Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Anna Lewis
Professor Thomas
19 March 2019
just in the United States, as well as every hour at least one person passes away as an
immediate result. This makes eating disorders to be a leading cause of death within our
country. A common misinterpretation of eating disorders is that they are created solely
by someone's choice of eating too much, eating too less or not eating the correction
nutrition. Most see eating disorders as someone's lifestyle choices, or they are simply
going through a phase. However they are serious mental disorders. Eating disorders
affect one’s physical, psychological and social ability as well as with life-threatening
consequences and illnesses. Eating disorders affect one's mental and physical health
The first thing to be covered is the different kinds of eating disorders. The most
commonly heard of is Anorexia. This is when someone does not eating enough of the
right nutrients, or does not eat at all In result they lose weight drastically. Anorexia can
be identified in two cases. One is the restricting type which is losing weight through
dieting, over exercising, and fasting. The other is binge eating. This is when one binges
on a big amount of food then cause self induced vomiting and excessive exercise to
make up for it (Healthline, Healthline Media). This eating disorder is most common
within young girls and women trying to meet a certain body image that is advertised to
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and 0.3 percent of men goes through anorexia in their lifetime. There is also a huge
increase in 15 to 19 year old girls (Healthline, Healthline Media). Anorexia victims often
exercise compulsively and refuse to eat in front of others. Anorexia is very damaging to
the body. Over time bones begin to thin, hair and nails become very weak and brittle,
and women can suffer from infertility. In severe cases multi-organ failure and death can
be a direct result. This is because you are depriving your body of the basic nutrients it
needs to fully function and perform the duties it needs to in order to keep one's body
eating disorder to spot, because one's body is so damaged. However others you cannot
spotted from appearance. This is when one sees a major flaw about themself and will
put obsessive focus towards it. In other eating disorders, someone is preoccupied by
their overall weight and body image. In contrary someone who suffers from body
dysmorphic disorder, they are preoccupied with one specific body part such as common
ones like nose, butt, or teeth (“Muscle Dysmorphia & Body Image in Men.”). Most males
who suffer from an eating disorder suffer from Muscle Dysmorphic Disorder. It is
popularly known or “Bigorexia” by social media. This is the most common disorder
excessive time weightlifting to increase muscle mass and panicking over when they
cannot work out and tend to suffer from anxiety when they cannot. Seeing the difference
between regular weight lifting and muscle improvement and MDD is very important.
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huge, and most usual unhealthy amounts of food in a small period of time, then making
amount of weight, begins to diet, and their control of food intake becomes very
important in a negative way could be hurting from this. According to the National Eating
Disorders Association, Someone suffering from Bulimia Nervosa could also look bloated
from fluid retention which is an accumulation of fluid in body tissues and cavity. If
someone has been practicing this for awhile certain dental issues result. These include
enamel erosion and cavities which is because of the recurring action of vomiting. The
fluid found in our stomach is acid which breaks down our enamel. (“Bulimia Nervosa.”
National Eating Disorders Association). Bulimia can have major impacts on someones
body because of the recurring practice of binging and purging. The entire digestive
which affects the heart and more major organs and their functions. This ultimately ends
in organ failure.
Binge-eating disorder is the practice of eating abnormal and big portions of food
in small periods of time repeatedly. Someone who is suffering from this will theoretically
starve themself then eat irregular amounts of food. The patient will have a terrible
relationship with food, as some days they can go without eating anything then the next
Nervosa, 2.8% of adults in america suffer from binge eating disorder in their lifetime.
This is most likely caused by a depression state or suffering from anxiety and or a
trama. If a close relative has had binge eating disorder, that person has a 50% chance
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of inheriting it. Stress is a huge cause of a binge-eating disorder. One is busy focusing
on work, school, their children etc. that they push eating to the side and then makes up
for it. Now this example can be very minor or can progressively get more serious.
There are a lot more eating disorders than the four described above, however
just less common. Pica is a when one eats things that do not provide any nutritional
value. Someone will do this for periods around a month. Substances include dirt, soil,
chalk, paper, hair, cloth, detergent and more (‘’Anorexia Nervosa.” Psychology Today,).
This is most commonly found in people with mental disabilities, young children and
pregnant women. This certainly has drastic impacts on someone's body. Rumination
Disorder is the practice of regurgitating food and then swallowing it again. Such period
will averagely last for at least one month just like pica. One will chew, regurgitate and
swallow or spit out food. This is a voluntary action. People suffering from rumination
disorder need therapy to stop the action because soon they cannot control it happening
(‘’Anorexia Nervosa.” Psychology Today,). Their brain as well as their organs began to
find this action normal, and will not be able to keep food down voluntary. Such teeth
problems also result because the stomach acid breaks down the enamel.
Now that most eating disorder have been explained, it is important to understand
how they are caused. Eating disorders can be caused by many different factors
including genetics, the biology of one's brain, personality traits and cultural beliefs.
Biologically speaking, having a close relative who suffers from an eating disorder or a
Psychological Association). To add, different twin studies show evidence that eating
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disorders can be hereditary. For twins who were separated at birth, if one of them
develops an eating disorder from their own personal experiences, the other has a 50%
chance of potentially developing one even if they did not share the same experiences.
This is due to both twins sharing the same brain chemistry (‘’Anorexia Nervosa.”
uncommon for people to not like their body, but people with an eating disorder are more
likely to see this to an extreme (“Risk Factors.” National Eating Disorders Association).
