Young women and men all over the world are succumbing to a terrible and deadly disease. In the United States alone, about 24 million people struggle with the private and very personal hell of eating disorders. This number itself is an estimation: only about 10% of people with eating disorders will receive treatment in their lifetime. Disturbingly, it seems as though this plague has been particularly virulent with students: in one survey, more than 90% of women on a college campus admitted to dieting, and one-fourth of those admitted they engaged in binging and purging techniques as a way to weight management. At a time in which these young women should be focusing on developing the skills and knowledge to build their future careers, they are
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Many girls have admitted it is the best way to hide their eating disorder for family or friends; they will eat normally in front of other people, but immediately rush to the bathroom to vomit everything up right after. It’s not uncommon for people to be both anorexic and bulimic. They are not categories that people fit nicely into, but rather a range of symptoms which stem from similar issues. This is why it’s much easier for an umbrella term of ‘disordered eating’ to be applied to those who struggle with weight, body image and food. From personal experiences with friends and self, eating disorders develop in an attempt to gain control over some aspect of life. It is an eternal quest to achieve a ‘perfection’ which a disordered mind will never grant. Most people who have an eating disorder also have another mental illness; it can even be said that eating disorders are generally just manifestations of larger and untreated issues. Usually, patients have abusive pasts or homes; however, this is not necessarily true for everyone. It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of eating disorders, because every person who has one has their own reasons for its development. Some girls have admitted that it simply stemmed from a desire to be thin; to be beautiful, perfect, to be accepted by society and by other
Many girls have admitted it is the best way to hide their eating disorder for family or friends; they will eat normally in front of other people, but immediately rush to the bathroom to vomit everything up right after. It’s not uncommon for people to be both anorexic and bulimic. They are not categories that people fit nicely into, but rather a range of symptoms which stem from similar issues. This is why it’s much easier for an umbrella term of ‘disordered eating’ to be applied to those who struggle with weight, body image and food. From personal experiences with friends and self, eating disorders develop in an attempt to gain control over some aspect of life. It is an eternal quest to achieve a ‘perfection’ which a disordered mind will never grant. Most people who have an eating disorder also have another mental illness; it can even be said that eating disorders are generally just manifestations of larger and untreated issues. Usually, patients have abusive pasts or homes; however, this is not necessarily true for everyone. It is difficult to pinpoint the cause of eating disorders, because every person who has one has their own reasons for its development. Some girls have admitted that it simply stemmed from a desire to be thin; to be beautiful, perfect, to be accepted by society and by other