Eating
Disorders
In America, 2 out of every 100 students struggle with an eating
disorder. Many individuals who develop an eating disorder are between the ages
of 13 and 17 years old. During these years, adolescents experience many
emotional and physical changes, greater academic pressure, and a greater amount
of peer pressure. When you combine the changes that go on during puberty with
the pressure of being like celebrity role models, it is not hard to see why so
many adolescents are developing negative views about themselves and developing
eating disorders.
Eating disorders are usually developed when one has intense
concerns with eating, weight, and/or body image. Eating disorders are more than
just dieting to lose weight, the eating behavior is extreme. The two most
common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia is
when an individual restricts their food intake by dieting, fasting, or through
excessive exercise. Bulimia is when an individual eats a lot of food and then
tries to compensate by forcing themselves to vomit or excessive exercise. Eating
disorders are an important health concern because they give such a negative
impact on the physical and psychosocial health of those affected.
Warning
Signs to Look For
An individual with anorexia may be obsessed with weight control,
weigh them self repeatedly, only eat certain foods, exercise excessively,
become very thin, or may withdraw from social activities involving food. The
lack of nutrition may affect the body in many ways. Some of these are hair
loss, disruption of menstrual cycle, inability to concentrate, and brittle
bones.
An individual with bulimia may fear weight gain, regularly use
laxatives, feel unhappy with body size or weight, and may go to the restroom
immediately following meals. Some problems that can occur from bulimia are
constant stomach pains, damage to stomach and kidneys, tooth decay, swollen
salivary glands, and disruption of menstrual cycle.
Prevention
Research has indicated that adolescents who perceive family
communication, parental caring, and parental expectations as being low are at
increased risk for developing eating disorders. Research has also suggested that parental comments about weight
and weight-related behaviors may influence their children’s weight-related attitudes
and behaviors. It is estimated that 40%-50% of individuals treated for anorexia
and 50%-60% of individuals treated for bulimia will make a complete recovery.
However, considering the impact it has on the body and the high cost of
treatment, it is very important that we try to prevent the eating disorder from
taking place at all.
-Tiffany
-Tiffany
4 comments:
I really enjoyed how you gave some examples of warning signs to look for! I think this would be such a frightening thing for a parent to watch their child go through and I think your post is very informative and helpful for those parents who are dealing with this subject.
I was just talking with a good friend about this topic this morning. She suffered from bulimia for many years and we finally had a chance to talk about everything she went through and the change in her that helped her get better.
So, thanks for posting about this. I think it is a very prevalent topic that parents need to be aware of while their children are in adolescence.
I think it's an important post because it's help people become more aware, especially parents. Isn't it shocking to think that Anorexia is the deadliest mental disorder? We can only prevent this by become aware.
I agree that parents (especially of teens) need to be aware of the warning signs of eating disorders. Eating disorders are bad news and should be prevented at all costs. Early intervention can make the world of difference!
Post a Comment