Future Effects of Life with an Eating Disorder

Research Paper on Future Effects of Life with an Eating Disorder

All over the world, millions of people, of all ethnicities and ages, suffer from eating disorders. Millions of people from all over the world of all ethnicities and ages suffer from eating disorders. There are many people who claim that eating disorders come from environmental factors, such as looking at size double zero models in magazines or on television. There are also Many people who believe that eating disorders are caused by biological factors, such as lack of a chemical in the brain that controls hunger. Some people suffering from eating disorders became anorexic or bulimic during adolescence, and some much later in life. These eating disorders are very hard on the bodies of those who suffer, therefore the chances of anorexia and bulimia having an effect later in life is extremely likely. Eating disorders, whether caused by biological or environmental factors, will affect the future of those who suffer.

Knowing about the lifetime effects that of eating disorders have could help people suffering realize that they need help. It could also prevent many people from having eating disorders because environmental factors might not mean as much if it is clear that giving in to pressures to look a certain way could have horrible effects on future health and wellbeing. For example, if a young girl looks at a magazine and sees a model, she might decide that she does not look that way, but she wants to. that she wants to be as pretty and glamorous as her. This could lead to this girl binge eating or fasting. The desire to look like this model might cause the girl to begin binge eating or fasting. Both of these could cause her to have serious lifelong problems. However, if she knew what the consequences could be knows what the possible consequences are, she might choose to have a more positive body image. This paper will discuss whether environmental factors or biological factors have more of a pull on why eating disorders occur.

Eating disorders are becoming a trend starting at a young age. Studies show that anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are two of the most common chronic illnesses during adolescence. This means that kids as young as thirteen years old have eating disorders. Anorexia and bulimia effect affect about 2% of girls during adolescence. This means that for every ten adolescent girls, two of them probably have an eating disorder. Many girls during this age are comparing themselves to others instead of accepting their own bodies. This often causes girls to start dieting. However, at this age, girls do not know how to diet properly. Girls at a young age do not know how to diet properly. Dieting is one of the stepping stones leading to this chronic illness, which about half of all kids do diet during adolescence. If a young girl is dieting incorrectly, she might get frustrated and turn to fasting for more immediate results. This is not only a common thing in the United States, this is something that happens all over the world and with people of all ethnicities. Although eating disorders are common in all ethnic groups, "90% of cases are in females" ("Eating disorders and weight problems" 1). Females usually are are usually much more self-conscious when it comes to weight and body image than men. That being said, at any age, women and girls at any age are much more likely to begin dieting, (Remove comma) which may lead to an eating disorder.

Eating disorders cause those affected to have very unhealthy eating habits. Eating disorders cause people to have terrible eating habits. People affected by these eating disorders tend to not eat, or restrict their eating, for eight hours a day ("Bidirectional Associations Between Binge Eating And Restriction In Anorexia Nervosa. An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study" 1). When people restrict their eating, it is categorized as anorexia nervosa. On the other hand, they also binge eat, or eat much more than necessary, than throw up. This eating disorder is categorized as bulimia nervosa. Both of these disorders are extremely unhealthy and difficult and on the body. Along with this, eating disorders can cause people to have unhealthy images about their bodies. Women with negative body images about themselves tend to judge others based on their size ("Eyes On The Bodies: An Eye Tracking Study On Deployment Of Visual Attention Among Females With Body Dissatisfaction." 1). Judging others will not actually help people with eating disorders feel better about themselves, It will only cause them to lower their self-image. Having a negative self- image causes women to have lower self-esteem ("Eyes On The Bodies: An Eye Tracking Study On Deployment Of Visual Attention Among Females With Body Dissatisfaction." 1). Women with low self-esteem often want to change their body image, therefore, leading to eating disorders.

Having negative self-esteem can be the cause of eating disorders. Having negative self-esteem causes a person to feel bad about themselves, making them what to change their body ("Self-Imagery In Individuals With High Body Dissatisfaction: The Effect Of Positive And Negative Self-Imagery On Aspects Of The Self-Concept." 1). Many women believe that being "skinny" will make them happy. That being said, becoming anorexic or bulimic is a quick and easy way for them to become skinny and more confident in their bodies. On the contrary, having positive self-esteem leads to body satisfaction. If people were more confident with themselves, chances are, the number of those suffering from eating disorders would most likely decrease drastically. A study showed that those with anorexia had such a negative body image that they had more delusion-like answers about body image than people with schizophrenia ("A Phenomenological Investigation Of Overvalued Ideas And Delusions In Clinical And Subclinical Anorexia Nervosa." 1). This study suggests just how unhealthy it can be to have very low self-esteem. It proves that having a positive outlook on body image can save a person from the consequences that may come with having an eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa that stem from these type types of influences come from environmental factors. Environmental factors could be anything from looking at a model in a magazine, to a harsh comment made by a friend. These factors could easily cause a person's self-esteem to be lowered, therefore increasing the chances of an eating disorder.

Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa can cause major lifetime issues. Women who have eating disorders are likely to have pregnancy complications ("Effects Of Obstetric Complications On Volume And Functional Connectivity Of Striatum In Anorexia Nervosa Patients." 1). Women that put their bodies through the stress by either starving themselves, or throwing up after they eat a meal. Woman put their bodies through great stress when starving themselves or throwing up after every meal they eat. These very unhealthy habits can lead to an effect that would be completely devastating for most women. The chances of having pregnancy complications are heightened if the woman has had an eating disorder since a young age. The longer that a woman has been anorexic or bulimic, the more they are damaging their bodies. As children, most girls dream about the day that they have their own family. They play with baby dolls and decorate doll houses. If more women knew about this long term effect, they might think about whether binge eating or fasting is worth sacrificing having a family later in life.

The most important element of this research is that environmental factors seem to be the cause of most cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Many young girls begin dieting, binge eating, or fasting during adolescence. Environmental factors are the cause for many of these young kids. Although people of all ethnicities have eating disorders, only ten percent of all eating disorder cases are men males. Eating disorders are both physically and mentally unhealthy. Fasting for eight hours, (Remove Comma) and purging are both very physically unhealthy for the body. Having a negative self-image and low self-esteem are mentally unhealthy. In the future, more research should be done on whether biological factors play a part in eating disorders at all. Overall, eating disorders can be minimized by encouraging positive self-image, (Remove Comma) and decreasing environmental factors that play a role in causing eating disorders.

Works Cited

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