Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper 1

Week 8 Assignment: Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper
Savanna Engstrom
SCI/241
August 26, 2012
Dr. Mike Collins
Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper 2

Body composition is the comparison between muscle and fat in a person’s body. A person’s weight could be high because of either large muscles or having too much extra fat. When a person is overweight because of excess fat, they are at risk of coming down with a variety of very dangerous and life threatening diseases. Excess fat can also cause a person to have a weaker immune system which leads to infections, slower wound healing, and complications during surgery. Extra fat poses a danger to women especially while they are pregnant, and their baby could be threatened as well. There are also psychological aspects of being overweight which can harm a person over time such as becoming depressed, dependent on others, unable to take care of themselves, and possibly developing eating disorders. There are so many factors these days that contribute to the world’s obesity epidemic. The two leading factors, in my opinion, are not eating healthy and not getting the appropriate amount of physical activity. These two factors work together because they go hand in hand: unhealthy food causes people to feel lazy and lack energy, so they sit around and play video games and watch TV rather than go out to play. There is also the fact that many people were never taught how to shop for and prepare healthy foods. People often turn to fast food and junk food because it is much quicker for people with busy lifestyles. It is so easy for people to become distracted from exercise these days due to the technological advances in cell phones, computers, video games, and even interactive TV. This can be especially true for those who have no one else to play with, and even for people who are already embarrassed of their weight. Eating disorders are often developed when a person is ashamed of the way the look and feel, and take drastic measures to change their weight. There are three categories of eating
Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper 3

disorders which are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Anorexia nervosa is defined as the desire to be thin, where the person will drastically decrease their food intake causing major weight loss. Bulimia nervosa is when a person eats excessively and then either self induces vomiting or misuses laxatives, exercise, or fasting. The third category, EDNOS, includes the disorder binge eating which is when people eat excessively usually to cope with feelings and depression; binge eaters do not purge or try to lose the calories in any way. There are many ways in which eating disorders can contribute to the development of health problems. For example, bulimics who go through the binge-purge cycle damage their intestinal tracts by causing tooth decay, sores in the mouth, throat irritation, changes in stomach capacity, and more. Another example of health problems caused by eating disorders is psychological issues which include low self-esteem and depression. Finally, the most important risk to the health of a person with an eating disorder is death; there is the possibility of starvation if the disorder becomes extreme and no intervention is made.

Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper 2

Reference Page

Grosvenor, M. B., & Smolin, L. A. (2006). Nutrition: Everyday choices. New Jersey: John Wiley
& Sons, Inc.