Attention Getter: We all have best friends. For a long time, I had an odd best friend that lived in my head. My best friend was some twisted little thing, telling me awful ways to deal with things. My best friend was my eating disorder. Eating Disorders are, any of several psychological disorders characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior according to Merriam Webster’s Dictionary.
Purpose: See, today I am in here because I need, not want, but need to talk about eating disorders. They are horribly misunderstood illnesses which up to 10 million Americans suffer from.
Preview: First, we will discuss the problems of eating disorders, then second, explore and identify the causes, then lastly, look towards some solutions and treatment …show more content…
The primary cause of eating disorders is a biological predisposition. According to a study conducted by Suzanne E. Mazzeo and Cynthia M. Bulik entitled “Environmental and genetic risk factors for eating disorders: What the clinician needs to know shows family history of eating disorders strongly increases the likelihood of a person developing an one. Also according to an article from the University of Maryland, people with eating disorders experience physiological differences in parts of the brain like the Hypothalamus. The hypothalamus plays an important role in emotional regulation, appetite, and communication between brain cells. Communication between brain cells or neurons occurs through neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin and dopamine can experience dysregulation in eating disorders. Interestingly enough , these chemicals also play a significant role in the cause of other mental illnesses including ailments like major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. And speaking of other mental illnesses, there is a very high amount of comorbidity between eating disorders and other mental illnesses. A study called “Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders “conducted by Braun DL1, Sunday SR, Halmi KA showed that about 80% of people with eating disorders suffer from another comorbid mental …show more content…
What I mean by environmental factors is some specific factors like trauma and personality traits. For example according to the National Eating Disorder Association, it is estimated that 30% of people with an eating disorder are victims of childhood sexual abuse. This is just one statistic on the relationship between trauma and eating disorders. In the medical community it is common to see people with eating disorders have a history of being victims of trauma. Also people with eating disorders tend to have certain subset of personality traits which develop based on the environment a person is surrounded by and partially on their genetics according to the American Psychological Association. People with eating disorders tend to have certain personality traits like perfectionism, obsessive thinking, and impulsiveness. These personality traits can lead to behavior associated with eating disorders like the compulsion to starve themselves.
d. My next point here is how body image issues can lead to eating disorders. Typically, this is the wrongly assumed cause of eating disorders. In present times, it has been considered trendy to be thin. Our media, particularly magazines and television, showcase thinness as the ideal. However, if you think about it, only 3% of people will ever develop an eating disorder, yet almost everyone gets this message of thinness shoved down their throats. While body image issues do contribute to the illness, they are not the primary cause. The primary
Purpose: See, today I am in here because I need, not want, but need to talk about eating disorders. They are horribly misunderstood illnesses which up to 10 million Americans suffer from.
Preview: First, we will discuss the problems of eating disorders, then second, explore and identify the causes, then lastly, look towards some solutions and treatment …show more content…
The primary cause of eating disorders is a biological predisposition. According to a study conducted by Suzanne E. Mazzeo and Cynthia M. Bulik entitled “Environmental and genetic risk factors for eating disorders: What the clinician needs to know shows family history of eating disorders strongly increases the likelihood of a person developing an one. Also according to an article from the University of Maryland, people with eating disorders experience physiological differences in parts of the brain like the Hypothalamus. The hypothalamus plays an important role in emotional regulation, appetite, and communication between brain cells. Communication between brain cells or neurons occurs through neurotransmitters. Neurotransmitters like Serotonin and dopamine can experience dysregulation in eating disorders. Interestingly enough , these chemicals also play a significant role in the cause of other mental illnesses including ailments like major depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia. And speaking of other mental illnesses, there is a very high amount of comorbidity between eating disorders and other mental illnesses. A study called “Psychiatric comorbidity in patients with eating disorders “conducted by Braun DL1, Sunday SR, Halmi KA showed that about 80% of people with eating disorders suffer from another comorbid mental …show more content…
What I mean by environmental factors is some specific factors like trauma and personality traits. For example according to the National Eating Disorder Association, it is estimated that 30% of people with an eating disorder are victims of childhood sexual abuse. This is just one statistic on the relationship between trauma and eating disorders. In the medical community it is common to see people with eating disorders have a history of being victims of trauma. Also people with eating disorders tend to have certain subset of personality traits which develop based on the environment a person is surrounded by and partially on their genetics according to the American Psychological Association. People with eating disorders tend to have certain personality traits like perfectionism, obsessive thinking, and impulsiveness. These personality traits can lead to behavior associated with eating disorders like the compulsion to starve themselves.
d. My next point here is how body image issues can lead to eating disorders. Typically, this is the wrongly assumed cause of eating disorders. In present times, it has been considered trendy to be thin. Our media, particularly magazines and television, showcase thinness as the ideal. However, if you think about it, only 3% of people will ever develop an eating disorder, yet almost everyone gets this message of thinness shoved down their throats. While body image issues do contribute to the illness, they are not the primary cause. The primary