Psy_240_to_Eat_or_Not_to_Eat

You are a counselor for those suffering from eating disorders. Today, you have two different group sessions: one consisting of clients with obesity issues, and one dealing with anorexia issues. So that the clients feel more comfortable, you would like to first start the session by explaining some of the physiological factors that cause people to eat or not eat. Then, you will open the floor for questions from the group. Write a 1,050- to 1,400-word paper in APA format containing the following: • Introduction: Act as the eating disorder counselor and introduce yourself to the group. Provide a brief explanation about what you will be discussing today. • Description of the physiological factors for hunger and satiety: Discuss the physiological myths about hunger and satiety and those physiological factors that do contribute to hunger and satiety. Respond to the following questions proposed by the two different groups: • Lindsey asked: My parents were both obese, is that why I am' • Robert asked: My girlfriend and I eat together all of the time, so we eat the same food and amounts of food, but she never gains weight like I do. Why is that' • Nancy asked: My mom says that I became anorexic because I’ve been reading too many Cosmo magazines and want to look like those girls. Maybe I did, but I really just don’t crave food. What do you think it is' Tyra asked: I don’t eat because every time I do, I just feel sick! Do you know why this is' Kristin Fee Axia College August 27, 2011 PSY/240 My name is Kristin and I will be assisting you and answering as many questions as I can in regards to eating disorders. Today we will be discussing the different types of eating disorders. What the cause of these disorders may be, and then I will gladly answer any questions. We will be focusing on the issues of obesity and anorexia. The first thing we will talk about today is the meaning, or description of the physiological factors for hunger and satiety. Hunger is when our body sends the signal to engage our need to find and consume food or sustenance. What we feel when we need to eat or find the substance is exactly that, hunger. There is a primal need to fill the human body with something that will fulfill that need. What one decides to fill the body with is entirely up to the individual. There are those that attempt to consume foods that are considered to be healthy by their standards, and there are those individuals that tend to grab whatever is available at the time. Food on the go has become an American staple. There are more fast food restaurants in this country than any other, (nytimes, 2000). This fact has contributed to the issue of obesity in this country. It is the food choices, the rush of the meal, the lack of knowledge, and the hopelessness that all feeds into the obesity problem that the people of this country face. The issue of anorexia is not so much how someone feels about eating, but how the person feels about eating and their own body image. The images that are fed to them as they go about their daily lives are of women and men that are in complete control, they are fit, they are thin, and they are in the minds of many “perfect”. The problem lies when one would attempt to emulate another person’s body image and not be able to control themselves enough to realize that there comes a time when enough is enough. Individuals that suffer from the horrific effects of anorexia are in need of intervention to realize that not eating enough can and will destroy their bodies just as obesity will. The definition of satiety is “to feel full to the point of satisfied, or beyond”, (2011, Webster’s). This is a difficult definition to contemplate due to the wording and the meaning of “or beyond”. This could be taken literally, such as one would experience satiety upon eating enough to feel that the hunger that we felt is no longer an issue. It could also mean that one would experience satiety after being completely “stuffed” and is actually having a hard time getting away from the table. There are times when one would be able to sustain a normal life on much less food, there are so many different explanations for what causes one to eat too much or eat too little, it is an individual problem that must be faced in order to combat the problem effectively. Question and Answer Portion Lindsey asked: My parents were both obese, is that why I am' Lindsey, there are strong theories of genetics involved with the problem of obesity. There are signs that an overweight, or an obese mother will have an obese child. If the mother has been obese for the majority of her life, chances are the child will be obese as well; the child may or may not be obese to the degree of the mother. There are also cases of the mother being obese and the father being underweight, the child could very easily have picked up the genetics of the father instead of the obese mother. The only way to know for sure would be to have testing done to see if you indeed have the gene that obese people have. There are more than one and it could be very expensive. If you are eating properly and exercising regularly, yet still are accumulating fat on your body, than chances are you are going to take after your obese parents. There are ways, albeit difficult to combat the obesity and the earlier they are started, the easier they are to obtain the goal of a healthier lifestyle. Robert asked: My girlfriend and I eat together all of the time, so we eat the same food and amounts of food, but she never gains weight like I do. Why is that' Because you and your girlfriend may eat the same foods and you may eat at the same times, and even the same amounts, but unfortunately for you, her metabolism is different. She is able to burn off the caloric intake easier or faster than you are. If you are saying that the fact of her not gaining weight is bothersome for you, the issue is not genetics, but perhaps jealousy. Nancy asked: My mom says that I became anorexic because I’ve been reading too many Cosmo magazines and want to look like those girls. Maybe I did, but I really just don’t crave food. What do you think it is' Although the girls and the image they project in Cosmo, or any other magazine is not realistic, it is not the entire reason that you are not eating. The reason would be the amount of serotonin you have in your body, which is what can prevent you from feeling as though you want to eat, even when you actually are very hungry. Also, you may want to examine the possibility that hunger is an act that is not learned, it is innate and if you are ignoring the fact that you are hungry, you will need at the very least, therapy so that you can discuss your feelings about food and your body image with a professional. Tyra asked: I don’t eat because every time I do, I just feel sick! Do you know why this is' There could be a very serious medical problem that needs to be addressed; you should seek care from a doctor as soon as possible to see if that is the case. If you and your doctor can find no medical reason why you feel sick when you are eating, then the problem could be from a psychological standpoint. Perhaps you have had an unpleasant situation with food in the past and that is causing your problem. Please understand that there are many different issues at stake when working through an eating disorder. The problem may or may not be medical, there should be a complete medical history done to see if it is medication or therapy that is needed to combat the problem. Thank You. REFERENCES Fast Food Nation, 2000, The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, SCHLOSSER, E. Womenshealth.gov, 2009, “what is anorexia nervosa'” US Department of Human Services.