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Eating Disorders Epidemic Analysis

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Social media, television, and magazines just to name a few, are some the main ways in which most information is spread to the public. This is where we get our news updates, see how our distant relatives are doing but also see advertisements for things like the fashion and beauty industry who are using supermodels to promote their products. Models are paid to have petite bodies so they look “more appealing” in advertisements and sell the products they’re promoting. This is just the beginning of the eating disorder epidemic that is a world wide problem. Another major epidemic that’s making an appearance is obesity. Between the skin and bones that can be seen from eating disorders like anorexia or bulimia and the excessive fat that can be seen …show more content…
This number isn’t including the two other major eating disorders, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder which increases that number even more. Along with a severely high death rate, there are countless other medical complications that come along with eating disorders. When it comes to anorexia and the malnutrition that follows, commonly seen medical problems include anemia, constipation and osteoporosis, they may even experience issues with their heart and brain. Because anorexic patients have a nonexistent diet, their bodies have low red blood cell counts making their heart work twice as hard in order to get oxygen all throughout the body. If a female stops nourishing the body with food, their hormone levels are affected, specifically estrogen which their bodies will cease to make without a proper fuel source. Lack of estrogen can lead to a loss in bone density causing osteoporosis which can lead to broken bones. The American Psychological Association also mentions that bulimia can lead to worn away tooth enamel and acid reflux. With the constant stomach acid being vomited in bulimic patients, tooth enamel is frequently eroded. A bulimic patients stomach has become accustomed to vomiting so when food makes its way into the stomach, the stomach acid becomes irritated and as a result, the individual will experience involuntary vomiting. One of the most worrisome results of binge eating disorder is type two diabetes. Binge eating disorder is usually associated with obesity which then leads to diabetes because of the body’s inability to properly use insulin to manage blood sugar levels. Eating Disorders like the three previously mentioned have shown to increase depression rates. The American Psychological Association says “the problems (depression) develop because of the isolation, stigma, and

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