Cheryl L. Mclean
WAOL
Intro to Psychology
Eating Disorders

Chapters 12 and 13
February 18—24

Eating Disorders

Have you ever known anyone personally who has had an eating disorder? Is this a disorder that only affects teenagers? I’m a soon to be 47 year old who can say in my life time at least one in every 10 of my friends have suffered from some sort of eating disorder. I can also say that a few of my friends who have had an eating disorder did not grow out of it by their adult years. It is sad to say but I have even witnessed how one of my girlfriends behavior even affected her 8 year old daughter. One morning when the child woke up, she complained about be very bloated and fat. This child did not have an ounce of fat on her. I remember at that time worrying that if this child is concerned about her weight at age eight how will she view her self image in her teenage years and will she result to the extreme measures that her mother has taken to remain slim. There are several types of eating disorders but the two most dangerous ones are Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa.

Anorexia People with anorexia have an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted view of their body size and shape. As a result, they can't maintain a normal body weight. Some people with anorexia restrict their food intake by dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise. They hardly eat at all — and the small amount of food they do eat becomes an obsession (TeensHealth, 2007).

Bulimia Bulimia is similar to anorexia. With bulimia, a person binge eats (eats a lot of food) and then tries to compensate in extreme ways, such as forced vomiting or excessive exercise, to prevent weight gain. Over time, these steps can be dangerous.

To be diagnosed with bulimia, a person must be binging and purging regularly, at least twice a week for a couple of months. Binge eating is different from going to a party and "pigging out" on pizza, then deciding to go to the gym the next day and eat more healthfully. People with bulimia eat a large amount of food (often junk food) at once, usually in secret. The person typically feels powerless to stop the eating and can only stop once he or she is too full to eat any more. Most people with bulimia then purge by vomiting, but may also use laxatives or excessive exercise (TeensHealth, 2007).

There is, however, a cultural explanation for the fact that anorexia and bulimia occur mostly in women and mostly in weight-conscious cultures (Meyers, 2007). Here in America, the media has had a huge impact on the influence to be extremely thin through TV and Magazines. They advertise that being thin is being beautiful and sexy. It is not surprising that young girls and women desire to “stick” thin. How can you determine if someone you know has an eating disorder and what is the difference between the two disorders? The first step that you must take is to educate yourself about eating disorders. Below we will take a closer look at the two most dangerous eating disorders and how to detect the signs.

Anorexia:

Anorexia is often easier to detect than bulimia, because its symptoms are more difficult to hide. Anorexics lose weight quickly. They often wear baggy clothes to conceal their weight loss, and passionately defend their right to decide what and when to eat. They avoid social situations that might make them eat, like Thanksgiving dinners, parties, or family get-togethers (Cormack).

Bulimia:

Bulimia sufferers have similar body issues but have a "better" system of hiding their behaviors. They purge secretly, and many bulimics maintain a body weight that is slightly more or less than their ideal body weight. The lack of dramatic weight loss doesn't mean that their condition is any less dangerous. Vital minerals and nutrients are drained from their bodies, and regular vomiting causes serious respiratory and dental problems. In any case of Anorexia vs Bulimia - Bulimia is more difficult to detect (Cormack, 2010).

These eating disorders are very serious and can often lead to death. If you recognize any of these symptoms with someone you know or suspect an eating disorder, gently confront that person, encourage them to get treatment and always offer your love and support to them.

Reference:
TeensHealths, “Eating Disorders” 2007, November http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/problems/eat_disorder.html

Cormack, Jay. Ezine Articles, “Anorexia Vs Bulimia - A Comparison of Eating Disorders” 2010, February. http://ezinearticles.com/?Anorexia-Vs-Bulimia---A-Comparison-of-Eating-Disorders&id=3626561

Myers, David G. “Eating Disorders” Psychology New York: Worth Publishers, 2007 p.479