The Effects Of Eating Disorders

Imagine a life living in constant fear of gaining weight. Imagine what those with eating disorders go through every day. The cure is not as simple as “just eating something” or “just stop throwing up.” Many people know very little about the specific types of eating disorders and what they truly are. Throughout the world there are people suffering from eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. The effects of these disorders have on these individuals can be, and often are fatal. This is due to treatment being costly. It is more costly than typical treatments for other disorders because these particular illnesses affect the body physically and mentally. Eating disorders effect the body along with the brain …show more content…
The three most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. They all share similarities and differences. Anorexia is the deliberate starving of oneself in fear of gaining weight. This is similar to bulimia because in both cases the individual fears gaining weight. The difference is that those with bulimia have a binge eating episode but then get rid of the food they just ingested by inducing vomiting. Bulimia in a way relates to binge eating disorder but not entirely. Binge eating is compulsive eating where the individual eats until they feel physical pain. The similarities between bulimia and binge eating is the individual has a binge eating episode but unlike bulimia, those with binge eating disorder do not get rid of the food they just ingested. Each eating disorders have similar and varying effects on the mind and body. Although if left untreated the end result of death is inevitable. It is easier to identify someone with anorexia rather than bulimia or binge eating disorder. Due to the starvation of the body those with anorexia are severely underweight. Even though those with bulimia purposely throw up whatever they eat, they typically gain weight rather than lose it, which makes someone with bulimia more difficult to identify someone with bulimia. According to “Is there too much pressure on woman to be thin” by Richard Worsnop “Anorexics are easily recognized, since their emaciated bodies make them look seriously ill -- as indeed they are. Bulimics, on the other hand, often escape detection because their weight gains and losses stay within a restricted range” (Worsnop 1). Even though those who are affected by bulimia are more difficult to spot, it does not make their illness any less serious. As well as bulimics, those with binge eating disorder also can be hardly noticed. “Is societal pressure to be thin to blame?” by Pamela Prah states “Experts disagree about