eating disorders

In America, girls are given the message at a very young age that in order to be happy and successful, they must be thin. Given the value, which our society places on being thin, it is not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase. In America thousands of teenage girls are dealing with emotional situations daily and eating behavior can be affected by the way they are feeling. Eating disorders affect over five million men and women in the United States, and sadly enough thousands of them will die from the physical problems caused by conditions that are linked with eating disorders. Most people think of the extremes of anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating; the truth is that almost every American, at some point in his or her lifetime, will suffer from issues of weight loss, body shape, or self-image, if not all three. Due to these factors, eating disorders are a major concern for psychologists today (Harmon, 1999). This trend, however, is found mainly in America and countries with western ideals.

Eating Disorders are primarily behavior disorders. Douglas Eagles (1987) states, “the behavioral disturbance leads to disorders of nutrition” (p. 71). The definition of Eating Disorders as defined by Harmon (1999), “a psychologica

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Teens are given two messages when it comes to dieting and eating.

In addition to the societal causes of eating disorders there are biological considerations. Whereas bulimia is the occurrence of frequent episodes (at least two times per week) of binge eating combined with purging to rid their body of the large quantities of food (Harmon, 1999). This supports the idea that freedom for women as well as influence are sociocultural factors that may predispose to the development of eating disorders (Bemporad, 1997). Eating disorders are not just about losing weight and the search for the ideal body, they are mainly about expressing difficult feelings (Abraham & Llewellyn-Jones, 1999). Eating disorders typically begins in adolescence between the ages of twelve and twenty-five, however, it may begin as early as seven and can continue until as late as fifty-nine.

Medications can also be used to treat eating disorders. The child feels responsible for their mother’s happiness or may be afraid to leave the shielding home environment. This is because in many non-western societies plumpness is considered attractive and desirable, and also associated with prosperity, fertility, success and economic security (Nassar, 1988). “A mother who has anorexia nervosa may pass on her eating habits to her daughter through modeling behavior rather than by passing on a genetic predisposition for developing the disorder”(p. Fathers, on the other hand, tend to be physically or emotionally absent from the child’s life thus creating a void. Also, The mothers may have trouble letting go of the adolescent because of their desire to be needed (Hall & Ostroff, 1999). l disorder in which a person is unable or unwilling to maintain normal eating habits, and instead engages in self starvation, binging, purging, or some combination of these behaviors (83).

Anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating can cause physical problems and a great deal of unhappiness.

Approximate Word count = 1426
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

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