An eating disorder is a syndrome in which a person eats in a way which disturbs their physical health. There can be a popular assumption that eating disorders are "female diseases," but the illnesses do not discriminate based on gender, and males can also suffer from them as well. While most people know the names of these specific disorders, not many people are intimately familiar with them. The following will define a few of the more prominent eating disorder plaguing Americans today.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder where the person suffering from the illness voluntarily starves him or herself. There are several psychological, sociological, and psychological components to anorexia nervosa. Primary physiological components are voluntary starvation and exercise stress. Meaning, not only do people suffering from Anorexia nervosa starve themselves, but they will also participate in a ridiculous amounts of physical activity. As a result, many anorexics, it is thought, suffer from serotonin and dopamine abnormalities. There is increased belief that anorexia has a genetic component, with a gene linked to abnormalities with serotonin being shown to be more common amongst sufferers than the general population. Obsessive-compulsive behavior has been linked to anorexia as well.
Psychologically, anorexia nervosa alter's the individual's self body image to the point that they perceive themselves as being fat and overall abhorrent regardless of their actual appearance. The individuals distorted body image in turn creates anxiety and an overwhelming need to lose weight, as that is seen as being the only solution. However, while most attain weight goals and stop, the anorexic will still perceive themselves as being overweight and will continue in their attempts to lose weight. Commonly, the distorted image will result in bouts of depression, self-harm, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
The sociological argument suggests that society's obsession with beauty, as depicted generally by extremely thin models in marketing, television, and film aides in distorting the body image of young and impressionable minds. Although there is substance to this argument, there are also reported cases of anorexia in areas of the world where this kind of advertising/mass media simply does not exist.
Anorexia has the highest death rate of any psychiatric illness. Starvation can cause major organs to shut down, and osteoporosis can occur due to poor diet. Heart attack is one of the most common causes of death in anorexics.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder where the victim engages in recurrent binge eating episodes followed by intentionally expelling the food via vomiting, laxatives, enemas, or diuretics. Bulimics will also compensate for their binge by either exercising excessively or fasting. A person is classified as bulimic when he or she feels incapable of controlling the urge to binge, even during the binge itself, when he or she consumes a larger amount of food than a person would normally consume at one sitting, and when such behavior occurs at least twice per week for three months. Deep psychological issues usually define bulimia more than food itself. Bulimics are desperate to appear thin, but binge/purge episodes are often brought on by profound feelings of a lack of self control. Episodes can be so severe that the person will only stop feeding if they are stopped by another person or if they are in too much pain from stuffing themselves already. These cycles do not have a specific time cycle, and they can occur several times a week to several times a day.
Bulimia, if allowed to go on, can have dire consequences. Electrolyte imbalance, rotting teeth, swollen glands, inflammation and even possible rupture of the esophagus, dependence on laxatives, ulcers, and even death.
Other Eating Disorders
Rumination is an eating disorder characterized by repetitive regurgitation of small amounts of food from the stomach. The food is then partially or completely re-chewed, re-swallowed, or expelled. This syndrome is relatively common in infants and developmentally disabled persons, but it also occurs in adults with normal intelligence. The rumination syndrome is an underappreciated condition in adults who frequently receive a misdiagnosis of vomiting due to gastroparesis or gastroesophageal reflux.
Binge Eating Disorder is likely the most common eating disorder, with nearly 2 percent of adults in the United States suffering from it. Binge eating disorder is seen primarily in overweight or obese individuals, though it is not unheard of for people of normal weight to have this disorder. Bing eaters will often get sick because they may be loading up on fatty and sugary foods and not getting proper nutrition. Depression can also be caused by binge eating, as the individual may be upset with their binge eating. Binge eating can result in diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, gallbladder disease, heart disease, and even cancer. Most as a result of the binge eater becoming obese.
If you suffer from any of these problems, it is best to not take articles such as this one as any sort of advice, and you should seek professional help from a doctor immediately.