Body
Eating Disorders Part 1 (Big Sister)
Eating Disorders & The Deadly Facts: Anorexia Nervosa Part 1
Eating disorders are the leading cause of death in all known psychological disorders. There are a number of eating disorders such as :
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating
- Anorexia Atletica
- Over Eating
- Night Eating
- Orthorexia Nervosa
- Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
You can read more information on each one here.
The Causes of Eating Disorders
There is still no exact known causes of eating disorders but recent research has shown strong correlation on the following possible causes:
- Biological Factors such as genetics.
- Social factors such as society and cultural factors.
- Psychological factors such as other psychological diseases like stress and depression.
The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive (binge) eating. Eating disorders are extremely dangerous. These three disorders will be discussed in three different updates in Big Sister.
Anorexia
Anorexia Nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. 90 to 95% who are affected by this are girls and 5-20% of anorexics will die of the consequences of starvation. The interesting part of people suffering anorexia is the common profile they share. Anorexics usually tend to be perfectionists, good students and tend to share a similar social and economic status. Another significant factor in the causes of anorexia is the need to feel in control. Stress and depression have been indicated in the correlations of Anorexia Nervosa. Other psychological disorders that are prevalent in anorexics is Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) which means the person affected is very self conscious of themselves, suffer from low self esteem and sometimes can perceive themselves differently than how they actually are.
An anorexic can believe he or she is bigger than what they are in reality. You can check out these two videos of BDD and Anorexia Nervosa here and here.
The following diagram shows the parts of the body most affected by this disease :
Other health consequences on people with this type of eating disorder are:
- Lanugo: a thin layer of hair that grows all over the body. The body usually uses lipids, or 'fat', to keep the body warm. When the body has a very low and dangerous fat level (and low muscle mass) the body grows lanugo all over. This includes face, back, torso and the abdomen.
- Tooth and Bone Decay: Nutrients and vitamins in foods help our body keep healthy and strong. When anorexics stop consuming food they're more likely to suffer bone loss and tooth decay. They're in greater risk for cavities, stained and lose teeth. The bones are also more likely to break than a person with a balanced diet.
- Emotional Instability: People tend to get grumpy when they haven’t eaten for a while. Many anorexics experience a lot of emotional instability and irritability because they're always hungry. Emotional instability can also be caused by stress, depression and anxiety.
In the most recent research of this particular behavior is how these people suffering from this psychological diseases share tips and advice to others. These are called "Pro-Ana" websites where you could find information on how to become or be a better anorexic. The information on these sites range from: ways on how to cut food, to who their Thinspiration (images and videos of skinny models, actresses, and other girls that inspire them to lose weight), ways and excuses to come up with so the person avoids food, among other things. You can see a great infomercial about this here: Don’t Die for a Diet
If you or anyone you know seems to suffer from Anorexia Nervosa, do not hesitate and inform an adult for help. This is also the phone number from the National Eating Disorders Association you may call for further assistance and information on recovery:1-800-931-2237. This link will take you to the help site where you can find other important information on recovery.
You can learn more about anorexia here.
Links and More :
National Eating Disorders Association
Latinas and Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa
FAQS on Anorexia
Article in MedicineNet
Latest News in Anorexia
Our Thoughts
Girls need to understand that Anorexia is not something to be proud of or something that should be glamorized. It is a serious psychological disease no different from other mental illnesses. Big Sister Amanda says she has noticed that the media creates a certain standard of beauty and forces girls to feel the need to be thin. Media does play an important role in this society, especially in first world countries like the United States. So how do we keep away from falling in that trap? By being healthy and having positive role models! Big Sister Amanda says, "I try to maintain a healthy life style by being active and making good food choices. At restaurants I try to substitute my side of french fries for salads which really makes a difference." While Big Sister Ivette tries to balance her vegetarian life style by eating tofu, soy products and other healthy foods like fruits and vegetables. As for role models, Amanda thinks Mandy Moore has natural beauty and a healthy glow that allows her to look beautiful. An important role model for Ivette is Marilyn Monroe, who in 1999 was voted the 'Sexiest Woman of the Century' by People Magazine. "She was a size 8 and that just proves that you don't need to be a size 0 to be attractive," says Ivette.
How About YOU?
What do you think about the media and eating disorders? What ways do you maintain a healthy life style and weight? And who do you look up to as a celebrity role model when it comes a to healthy body-image? Feel free to submit your thoughts!
This was originally posted in July 2009
Tags: anorexia, eating disorders, health, bulimia, advice, big sister, body, compulsive eating, psychological disorders, part 1
Eating Disorders Part 2 (Big Sister)
Eating Disorders & The Deadly Facts: Bulimia Nervosa Part 2
Eating disorders are the leading cause of death in all known psychological disorders. There are a number of eating disorders such as :
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating
- Anorexia Atletica
- Over Eating
- Night Eating
- Orthorexia Nervosa
- Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
You can read more information on each one here.
The Causes of Eating Disorders
There is still no exact known causes of eating disorders but recent research has shown strong correlation on the following possible causes:
- Biological Factors such as genetics.
- Social factors such as society and cultural factors.
- Psychological factors such as other psychological diseases like stress and depression.
The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive (binge) eating. Eating disorders are extremely dangerous. These three disorders will be discussed in three different updates in Big Sister.
