Eating Disorders
The Dangers of Eating Too Much or Too Little
From the younger ages of five and six images are shown to us as to what we SHOULD look like. From TV, to Barbie and Ken, to the models we see in the magazines. Why is it becoming more and more common for a younger child to “diet” and be concerned with their weight? And why does it only get worse as they get older. Could it possibly be that we’re watching mommy and daddy and what they eat and don’t eat? What they will and won’t allow themselves to do? Eating disorders are nothing more than a psychological disorder where the mind is trying to seemingly destroy the body. But what exactly is characterized as an eating disorder? (Fairburn.) Anorexia Nervosa is known to be the most talked about disorder. This disorder mostly affects women in their late teens and early 20s. An anorexic person is known as a person that simply refuses to eat. (Lien). Individuals who suffer from this disorder often see things about themselves that is not present such as extra body fat that is not there. In order to be classified as an anorexic, a person must meet the following criteria; not be able to maintain a healthy weight, being incredibly afraid of gaining weight even though they are underweight, be in denial of one’s condition and current state of body and finally, for women, amenorrhea must be present, which is the absence of three or more consecutive menstrual cycles. (Lien.) But sometimes the problem isn’t eating too LITTLE, it’s eating too much. Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which the individual eats copious amounts of food (bingeing) and then disposes of said food by either vomiting or abusing laxatives. (Brake.) The common signs of Bulimia tend to be someone that eats lots of food in a short period of time with no sense of control. Also, a person that is very secretive about long period spent in the bathroom during and after meals is also a big warning sign.
From the younger ages of five and six images are shown to us as to what we SHOULD look like. From TV, to Barbie and Ken, to the models we see in the magazines. Why is it becoming more and more common for a younger child to “diet” and be concerned with their weight? And why does it only get worse as they get older. Could it possibly be that we’re watching mommy and daddy and what they eat and don’t eat? What they will and won’t allow themselves to do? Eating disorders are nothing more than a psychological disorder where the mind is trying to seemingly destroy the body. But what exactly is characterized as an eating disorder? (Fairburn.) Anorexia Nervosa is known to be the most talked about disorder. This disorder mostly affects women in their late teens and early 20s. An anorexic person is known as a person that simply refuses to eat. (Lien). Individuals who suffer from this disorder often see things about themselves that is not present such as extra body fat that is not there. In order to be classified as an anorexic, a person must meet the following criteria; not be able to maintain a healthy weight, being incredibly afraid of gaining weight even though they are underweight, be in denial of one’s condition and current state of body and finally, for women, amenorrhea must be present, which is the absence of three or more consecutive menstrual cycles. (Lien.) But sometimes the problem isn’t eating too LITTLE, it’s eating too much. Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which the individual eats copious amounts of food (bingeing) and then disposes of said food by either vomiting or abusing laxatives. (Brake.) The common signs of Bulimia tend to be someone that eats lots of food in a short period of time with no sense of control. Also, a person that is very secretive about long period spent in the bathroom during and after meals is also a big warning sign.