelson
Professor Lora Harpster
Chapter 8
Related Activity C-2

Eating Disorders
Eating disorders are real, complicated and devastating conditions that have very serious
consequences for ones health and relationships. Eating disorders arent a fad, life-style choice
or a phase; they are serious and usually include extreme emotions, attitudes and behaviors that
surround weight and food. They are severe emotional, mental and physical problems that can
have potentially life-threatening out-comes for both men and women.

In 2011 study found that nearly 20 million women and 10 million men in the US suffer
from an eating disorder at some point in their lifetime (Norjiri). It is common cultural belief that
eating disorders affect white upper-class teenage girls. Eating disorders can affect anyone, but
theres a much higher prevalence among young women particularly between 17 and 24, said
Dr. Amy N. Bausher, a psychologist with Reading Health System who directs a program
designed to help patients battling anorexia, bulimia, binge eating, over eating and other eating
disorders. The prevalence of eating disorders is comparable among Non-Hispanic Whites,
Hispanics, African-Americans and Asians in the United States; with the exception that anorexia
nervosa is still more common among Non-Hispanic Whites (Hudson). While many experts agree
that eating disorders can affect anyone regardless of race, gender or financial background there
are some risk factors for eating disorders. Some of the personality traits that are considered risk
factors are perfectionism, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavior.

Other risk factors

include but are not limited to genetics, socio-cultural pressures to be thin or fit, and the onset of
puberty.

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There are many triggers/contributors that start eating disorders; the most common is to
lose weight. Many people with eating disorders often seek others approval and fear criticism
and instead of being able to express their feelings they turn it against themselves. Some other
triggers can be family/friends that are appearance obsessed, parents that diet often, dance
companies, sports teams, school cliques, theatre groups, media, cultural pressures, teasing or
rape. Most triggers happen at a time transition, shock or loss. Wanting to take control and fix
things, but without really knowing how the person with an eating disorder attacks her/his body
instead of the real problem.

Most people recovering from eating disorders say it started out with them wanting to lose
weight through a diet.

They start with something so simple, but their feeling of guilt for

cheating triggers something in them that makes them promise to be good. That in turn
usually leads to more dieting, which leads to hunger, and so the cycle repeats itself over and
over again.

Eating disorder anorexia nervosa is characterized by an abnormally low weight, intense

fear of gaining weight and a distorted image of body weight. Anorexics often refuse to eat, have
an irrational fear of being overweight and place high value on being thin. There are two types of
anorexics; those who eat very little and those who eat very little and compensate for eating with
intense exercise, enemas, laxatives, diuretics or vomiting (Prah).

Some people with anorexia nervosa binge and purge, which is similar to people with
bulimia nervosa. However, individuals with anorexia often struggle with abnormally low weight,
while people with bulimia are typically normal to above weight. No matter how much weight an
anorexic loses, they always have an intense fear or gaining any weight.

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Bulimia nervosa is also an eating disorder. People with bulimia tend to switch back and
forth from binge eating periods to purging through laxatives, enemas, diuretics or self-induced
vomiting. Similar to anorexia, there are also two types of bulimics; those who binge and then
purge, and then those who binge and then rely on fasting or excessive exercise (Prah).

In many aspects anorexia and bulimia are similar, both disorders are largely linked to
women in their teens to theirs 20s and both are about controlling ones weight, while they are
similar in some ways they are two completely different eating disorders. One of the most
important facts is that bulimia is struggling with how to control ones self from eating too much
while anorexia is where one has too much control to the point where they dont eat. The effects
of anorexia and bulimia to the body are also very different. Anorexics tend to suffer from low
immune system, bone density loss, weakness, liver failure, low blood pressure and other organ
failure because of lack of nutrition. Bulimics side effects are more on the digestive system
because of the habitual purging. Individuals with bulimia suffer severe stomach cramps, acid
reflux, swollen salivary gland, inflammation of the stomach and esophagus and tooth decay.

Both anorexia and bulimia are often view as fad, phase or a life-style, but there are
generally psychological issues at hand that fuel an obsession that goes beyond the scope of
willpower as we know it. Approximately 20% of suffers die from anorexia (Films). Anorexia is so
ruthless that about only 50% of those who suffer from the disorder ever actually recover from it.
Anorexia Nervosa is a mental disorder, and it has the highest mortality rate of any mental
illness. When trying to treat eating disorders, it means treating more than just one illness.

Eating disorders can affect anyone at any time. Many of us know people that have an
eating disorder; we just dont know they have the disorder. Many Americans blame the nations
obsession with appearances for causing eating disorders; but genetics and brain chemistry play
a bigger role then we know.

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Reflective Writing

Many of the documentaries I watched and articles I read opened my understanding of

what eating disorders really are. I fell in to the common cultural belief that people with eating
disorders tend to be white perfectionist type teenage girls. In one of the films I watched it talked
about how many African-Americans tend to be bulimic because of the belief that anorexia is a
white girls eating disorder.

As someone who suffered and still suffers from anorexia it was refreshing to hear that it
isnt just a phase like so many friends and family members have stated. Even when receiving
treatment at a young age I remember the guilt that I felt because of money that was being spent
on me and how I wish it was something that I could just stop. My life and mind exists and
existed in a world of numbers, calories, weight, bites, steps, meals, minutes, and miles.
Reading the information was a great reminder on how far I have come but also a reminder on
the things I still need to continue to do to overcome my illness. It isnt something that happened
over night, its not a choice, its not a phase, and its not a fad. Its a real struggle for many
people and while there is information out there, there needs to be more so that suffers do feel
so alone.

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Work Citied

Films Media Group. (2013) Inside My Mind: Inside Mental Illness. Films on Demand. 11 March,
2015. http://digitalfilms.com/PortalPlaylists.aspx?1835&xtid=57558.
Hudson, J. I., Hiripi, E., Pope, H. G. Jr., & Kessler, R. C. (2007). The Prevalence and
Correlates of Eating Disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey Replication. Biological
Psychiatry, 61. 348-358.
Klumph, L. (1985). Anorexia and Other Eating Disorders. Editorial research reports 1985 (Vol.
II). Washington, DC: CQ Press. 12 March 2015. Retrieved from
http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/cqresrre1985090600
NEDA. (2001). General Information: Anorexia Nervosa. National Eating Disorders Association.
12 March 2015. http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/general-information
Nojiri, M. (2015, Feb 24). Eating disorders are a serious problem. McClatchy - Tribune Business
News. 11 March 2015. Retrieved from
http://search.proquest.com/docview/1657525011?accountid=28671
Prah, P. M. (2006, February 10). Eating Disorders. CQ Researcher, 16, 121-144. 12 March
2015. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/