Bulimia Nervosa
Bulimia Nervosa is an eating disorder that involves the consumption of a fixed amount of food for a fixed amount of time and then getting rid of it by vomiting, the use of laxatives, enemas, excessive exercise, or diuretics. Some other antics include chewing and spitting food. Bulimia is one of the trickiest mental disorders to diagnose since patients may be of average weight or slightly above or below. Somewhere between 1.1 and 4.2 percent of females suffer from Bulimia in their lifetime. Bulimia can also be interchangeable with Anorexia and other eating disorders, like compulsive eating. Only 6% of Bulimia patients will receive help. Here is a story of a person suffering from this disorder: http://www.youtube.com="" http:="" herf="”"> here.
Effects
The following diagram shows you how Bulimia Nervosa affects the body:
Ana and Mia
Ana and Mia are two names that are very common among people suffering from Bulimia and Anorexia. Anorexia is referred as Ana and Bulimia as Mia. Many people suffering these two eating disorders may try and personify their disorders by naming them like people. In Pro Ana and Mia websites users often refer to these names as well. There is really no clear explanation on why anorexics or bulimics try to personify their disorders due to limited research in the field. Though, they may refer to the disorders under these names because usually the people describe being under the control of their disorder. There have been few written reports that many people have a “voice” in their head that tell them to eat or not to eat, to throw up, that their ugly/worthless etc. which the patient then could refer it as a name like Ana or Mia. They may also use Ana or Mia, to describe their disorder as a friend or even gods of some form. This is how eating disorders may be linked to personality, mood, anxiety and other psychological disorders that may involve psychosis or hallucinations. You can find these names if you search it on YouTube or Google.
(Warning: some images in the video are disturbing to younger viewers.)
Stay tuned for our next and last segment on eating disorders! Links and More:
National Eating Disorders Association
Bulimia Nervosa Statistics
Anorexia Nervosa
Myths and Facts on Eating Disorders
Documentary Opening Scene Video: THIN
Latest News in Bulimia
This was originally posted in July 2009
Tags: anorexia, eating disorders, health, bulimia, advice, death, big sister, body, compulsive eating, article
Eating Disorders Part 3 (Big Sister)
Eating Disorders & The Deadly Facts: Binge Eating Part 3
Eating disorders are the leading cause of death in all known psychological disorders. There are a number of eating disorders such as :
- Anorexia Nervosa
- Bulimia Nervosa
- Binge Eating
- Anorexia Atletica
- Over Eating
- Night Eating
- Orthorexia Nervosa
- Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified (EDNOS)
You can read more information on each one here.
The Causes of Eating Disorders
There is still no exact known causes of eating disorders but recent research has shown strong correlation on the following possible causes:
- Biological Factors such as genetics.
- Social factors such as society and cultural factors.
- Psychological factors such as other psychological diseases like stress and depression.
The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, and compulsive (binge) eating. Eating disorders are extremely dangerous. These three disorders will be discussed in three different updates in Big Sister.
Binge Eating
Binge eating, or sometimes called compulsive eating is when a person has uncontrollable eating and an addiction to food, which they may feel out of control and unable to stop. Binging this way is generally followed by feelings of guilt and depression. Unlike people with bulimia, compulsive over eaters do not attempt to control the aftermath of binging with purging behaviors such as fasting, laxative use or vomiting. Compulsive over eaters will typically eat when they are not hungry. Their obsession can be summed up when they spend excessive amounts of time and thought devoted to food, and secretly plan or fantasize about eating alone. Compulsive overeating usually leads to weight gain and obesity, but not everyone who is obese is a compulsive over eater. Here is a news report on compulsive overeating by NBC Action News in Kansas City.
About 2 percent of all adults in the United States (as many as 4 million Americans) have binge eating disorder. About 10-15 percent of people who are mildly obese and who try to lose weight on their own or through commercial weight-loss programs have binge eating disorder. The disorder is even more common in people who are severely obese.
Effects
Left untreated, compulsive overeating can lead to serious medical conditions including obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, sleep apnea, and major depression. Long-term side effects of the condition also include kidney disease, arthritis, bone deterioration and stroke.
A Silent Killer: The Symptoms
- Periodically does not exercise control over consumption of food.
- Eats an unusually large amount of food at one time—more than a normal person would eat in the same amount of time.
- Eats much more quickly during binge episodes than during normal eating episodes.
- Eats until physically uncomfortable and physically feels like they're on the verge of throwing up due to the amount of food just consumed.
- Eats when depressed, sad, or bored.
- Eats large amounts of food even when not really hungry.
- Usually eats alone during binge eating episodes, in order to avoid discovery of the disorder.
- Often eats alone during periods of normal eating, owing to feelings of embarrassment about food.
- Feels disgusted, depressed, or guilty after binge eating.
Here is a woman who suffers from compulsive over eating with a matching psychological profile of the disease. Links and More:
National Eating Disorders Association
Binge Eating Disorder Information
Compulsive Overeating Disorder
Myths and Facts on Eating Disorders
Binge Eating Part One: The Morning Show
Binge Eating Part Two: The Morning Show
Latest News in Binge Eating Disorders
This was originally posted in July 2009
Tags: anorexia, eating disorders, health, bulimia, big sister, body, compulsive eating, part 3, article