Essay About United States And Sufferers Of Anorexia

Desperation for Death
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The United States has slowly become a materialistic battlefield. As technology has progressed within the last century, Americans have become stuck on maintaining the perfect appearance. Girls all over the world have developed severe eating disorders leading to poor health and death. In the United States alone, eight million people claim to have suffered from some type of eating disorder. Ninety percent of the victims were women, which begs the question, “Why are women more susceptible to eating disorders than men?” There are three basic types of eating disorders, however many others have been discovered in the past ten years. Anorexia Nervosa, the most common eating disorder, occurs when a person develops an intense fear of gaining weight, even when the person may be underweight to begin with. Many sufferers of anorexia are in denial, and sometimes combine these dangerous symptoms with laxatives, diet pills, excessive exercise, or water pills. The process of eating becomes an obsession. Unusual eating habits may develop, such as avoiding food and meals, picking out a few foods and eating those in small quantities, or carefully proportioning their food intake. People with anorexia may check their weight constantly, or take part in intense and compulsive exercise. The result of anorexia may vary depending upon the person. Some sufferers may fully recover after a single experience. However, many people may have an irregular pattern of weight gain and relapse and many more develop a chronically deteriorating course of illness over many years.