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ANALYSIS & TREATMENT OF BULIMIA AND ANOREXIA NERVOSA Various societies and cultures view the problem of obesity differently. Many centuries ago most countries in which massive famines and diseases were not a rare thing, being obese indicated being healthy, prosperous and having high status. Most businessmen, rich people, affluent and respectable members of society were proud of the fact that they had high content of fat in their bodies simply because food was a scarce resource in those days and many people starved to death having not enough provisions to accumulate fat in their bodies even if they wanted to. Not many people really cared about the problem of obesity back then and women in particular were not bothered by this phenomenon. (Bemporad, p. 57) The attitude toward obesity has shifted and now people are fighting this problem like never before. (Brumberg, p. 17) The emergence of a belief that lean and slender body type is a symbol of health, prosperity and success made eating disorders more common.
The people suffering from anorexia and bulimia nervosa in particular are mostly women anywhere between 11 and 60 years of age. (Costin, p. 42) Eating disorders have become much more common lately but predominantly in countries with robust economies that can produce food cheaply in great amounts. The emergence of eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia nervosa seems to be directly linked to the shift in values and standards in society. The environment dictates that it is good to be thin. Consuming too much fat is considered unhealthy, and evil. This cannot but affect womens perceptions of life and reality; it also forms their habits and influences the daily activities that women engage in. It is a fact that many women become obsessed with how beautiful and attractive their body is.
Today, it is perceived as beautiful if a body is lean and not so much curvaceous. (Harmon, p. 117) This is the current beauty standard that is established in the western society at present. Consequently, many women become literally obsessed with how much fat they consume each day and how many calories they burn on a treadmill in their homes. Generally, doctors proclaim that fat consumption is detrimental to the health of our bodies. (Byrne, p. 61) Also it makes them look chubby and ample and it is not a good thing. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa is the extreme point, the last stage of the self-destructive process of obsession with their bodies. It happens when a woman convinces herself that eating is bad and the only thing that can be derived from it is extra calories that in its turn make her body look less attractive. Eating is bad because it makes her gain extra pounds that are so hard to get rid of once they are there.
Finally, this self-persuasion comes true for women and their brain reacts the proper way refusing to accept food because subconsciously it is perceived as evil. Many people are suffering from those disorders, and even though there are few lethal cases registered it presents a severe problem. From the biological standpoint when humans are born they already have some degree of genetic predisposition to various physical, psychological and social activities in the world. It is a fact that the future development of a person is predetermined by genes and an individual is not totally free to develop all the possible skills and abilities later in life. (Weibner, p. 44) Even though mostly every person has a moral right to try to develop a certain physical or psychological skill some people succeed while others fail. It is not a surprise because our body has a certain innate set of features that characterize our personality and literally channel the future development of an individual in a certain predetermined direction. By the same token, some people are predisposed to have a higher content of fat in the body no matter how many hours a day they exercise and others are predetermined to have slim and slender bodies given the fact that they might not exercise at all.
For some people it does not really matter how much they eat and whether they exercise at all because fat has less influence on the shape of their bodies, in other words fat is more likely to be burnt automatically in the course of various internal chemical reactions in the body. This idea is akin to the premise that some people are better at playing basketball while others excel in natural sciences and other math-intensive disciplines. Therefore the fact that some people are born to have chubby and ample bodies simply means that it is a part of an internal design that is innate to their bodies and that cannot be completely altered like a short person cannot get much taller regardless of any physical exercises that might be developed in the world today. Every year there are millions of people that are involved with severe eating disorders. (Eagles, p. 18) They can actually be life threatening. Young women comprise most of the entire population affected by eating disorders. One reason for this is because women tend to go on strict diets in order to get themselves the perfect body.
Researchers have found that such strict dieting can be the threshold of an eating disorder. The results of eating disorders can be very serious. (Neuman, p. 129) For example, one out of ten cases of anorexia leads to severe consequences, including death from starvation, cardiac arrest, or maybe even suicide. (Hoffman, p. 48) However, people have increasingly become more aware of how dangerous eating disorders are, so they are more likely to get themselves some help. Although, people still exist who dont think they have a problem and wont get help for themselves. Family and friends can help the sick person recognize their problem and convince them to get treatment. Anorexia nervosa is a disease where a person intentionally starves himself or herself, despite the fact that they will have terrible hunger pains most of the time. (Harmon, p. 28) It usually begins in young people near the age of puberty.
