Tori Davies
Mrs. Otemuyiwa
Communication Arts
29 February 2012
The True Meaning of Beauty
Every day many people are affected by it, some suffer from it, and few die from it. Eating disorders: big in the media of the United States , Canada , and Europe . When citizens across the country hear of a model dying due to his or her dietary choices people make a big deal; when you hear of a young girl suffering from the same fate it isn’t as promoted.
The truth of eating disorders, is it an issue of will power? Do only young girls struggle from this? Have these disorders always been around; or is it the constant promotion of being thin? Web MD states that: “Having an eating disorder is not a sign of weakness or a character flaw. And it is not something you can just overcome with willpower. Many people have struggled with eating disorders for a long time.” Many people have suffered with these eating disorders such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating disorder.
Doctors and specialists don’t know the exact causes of eating disorders, but many have theories and possibilities that can lead to them. One theory is biological factors. Research has revealed that eating disorders have run through families, which means that these disorders may be hereditary. Another cause may be a person’s mental health, meaning a person who has a lower self confidence will most likely have an eating disorder over people who are confident and sure of themselves. Another theory is where you live in the world. People who have eating disorders are more likely to live in areas where thinness is promoted in the area (Leone, pages 3-5).
Binge Eating Disorder
Picture a girl around seventeen; she thinks she’s too fat, too ugly. She has Binge Eating Disorder; eating loads of food in only an hour every day till she feels like her stomach’s going to explode. She has to eat in her bedroom because she is too embarrassed to tell someone about her compulsive overeating. She eats away all the emotional stress in her life, hoping that the food will comfort her. Once she eats away one bag of chips, or cookies she feels that she has to eat another just to feel happy.
Think of what her mother feels about her daughter. She discovered what her daughter is going through, by finding food missing in the pantry and discovering the empty wrappers in her bedroom as she was putting away her laundry. As soon as this mother discovered about her child she wanted to find ways to help her. After her search she discovered that to help her daughter she would have to go through counseling and take anti-depressants.
“Binge Eating Disorder- Topic Overview” informs that having binge eating disorder means you eat a lot of food in a short period of time. People- mostly young women- who have this eating disorder are more likely to be obese even when they are trying to lose weight. Someone who has this disorder will: consume a lot of food in a short period of time, eat to ease emotional stress, feel like they can’t stop eating, eat faster than normal, eat until they are painfully full, and eat alone to prevent embarrassment from the amounts of food they consume (“Binge Eating Disorder- Topic Overview”).
To diagnose this disorder doctors do a physical exam and ask questions about his or her mental health. Treating binge eating disorder usually doesn’t involve prescribed medication, but with counseling. Very few cases include antidepressants. (“Binge Eating Disorder”)
The average age groups to get this disorder are late teens and young adults; but there are cases of older women and men. An Average of 3% of Americans has an eating disorder; that’s about 13.6 million people! Around 25% of people who have eating disorders are obese; meaning about 3.4 million people in America
Anorexia Nervosa
Imagine a young woman in her mid-twenties; she is underweight; at five-foot three inches and eighty-two pounds. She considers herself to be fat and ugly. This woman continuously exercises in fear of gaining any weight. She only eats an apple and a small stick of celery every day, wanting to be thin.
Anorexia Nervosa, or Anorexia, is the most common of all the eating disorders. This disorder doesn’t include throwing up food, or eating a bunch of food in a short period of time; this eating disorder is not only a physical disorder, but also mental disorder. Anorexia is the fear of being fat and gaining weight. Most people who have Anorexia Nervosa: are underweight, are afraid to gain weight, refuse to stay the average weight, have a low self esteem when it comes to body image, obsess over food, limit what they eat, and exercise a lot- even when they’re sick (“Anorexia Nervosa”).
To diagnose Anorexia Nervosa a doctor will give their patient a physical exam including: checking the patient’s lungs, blood pressure, skin, hair, and even in some cases the patient will have blood drawn to be further examined. When the patient is diagnosed with this disorder the patient will go into counseling, and if their weight is dangerously low, they ill go to the hospital to get further treated (“Anorexia Nervosa”).
Bulimia
Now envision a young girl around twelve years old, she has bulimia. This child vomits up her every meal, hoping, wanting to be thin. She regularly dismisses herself to the bathroom before and after all her meals. She exercises every day wishing to be thinner.
Bulimia- like most eating disorders- is more common with young girls and women. People who have bulimia vomit up their food, excessively exercise, eat in secret, regularly go to the bathroom, and use laxatives, enemas, or diuretics. Some signs for Bulimia are: broken blood vessels in the eyes, dry mouth, pouch-like look in corners of the mouth due to salivary glands, rashes and pimples, and small cuts and calluses across the tops of finger joints from being forced to throw up (Berger and Zieve).
In the article “Bulimia,” it addresses that Bulimia is rarely treated with medicine, but some cases have been reported to: stop the patient from vomiting, use antidepressants, and if Bulimia has lead to Anorexia Nervosa. In usual cases there usually are support groups, to encourage the victim; therapy; and antidepressants (Berger and Zieve).
Young girls face eating disorders every day: whether they have it, a family member or friend has it, or in the promotion of media to be slim. Many citizens in America , Canada and Europe deal with this on a daily basis, though most choose to ignore it. The big question of all is, “What is Beauty?” Is it the clothes people wear; how they present themselves; someone’s size? Or is it “What makes Beauty?” Is it a person’s personality; her sociability; her appreciation? Beauty should mean how someone’s personality looks. Beauty is what’s on the inside that counts- and that doesn’t mean how someone’s intestines look but how and what people feel on the inside.
Works Cited
“Anorexia Nervosa- Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment for Anorexia.” WebMD. Healthwise Inc. February 23, 2011. Web. February 9, 2012.
Berger, Fred. Zieve, David. “Bulimia.” Pub Med Health. United States
“Binge-eating Disorder.” Mayoclinic. Mayo Foundation. August 2, 2011. Web. February 10, 2012.
Leone, Daniel. Bulimia. Farmington Hills Michigan
“U.S.
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