Eating Disorders Are On The Rise - 1251 Words

It seems that in today’s world, eating disorders are on the rise. While this may be true, the numbers may appear to increase only because more cases are being released into the open. Millions of Americans upon all ages, every year are diagnosed with an eating disorder. â€Å"Studies have shown that 0.5 to 37% of women suffer from anorexia nervosa in their lifetime† (mentalhealthamerica.net). â€Å"Research shows that eating disorders are likely the result of a combination of genetic and environmental factors† (mobile.dudamobile.com). Although most of us would benefit from eating not as much and exercising a little bit more in order improve our health and fitness, simply watching what you eat is NOT an eating disorder. Eating Disorders are†¦show more content†¦A person who tends to have a constant battle with an eating disorder can have unrealistic self-critical thoughts about body image, and your eating habits may begin to disrupt typical body functions and affect daily activities. Eating disorders are not just about food and weight. People begin to apply food as a coping mechanism to deal with abnormal or painful emotions or to help them feel more in control when feelings or situations seem over-whelming. If you have an eating disorder, you are very concerned about your body image, and you use food to control your emotions. You want very much to be thin and are afraid of becoming fat. The life threatening diseases, anorexia and bulimia come from an unknown cause but have been known to run in families. Young women with a family member who has an eating disorder are more likely to develop a disorder themselves. Then there are psychological, environmental, and social factors that may contribute to the development of anorexia. â€Å"Psychological effects include: low self-esteem, mood swings or clinical depression, refusal to accept that one’s weight is dangerously low despite warnings from friends or health professors† (eatingdisorders.org.all). When you have anorexia, you unreasonably limit calories or use other methods to lose weight, such as excessive exercise, using laxatives or diet