It involves major weight loss- about fifteen percent less than the person's normal body weight. A lot of people with this disorder are very skinny, but they are convinced that they are overweight. Many times they must be placed in the hospital so they aren't starved to death. About one percent of all adolescent girls have this eating disorder. It usually develops in women, but it sometimes occurs in men as well. Food and weight become obsessions of the anorexic person.
Sometimes the compulsiveness will come about in weird eating customs or refusing to eat in front of other people. Very often, an anorexic will get a lot of recipes and prepare a feast for many people, but not eat any of the food that they cook. Anorexic women will lose their monthly menstrual periods a lot, and anorexic men become impotent in many cases. (Costin, p. 82) Bulimia nervosa is a disorder where a person will eat lots of food, and then get rid of it right away by vomiting, or by taking many laxatives and diuretics as well. (Hall, p. 62) A combination of these methods is used many times also. Bulimics will "binge and purge" in secret from once or twice a week to several times a day. They will keep a normal or higher body weight, and because of this, they are often able to hide their problem from everyone for a long period of time. This includes the person's family, friends, and even their doctor.
Strict dieting might also happen between episodes of binging and purging. Half of the people with anorexia will eventually become bulimic. (Neuman, p. 145) Similar to anorexia, bulimia usually starts during adolescence. It happens most often with women, but it is sometimes found in men as well. Many people with bulimia live very shamefully of their habits, so they won't go get some help until their thirties or forties. Waiting so long makes their eating behavior a lot more difficult to change. Eating disorders can result in various medical problems for an individual.
People who use drugs to get food out of their bodies can be in a lot of danger, because this habit increases the risk of heart failure. In anorexic patients, starving oneself can mess up important organs like the heart and the brain. In order to protect itself, the body will stop functioning properly. Breathing, pulse and blood pressure rates will drop, menstrual periods will stop, and thyroid function slows.
Nails and hair become fragile, and the skin dries, yellows and gets covered with soft hair called lanugo. Dehydration leads to constipation, and lowered body fat leads to lower body temperature and one would be unable to withstand cold. (Byrne, p. 72) Mild anemia, swollen joints, reduced muscle mass, and light-headedness also occurs very often in anorexic patients. (Weibner, p. 162) If it becomes severe, there may be a loss of calcium in the bones, making them more likely to break. An anorexic may also have irregular heartbeats and heart failure. With some patients, their brain might shrink, resulting in personality changes. However, this can be reversed when the person once again reaches normal weight.
Scientists have found that anorexic patients also have other psychiatric illnesses. (Eagles, p. 149) Most have co-occurring clinical depression. Others can also suffer from personality or substance abuse disorders, anxiety, and may even be at risk for suicide. Obsessive-compulsive disorder can also come with anorexia. The anorexic person usually has a normal personality, but can sometimes burst out with major anger and hostility. Even bulimic patients of normal weight can damage their body by binging and purging. It rarely occurs when binge eating causes the stomach to rupture, and purging might result in heart failure because of the loss of important minerals.
Vomiting also causes serious problems, although not quite as deadly. The outer layer of the teeth can be worn down by the acid in vomit. It can also cause scars on the back of one's hands when fingers are inserted down the throat. Also, the esophagus gets inflamed, and glands near the cheeks become swollen. I think this might be the reason why that girl's face became puffy. Just like with anorexia, bulimia may mess up the menstrual cycle.
A person might also lose interest in sex. Some cases of bulimia result in the patient struggling with addictions, including the abuse of drugs and alcohol. (Neuman, p. 80) Again similar to anorexia, many bulimics suffer from clinical depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other psychiatric illnesses. These problems put them at higher risk for committing suicide. Most people that...
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Research essay sample on Analysis Treatment Of Bulimia And Anorexia Part 1
