Body Issues: Is the Media to Blame?

Eating Disorders

-Refers to a group of conditions that are defined by eating habits that involve either insufficient or excessive food.
-The most common ones are Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, binge eating. They primarily affect women, approximately 5-10 million in the US. They also affect males, only about 1 million in the US.
-The cause of eating disorders is not really known, but there is medical evidence of it being linked to other stuff. One case study showed that girls with ADHD were at a higher risk for eating disorders than girls without ADHD. Another one shows that girls in foster care are more likely to develop an eating disorder, such as bulimia nervosa.
-And it's also thought that peer pressure and the media are to blame for the high number of eating disorders because the media places high importance on being skinny, being beautiful, being tall, tan and gorgeous. This can send all the wrong signals.
-The consequences of these can be fatal, with death being the likely end to it, or from comorbid(more than 1 disorder present) conditions, such as suicidal thinking.

Clasification
Anorexia Nervosa(AN):
-Characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight, an obsessive fear of gaining weight, and a VERY unrealistic perception of body weight. Anorexia can cause menstrual cycles to stop, and leads to bone loss, loss of skin integrity. It puts great stress on the heart, increasing the risk of heart attacks, and other heart problems. The risk of death is severely increased in people with this disease.


Now tell me: Is this beautiful? Because I think it's hideous!

Bulimia Nervosa(BN):
-Characterized by recurrent binge eating following by behaviors like self induced vomiting, excessive use of laxatives/diuretics, excessive exercise.


This kind of stuff can wear down your teeth's enamel, causing cavities

Binge Eating Disorder(BED):
-Aka compulsive overeating(COE).


This can cause all kinds of health problems, and increased stress on the heart

Purging Disorder:
-Characterized by repeated vomiting to maintain weight

Rumination
-Characterized by involving the repeatedly painless vomiting of food following a meal which is either chewed or discarded

Diabulimia
-Characterized by intentional control of insulin levels by diabetics in an effort to control weight.

Eating disorders not otherwise specified(EDNOS)
-Refers to a number of disorders. In females, it can refer to a woman who suffers from anorexia but still has her period, someone who may be at a healthy weight, but who ahs anorexic thoughts and behaviors.

Pica
-Characterized by compulsive craving for eating, chewing or licking non-food items containing no nutrition. These can include things like chalk, paper, plaster, paint chips, baking soda, starch, glue, rust, ice, coffee grounds, cigarette ashes. The people suffering from this can't distinguish between food and non food items.

Night Eating Syndrome
-Characterized by morning anorexia, evening polyphagia(abnormally increased appetite for food)

Orthorexia nervosa
-Characterized by a person with an obsession with a pure diet to the point where it interferes with everyday activities.

Causes

Biological
Genetic: numerous cases have stated that there is a possible genetic reasoning for eating disorders
Biochemical: eating behavior is a complex process controlled by the hypothalmus-pituary gland in the brain.
-Serotonin: a chemical in the brain that has an inhibitory effect on eating, also involved in depression
-Norepinephrine: hormone and chemical, if it is in high amounts, it can affect eating behavior
-Dopamine: regulates the rewarding feeling of food

Models
See, this is the reason that so many girls have eating disorders. They look up to these models hoping to be as beautiful as them one day, but if they see these women obsessing with skinniness, these girls are going to be under the impression that in order to be liked, you gotta be skinny. BAD IDEA!