Binge Eating Disorder example essay topic

In a society that persists to prize themselves upon thinness, it is difficult for one to not blame others for their constant anxiety over weight. Eating disorders have been identified as a problem since 1689, and over the decades, the number of people afflicted with this illness has only increased furthermore. Depriving oneself of food to the point of collapsing or gorging on vast amounts of food only to vomit subsequently seems inconceivable. Yet this is a way of life to increasing numbers of women and men of all backgrounds and nationalities. Experts estimate that "5% of adolescent and adult women and 1% of men have anorexia, bulimia or a binge-eating disorder". With an obsession with thinness and obtaining the perfect body, our society has cultivated the development of eating disorders.

Research revealed that before the age of 14 at least 52% of adolescents have begun dieting. "Among college females, 78% reported bingeing experiences and 8.2% used self-induced vomiting to control weight". Our society focuses on beauty and as we develop, we come to realize that we have to be thin, beautiful and attractive to be accepted. Society's communication has often been based on the encouragement that the most significant role for a woman is to have a beautiful appearance in order to reach true contentment. However in the eyes of society, the word "beauty" is only the standard message of a "thin, slender body". Ms Tomosugi -- a counselor at Women's Counseling Kyoto -- questioned, "Who created such a value, or scale of beauty?

Most of them have been created by the mass media or fashion industry in a society dominated by men". In following such a scale of beauty created by our media from the view of male dominance, the value diffuses into women's consciousness at which they begin to treat the notion as their own. Once a woman presumes that they are not meeting the standard level of beauty defined by society, they begin to feel a sense of low self-esteem and disapprove their own image. All eating disorders are categorized into three groups: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Compulsive Overeating. Specific characteristics differ these groups from one another, but all three lead to the same consequence, a destructiveness of one's body, physically and emotionally. People with anorexia nervosa have a distorted body image in which the victims see themselves as overweight, when in fact many of them are dangerously thin.

It is an extreme fear of becoming overweight in which leads to excessive dieting. Persistent to strive towards an 'idealistic body' they refuse to maintain a minimal average weight that results in self-starvation and a disturbed perception of their own body weight and shape. About "1% of the female gender" between the ages of 10 and 20 develops anorexia. Anorexia leads to serious illness and in worse case scenario, death.

Anorexia athletic a known as compulsive exercising or activity anorexia, are victims that steal time away from work / school to exercise. They often think exercising is more competitive, therefore taking it very seriously. The person may exercise for self-joy only to find them needy for more competition. Individuals suffering from bulimia nervosa usually eat excessive quantities of food, and then purge their bodies of the food and calories they fear, by using laxatives, enemas, or diuretics, vomiting and / or exercising.

Often acting in secrecy, they feel disgusted and ashamed as they binged yet relieved of tension and negative emotions once their stomachs are empty again. This "binge" varies among individuals and can range from 1,000 to 10,000 calories. It is suggested that at least 14% of college-aged women are bulimic and about 50% of anorexic patients lead often to bulimia or bulimic patterns. However, it is difficult to know specifically how many people are affected because bulimics are extremely secretive with their problem.

Compulsive Overeating referred to as 'binge eating', is dissimilar from Bulimia and Anorexia and usually begins in early childhood when a person's eating habits are first developed. Compulsive Over eaters are usually people that are unable to handle various stressful situations thus using food as a means to cope with their problems. Dieting seems to be what leads a Compulsive Overeater to their next binge and this is usually proceeded by feelings of guilt, shame, powerlessness, and failure. Surprisingly only 1% of women have binge eating disorder, as oppose to the 30% of women who seek treatment to lose weight.

Interestingly enough, up to 2% around one to two million adults in the U.S., have problems with binge eating. Contrary to popular belief, anorexics and bulimics do not always try to lose weight because they perceive themselves as obese. Frequently, they have dangerously low self esteem and have no control over their bodies or minds. Bulimics and Anorexics are characteristically perfectionists that have little or no security about their self worth, and strive for approval.

They feel "powerful and in control when weight is lost". Only about 10% of anorexics and bulimia are male. This gender difference reflects our society's divergent expectations for men and women. Males are supposed to be strong and powerful and feel ashamed of skinny bodies, desiring to be big and powerful. Women, on the other hand, are supposed to be tiny, fragile like, and thin. They diet to lose weight, making themselves vulnerable to binge eating.

Some develop rigid and compulsive over control. Dieting and the resulting hunger are two of the most powerful eating disorders triggers known. About 20% of all eating disorder victims that have not gotten treated professionally die. People that develop eating disorders have unrealistic expectations of themselves and others. In spite of their many achievements, they feel "inadequate, defective, and worthless". As well the patients observe the world as black and white.

This than helps us to understand that everything is good or bad, a success or a failure, fat or thin. Therefore if fat is bad and thin is good, then thinner is better, and thinnest is best, despite the warnings from their loved ones. Victims use eating disorders in attempt to take control of themselves and their lives. They are strong, usually winning the power struggles they find themselves in, but inside they feel weak, powerless, victimized, defeated, and resentful.

People with eating disorders often "lack sense of identity", constantly tries to define themselves by manufacturing a socially approved and admired appearance. Peer pressure often causes one to lose excessive amount of weight, as they become brainwashed to believing that if thin, they will be of importance to their peers. Another reason, eating disorders have increased dramatically is because those suffering from it are often justifiably angry, and because they seek approval and fear criticism, they are at lost as to expressing their anger in healthy, appropriate ways. Hence, they turn it against themselves by starving or over eating. For Anorexics, focusing on counting calories and on weight loss is an escape because it seems easier than facing everyday problems; they use their obsession with the scale to block out feelings and emotions. Similarly, Bulimics use food as an escape from reality and daily life; however, rather than being their enemy, food becomes their only source of comfort.

Sometimes a person may feel that being overweight will make them appear less attractive thus discouraging others from wanting to associate with or have intimate relationships with them. And we had dared to ask ourselves, why are eating disorder statistics so high? Eating disorder studies have not been around for long, and although the information is limit the problem has been around for quite some time and continues to grow in our generation. Many people hide their problems until they become so dangerous that medical care is needed.

Eating disorders are detrimental to both mind and body, yet are becoming frequent, especially during the most crucial point of our lives, adolescent hood. Teenagers pull from magazines and television, movies etc. what they feel they should look like or achieve to look like to be accepted in today's society. Unfortunately, eating disorders are not only present at the high school degree, but at the elementary levels as well. Disgracefully, there is about 40% of girls and 20% of boys between the ages of 9 and 10 that feel that they need to lose weight. People don't have to be significantly overweight or underweight to have an eating disorder.

The number of cases of eating disorders has doubled in the past two decades, reaching the highest level since the "disease was labeled in the 1800's". Some of this rise may reflect an increase in awareness, and some an increase in occurrence. Any kind of eating disorder is pure lunacy, and it's sad to think it all originated in a 'modern's society, which emphasizes appearance and social status. Although education about eating disorders has increased over the past few years, the number of people affected by them is still rising. Each year health classes throughout the world are taught about the numerous types of eating disorders, their symptoms, the risks involved, their effects, and methods to seeking help. So why is it that more and more teenagers as well as preteens are choosing to starve themselves to death?

Nobody seems to know for sure, but many fingers are pointed at the media..