It is also known that the majority of people who suffer from anorexia have anxiety
Culturally, our society has been a main source of causing eating disorders. There
are perceived pressures of having to be thin and to have a certain body type. These
stem out of influences such as beauty models advertised and obesity warnings.
other sports that enforce low weight and certain body image for that sport. A study
conducted by Karin de Bruin and Raôul R.D. Oudejans was investigating how body
image contributes to eating disorders from a women athlete perspective. The results
showed a major distinguishment within women athletes. It was found that rowing
athletes said their eating disorder did not have to do with negative body image but was
rather caused because they had to be a certain fit and shape for their sport. Eating
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disorders can majorly be caused by adolescents trying to excel in their athletic sport,
with food. Discrimination, bullying and stereotyping solely based on someone's weight
are all major contributors in our society. Society promotes the idealistic “thin” and to
young children being exposed to this, that is what they associate the correct body type
to be. Teasing, bullying, and weight shaming are another big social influence. According
to the National Eating Disorders Association 60% of people who were affected by an
eating disorder stated that bullying was a major contributor to the development and
It is very important to seek treatments and get help for such illnesses. According
unnoticed. Less than 13 percent of teens and young children with eating disorders
receive treatment. This is due to the fact that adolescents do not want to be
embarrassed of their disorder and often rather push it to the side and hide it so loved
ones don't realize. When these kinds of disorders are not treated they leave devastating
consequences. People suffering from anorexia have a death rate 18 times higher than
much of an eating disorder comes from how a patient sees themselves. Some methods
psychologists use to improve one's self image is replacing destructive thoughts and
behaviors with positive ones. For example, someone with anorexia will constantly think
that they are overweight and fat. A psychologist would try to reverse this thought to
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something more positive like body positivity. They try to focus more on health rather
personal relationships with themself, family and close friends. Most often one's
relationship with food is damaged from a trauma they experienced, such as bullying,
abuse, sport body image etc. Psychologists aim to help the patients recover from this
event so they are able to be comfortable and confident within themself. (“Eating
The sooner treatment starts the more likely it is to work. the longer these such eating
habits continue, the more serious and regular they become, and also being harder to
psychiatric pathologies. The lack of progress in treatment development, proves that little
to none is known about the pathophysiologic mechanisms that are responsible for the
development of an eating disorder. Trying to find an effective treatment for such eating
disorders has been a struggle for most doctors, psychologists, nutritionists and or
anyone in the health related field. Some researchers found new focuses, such as the
function of a biological system. They help show relations to a root of an disease, that
associated traits, that can better explain the relationship between underlying genes and
Different parts of the brain influence how an eating disorder is created. The
dorsolateral prefrontal cortex is like the self control center of the brain. It helps stop and
limit impulsive decisions. In people who suffer from anorexia, this part of the brain tends
to be over worked as the person refuses to give in and eat food. Anorexia is starving
your body, and one has a natural reaction of craving food. The visual cortex, located in
the back of the brain, processes perceived information. The visual cortex of anorexics
compared to healthy brains is increasingly active when thoughts of food come up. The
ventral striatum, located in the inner part of the brain, is a piece in the brain's reward
rewarding. This causes the person suffering from anorexia to lose enjoyment in food.
The insula, located under the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, controls feelings such as
pain and hunger. This part of the brain is majorly damaged when suffering from any
eating disorder because it will not be able to distinguish sweets and other signals
correctly.
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Rosen).
sugary treat which is shown in yellow, and then does not receive it, shown in blue. The
woman's brain reward circuitry is more activity than a woman who is at a healthy weight
There have been multiple new develops in the field of eating disorders. Angela
expressed very good breakthroughs relating to insurance and how we tackle eating
disorders financially. There has been a development of two federal laws, the Mental
Health Parity Act, as well as the Affordable Care Act. These both make more people
eligible for treatment of such eating disorders. The Affordable Care Act does not allow
insurance to deny coverage for an already existing condition. It also provides coverage
for youth up to 26 years under their parents’ insurance. This is most important because
it is more likely someone develops an eating disorder in their teens. (Guarda, Angela).
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She then follows stating that the major problem with treatments of eating disorders is
that residential treatments for anorexia require months to years of treatment for patients
to restore their healthy weight. But the guidelines created by insurance for medical
needs to help ongoing hospitality or residential care are very strict. Even if patients
qualify for a long period treatment, insurance will only cover part of weight restoration.
In conclusion, eating disorders affect one's mental and physical health greatly,
and cannot be solely confined into what one eats. Most see eating disorders as
someone's lifestyle choices, or they are simply going through a phase. Eating disorders
affect one’s physical, psychological and social ability and with life-threatening
consequences and illnesses. Eating disorders affect one's mental and physical health
greatly, and cannot be solely confined into what one eats. The understanding of the
significance of this will greatly impact those who suffer from it, and can help prevent it in
the future.
Work Cited
www.psychologytoday.com/us/conditions/anorexia-nervosa.
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/bulimia.
de Bruin, A. P.(Karin), and Raôul R. D. Oudejans. “Athletes’ Body Talk: The Role of
Contextual Body Image in Eating Disorders as Seen Through the Eyes of Elite\
Women Athletes.” Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, vol. 12, no. 4, Dec.
sinclair.ohionet.org:80/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=
true&b=s3h&AN=133922561&site=eds-live.
Association, www.apa.org/helpcenter/eating.
www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/endophenotype.
Guarda, Angela. “Expert Q & A: Eating Disorders.” Warning Signs of Mental Illness,
2018, www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/expert-q-and-a.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3621725/.
www.bddfoundation.org/muscle-dysmorphia-body-image-in-men/.
www.rameynutrition.blogspot.com/2013/11/neuroimaging-improves-
understanding-of.html.
www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/risk-factors.
anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorder-
types-
and-symptoms/.
Media, www.healthline.com/nutrition/common-eating-disorders#section 3.