English Speech

Front 1

Introduction:
What is an eating disorder? Most people don’t know; an eating disorder is characterized by severe disturbances in eating habits, whether that be starving or stuffing one’s self. It is estimated that 8 million Americans have an eating disorder – seven million women and one million men (South Carolina Department of Mental Health). But eating disorders are not just a problem in the united states, in fact at least 1.1 million people in the UK are affected by an eating disorder (Disordered Eating). There are many underlying causes to eating disorders, and the reality of it is: these causes are not connected in any way, from biological factors, to cultural factors, there is nothing to link them together. The effects on the other hand, are all physically damaging to the body.

Back 1

Genetics:
A. Biological Factors
1. if your biological sibling or parent has an eating disorder may be predisposed to develop one too
B. Genetics
2. regions on chromosome 10 have been linked to bulimia as well as obesity

Front 2

Culture:
A. Death
1. Heidi Guenther, a ballerina that died at age 22, from a variation of different eating disorders because she felt like she wasn't thin enough
2. When she died on June 30th 1997, she weighed only 100 pounds
B. Self Esteem
3. In westernized countries, women often experience unrealistic cultural demands for thinness. They respond by linking their self-esteem, or self-disgust, to their weight

Back 2

Social:
A. Feeling left out:
1. At some point everyone in his or her life, has felt left out, not good enough, or like they don’t ‘Fit in’
2. One might often hear someone with an eating disorder say; “They don’t like me because i’m fat"
B. Relationships
3. They are desperate for healthy relationships, but they are afraid of being rejected.

Front 3

Warning Signs:
A. Many people who suffer with eating disorders show no outward signs.
B. Despite different symptoms, eating disorders share common roots that depend on genetics, environmental factors, medical history, life experiences, and the presence of co-occurring psychiatric and addictive disorders.
C. Having brittle fingernails, to having damaged gums or teeth, are only some of the symptoms of an eating disorder

Back 3

Effects:
A. Death
1. Eating disorders have a higher death rate than any other psychiatric disorder, including depression and schizophrenia
2. In anorexia starvation is the main effect, starvation has major effects on all major body organs. The liver and intestines typically lose the highest percentage of their own weight during starvation, followed by the heart and kidneys which both lose a moderate amount of weight
3. They can cause permanent damage to the organs in the process

Front 4

Treatment:
A. Anorexia:
1. when treating anorexia there are three main components, restoring the patient to a healthy weight, treating the psychological related to the eating disorder, and Reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to insufficient eating and preventing relapse
B. Medication
2. Some research suggests that the use of medications, such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, or mood stabilizers, may be modestly effective in treating patients with anorexia nervosa. These medications may help resolve mood and anxiety symptoms that often occur along with anorexia nervosa

Back 4

Conclusion:
Furthermore, there are many causes to eating disorders, and the reality of it is: these causes are not connected, there is nothing to link them together. But the effects, are all physically damaging or deadly. The causes range from genetic factors to hormonal abnormalities. People who have an eating disorder need to seek treatment right away, this is serious stuff that can cause long term damage to their body. An eating disorder is not something that teens do for attention, they develop an eating disorder because there is a serious underlying problem. Men and women all over the world struggle with eating disorders every day. Of the many causes, a desire for attention is not one of them.