Anorexia And Bulimia Research Paper

There are many types of eating disorders, but the most common in teens are binge eating, bulimia, and anorexia. Binge eating is "characterized by uncontrollable overeating in which people devour huge amounts of food while feeling ungovernable and incapable to stop" (Smith, Segal 1). People with binge eating disorder don 't have episodes of recovery like bulimia. As a result, those who suffer under the wrath of this eating disorder put on weight very quickly and are always trying to make themselves feel better about their weight. Binge eating is a coping mechanism, whereas bulimia is a compulsion where one divulges in food then has to punish themselves by either a fasting or purging. Fasting is the main concept behind the last eating disorder, …show more content…
Doctor Sandra Weiser-Matthews, in a personal interview, told me a shocking story of how much influence the media had on one person and how long it really takes to fully get rid of an eating disorder. A former student of PHS, Diana Tastead, was able to pinpoint her eating disorder cause on the media. Diana, who ran cross country in high school, stayed physically active while in college. Those who knew her, would say she was in great physical shape and would never call her overweight, she was simply normal. In college and to many people 's shock, she developed an eating disorder. She impulsively would watch what she ate and thought she was overweight constantly. While still in college, and still struggling with her eating disorder, she had the chance to travel to Norway. While in Norway, her intake of social media, ads, and TV were dramatically cut back, and her eating disorder got better. It seemed to have cured itself by just spending less time with the media. However, when she returned home and was able to be in the presence of lots of media again, her eating disorder came back. I also personally know people who have, and still are struggling with eating …show more content…
Based on multiple studies, the media triggers adolescents to develop an eating disorder. Although genes can give one a high risk for an eating disorders, only the right environment can cause the eating disorder. Environment is essentially what is the tipping point for the start of an eating disorder, and if teens are exposed to an environment full of unattainable images of thinness. Since the media is full of ideas of beauty and perfection, and the media is so assessable, many teens are facing life with an eating disorder. Also, technology makes it so easy to create realistic perfection that many adolescents do not realize how unattainable the media 's visualizations are. So, adolescents need the proper education to realize the truth behind what they are seeing. This can be shown through programs like Media Literacy and simply by parent demonstration. Media education is what adolescents need to experience in order to become more tolerable to the constant messages. The time for change needs happen very soon, before it is