Eating Disorders
An eating disorder is a psychological affliction that affects the stability of body weight and normality of eating habits in an individual. Eating disorders also affect one’s social life, psychological state, and physical health, often coexisting with other psychological disorders. For instance, substance abuse, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders are commonly diagnosed in people with eating disorders. Contrary to the common belief that eating disorders only affect women, both men and women can suffer from them. However, it is true that more women suffer from them than men; the ratio of women with eating disorders to men with eating disorders is 5:2. Around 30 million people suffer from eating disorders in the United …show more content…
Despite the deliberate behaviors to lose weight or to maintain a current weight, most people who suffer from bulimia nervosa generally weigh what is healthy for their age, height, and structure of their bodies, but are generally unhappy with their size or weight. There are many physical consequences of bulimia nervosa, such as inflamed throat and sore jaw, decaying teeth, acid reflux disorder, dehydration, an imbalance on blood and vitamin levels, and damage of the intestines, which are all a result of purging behaviors. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder from which one can fully recover. The general treatment for it begins with an evaluation to assess health and safety. If the person suffering from this disorder requires medical care, hospitalization may be necessary, in which case the patient would be sent to a medical hospital and reevaluated to find out if a stay on an inpatient psychiatric unit is necessary. Sometimes a stay at an inpatient unit may not be enough, and residential care is implemented. These programs can last anywhere from several weeks to over a …show more content…
Anorexia nervosa is identified by the behavior of intentionally starving oneself in order to lose weight or prevent weight gain, as well as having a lower weight than considered healthy for one’s size, height, and body structure. A common belief of people with anorexia nervosa is that they are overweight or “too big” despite the fact that they are unhealthily thin. In some cases, one may engage in purging behaviors without bingeing in order to lose weight faster. The major symptoms of anorexia nervosa are significant weight loss, fatigue, low blood pressure, low body temperature, nausea, bloated stomach, cold or dry skin, hair loss, loss of menstruation or infertility, insomnia (a sleep disorder in which one cannot or has trouble falling or staying asleep), osteoporosis, abnormal heart activity, tooth decay, rapid body or facial hair growth, constipation, and dizziness. As well as physical symptoms, there are psychological signs and consequences such as body dysmorphia (where one sees oneself in a way that is not consistent with other people’s perception of him/her), purging after eating, obsessing over how they look in mirrors or the number on a scale, having an obsession with food but refusing to eat it, lack of visible emotion, depressed mood, a decrease in sex drive, memory loss, denial of having a problem, and irritability. Anorexia nervosa has a higher mortality
An eating disorder is a psychological affliction that affects the stability of body weight and normality of eating habits in an individual. Eating disorders also affect one’s social life, psychological state, and physical health, often coexisting with other psychological disorders. For instance, substance abuse, depressive disorders, and anxiety disorders are commonly diagnosed in people with eating disorders. Contrary to the common belief that eating disorders only affect women, both men and women can suffer from them. However, it is true that more women suffer from them than men; the ratio of women with eating disorders to men with eating disorders is 5:2. Around 30 million people suffer from eating disorders in the United …show more content…
Despite the deliberate behaviors to lose weight or to maintain a current weight, most people who suffer from bulimia nervosa generally weigh what is healthy for their age, height, and structure of their bodies, but are generally unhappy with their size or weight. There are many physical consequences of bulimia nervosa, such as inflamed throat and sore jaw, decaying teeth, acid reflux disorder, dehydration, an imbalance on blood and vitamin levels, and damage of the intestines, which are all a result of purging behaviors. Bulimia nervosa is a disorder from which one can fully recover. The general treatment for it begins with an evaluation to assess health and safety. If the person suffering from this disorder requires medical care, hospitalization may be necessary, in which case the patient would be sent to a medical hospital and reevaluated to find out if a stay on an inpatient psychiatric unit is necessary. Sometimes a stay at an inpatient unit may not be enough, and residential care is implemented. These programs can last anywhere from several weeks to over a …show more content…
Anorexia nervosa is identified by the behavior of intentionally starving oneself in order to lose weight or prevent weight gain, as well as having a lower weight than considered healthy for one’s size, height, and body structure. A common belief of people with anorexia nervosa is that they are overweight or “too big” despite the fact that they are unhealthily thin. In some cases, one may engage in purging behaviors without bingeing in order to lose weight faster. The major symptoms of anorexia nervosa are significant weight loss, fatigue, low blood pressure, low body temperature, nausea, bloated stomach, cold or dry skin, hair loss, loss of menstruation or infertility, insomnia (a sleep disorder in which one cannot or has trouble falling or staying asleep), osteoporosis, abnormal heart activity, tooth decay, rapid body or facial hair growth, constipation, and dizziness. As well as physical symptoms, there are psychological signs and consequences such as body dysmorphia (where one sees oneself in a way that is not consistent with other people’s perception of him/her), purging after eating, obsessing over how they look in mirrors or the number on a scale, having an obsession with food but refusing to eat it, lack of visible emotion, depressed mood, a decrease in sex drive, memory loss, denial of having a problem, and irritability. Anorexia nervosa has a higher mortality