Cause_and_Effect_Bulimia

Bulimia nervosa, more commonly known simply as bulimia or binge and purge disorder, is an eating disorder that affects 1 in 4 college-aged women. The most common misconception concerning bulimia is that it is simply a physical or mental problem. Many people do not understand that bulimia is a disease that affects both the mind and the body, and in its course can destroy both aspects of the diseased individual. Bulimia affects a variety of different people, but generally the victims will fall tend to fall into certain categories. Those at highest vulnerability to this disease are young adult females, ages 12 to 18. The disease, however, can start as early as elementary school, or much later in life. Others such as women who participate in ice skating or dance may also be pressured into starting bulimic habits. Males who perform in athletics such as wrestling are at high risk for developing the disease as well. Bulimia may also contain ties to diseases such as clinical or manic depression. Bulimics often start out with anorexia which is starvation and excessive exercising, or may turn to anorexia after being bulimic. Bulimia is marked by significant cycles in eating habits. Bulimics will often starve themselves for extended periods of time prior to a massive binge, during which they consume abnormal amounts of food in a short period of time. These binges are followed by purging, which generally is constituted by self-inflicted vomiting. Other methods of purging the body include the use of diet pills, laxatives, and excessive exercising. Bulimics are generally within what is considered to be a normal weight range, but see themselves as being fat, or suffer from an intense fear of gaining weight. They often do realize that they have a problem, but by that point the cycle has become an obsession. Bulimics usually weigh themselves frequently, even several times daily. Bulimics also suffer from an emotional cycle of guilt, and depression. They feel pride when they succeed in starving themselves; guilt, pain, and depression when they eat; and then happiness usually follows a purge. The cycle becomes an emotional roller coaster. Bulimics are often perfectionists; they feel they have severe standards to live up to. They feel that they cannot control their lives may turn to eating disorders as a means to feel in control of some aspect of themselves. They tend to have an intense fear of becoming a failure, and letting others down. Many doctors and members of society feel that society, with its media images of beauty and perfection, is responsible for the disease. Food becomes a day by day obsession, causing them to withdraw from their families, as well as school and social lives. Bulimics will often refuse to eat in front of other people, and will find any sort of excuse to avoid meals in groups. They may sneak food for bingeing when no one else is around. Bulimics may sometimes run to the bathroom following any form of food intake. The disease is habit-forming. . More importantly, bulimia and other eating disorders can be prevented. Once society comes to terms with natural body shapes, and once humans learn more about being more kind to one another, it is certain that the rates of incidence would drop drastically. It is important to the health of humans that people overcome the media-fed images of beauty and perfection. Only then will we and the victims of eating disorders be helped. Works Cited www.something-fishy.org/ www.mirror-mirror.org/eatdis.htm www.emedicinehealth.com/bulimia/article_em.htm www.emedicine.com/emerg/topic810.htm www.medicinenet.com/bulimia/article.htm