Essay About Destructive Pattern And Normal Body Weight

Anorexia: Social Issue
Essay title: Anorexia: Social Issue
Each year millions of people in the United States are affected by serious and
sometimes life-threatening eating disorders. The vast majority are adolescents
and young adult women. Approximately one percent of adolescents girls develop
anorexia nervosa, a dangerous condition in which they can literally starve
themselves to death. Another two to three percent develop bulimia nervosa, a
destructive pattern of excessive overeating followed by vomiting or other ”
purging ” behaviors to control their weight. These eating disorders also occur
in men and older women , but much less frequently. The consequences of eating
disorders can be severe. For example, one in ten anorexia nervosa leads to death
from starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide. Fortunately, increasing awareness
of the dangers of eating disorders, sparked by medicall studies and extensive
media coverage, has led many poeple to seek help. Nevertheless, some people with
eating disorders refuse to admit that they have a problem and do not get
treatment. Family and friends can help recognize the problem and encourage the
person to seek treatment.
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder where people intentionally starve themselves. It
usually starts around the time of puberty and involves extreme weight loss.
Sometimes they must be hospitalized to prevent starvation because food and
weight become obsessions. For some, the compulsiveness shows up in strange
eating rituals, some even collect recipes and prepare gourmet feasts for family
and friends. Loss of monthly menstrual periods is typical in women with this
disorder and men with this disorder usually become impotent.
People with bulmia nervosa consume large amounts of food and then rid their
bodies of the excess calories by vomiting, abusing laxatives or excersising
obsessively. Some use a combination of all these forms of purging. Many
individuals with bulimia ” binge and purge ” in secret and maintain normal or
above normal body weight, they can often successfully hide their problem from
others for years. As with anorexia, bulimia typically begins during adolescence.
The condition occurs most often in women but is also found in men. Many
individuals with bulimia, do not seek help until they reach