Eating Disorders have become a serious issue over the last few decades. In the current society, there are many cases concerning teenagers, especially girls, who suffer from eating disorders. Young girls suffer from this life-threatening condition as a means meant to achieve a perfect slim model body. However, out of other age groups, teenagers have been found to suffer more from eating disorder compared to any other age groups. The main types of eating disorders are Anorexia and Bulimia. Some factors that drive teenagers to have eating disorders include peer-pressure, sports and low self-esteem among others as discussed hereinafter.
Anorectics go through the process of starvation with the aim of losing weight (Cole et al., 2014). They use drugs called anorectic which helps reduce their appetite and reduces their food consumption levels, leading to weight loss. People who use such drugs hardly notice that they have lost weight. Moreover, such people eat very little amounts of food and claim that they are not hungry because the drugs suppress their appetite. They do not notice that they have lost weight and always have the mentality that they are still fat. Some indulge in exercise activities alongside limiting their food consumption levels. Anorexia is a very dangerous eating disorder. Many cases related to this disorder end up in death.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Anorexia is a life-threatening condition, however, some teenagers have the mentality that thinness makes them look better. It is a condition that can easily become a lifestyle and one might not be able to get out of it. Body organs including the brain, kidneys and the heart can be damaged if one becomes extremely malnourished. Such damages may not be reversible even when the condition is put under control.
Another eating disorder, apart from Anorexia, is Bulimia nervosa. The affected person is characterized by excessive overeating, referred to as binging, which is later accompanied by a compensatory action like vomiting or fasting. Such people are afraid of gaining weight. Overweight and obese people use purging as a way of managing weight or preventing further weight gain. This mental illness can become serious to the extent of one seeking medical attention. A person diagnosed with Bulimia can consume more 2,000 calories at once then force themselves to vomit. Apart from vomiting, other methods that can be used for purging include excessive exercise, fasting, enemas and use of a laxative. People who binge without purging get diagnosed with eating disorders. Occasional induction of vomiting can result in the development of sores in the mouth and can cause rotting teeth.
Continuous binging and purging can result in stress in one’s body (Pinkasavage et al., 2016). Teenagers have been diagnosed with arrhythmia, heart palpitations, heart attacks because the heart cannot withstand daily vomiting or daily laxative use. People even die from this condition. High levels of vomiting erode teeth enamel and lead to yellow teeth and tooth decay. Bulimia enhances issues related to fertility health in women. Frequent binging causes the stomach to stretch leading to an increase in the quantity of food one is able to consume. In worst cases, it causes the ripping off of the stomach lining which forces the stomach acid to get spilt in the body. It often has fatal outcomes.
Sports are among the factors that contribute to eating disorders among teenagers. In sports such as athlete, weight has a big impact when it comes to performance. Athletes who have much body weight are at risk of less effective performance. They risk not being in a position to complete a race. In such sports, people get pressure to maintain low body weights and slim bodies especially during the teenage stage where bodies undergo maturity changes. They grow up with the mentality that they have to be thin in order for them to maximize their performance in sports. Research has it that sports people, especially athletes, who diet because they want leaner bodies in order to improve their performance, have high chances of developing eating disorders. Athletes who need to have leaner bodies should be encouraged to use alternative low-risk methods. Sports coaches should contribute to reducing such risks. They should cease from bullying sports people and making them look bad because they do not have the expected bodies.
Cultural beliefs and attitudes are among the many factors that have resulted in eating disorder development (Sharan & Sundar, 2015). Cultural values have largely contributed to such disorders among teenagers. The image of beauty has changed and women who have big bodies get pressure to fit in like the rest. The idolization of tiny bodies among the white people culture has with no doubt contributed to eating disorders among teenage girls. In the current society, many people view a slender body to be more beautiful. Young girls view thinness as a requirement for them to be accepted by the society. Such mentalities can lead to poor eating habits that cause problems such as starvation, anorexia and bulimia. Most of the white middle-class women and teenage girls focus on maintaining slim bodies. Unlike the whites, the black community accepts women with full bodies and this has protected them from such disorders.
Adolescents are conscious about what goes on around them and they believe in other people’s opinions. This may lead them to develop eating disorders. The pressure exerted on teenagers from people they closely relate with such as boyfriends, parents and even the media pushes them into a dieting lifestyle. An adolescent will not ignore a negative comment made by her parent about her added weight during puberty. This can trigger her to stick on a restricted diet without thinking about the possible risk associated with it. Dieting for a long period of time is an early sign of developing eating disorders. Research has found out that female adolescents develop eating disorders as a result of the pressure they get to become thin. Once a teenager starts dieting, it becomes addictive. She will continue to see herself as not slim enough even when she becomes dangerously thin.
Low self-esteem, especially among teenage girls is a major contribution to the eating disorders. Parents put much pressure on their daughters to become perfect. Girls work hard to please their parents and meet their expectations. Whenever they fail to get the expected perfect body, they develop low self-esteem. They start looking for flaws in their bodies and compare themselves with those that have slender bodies. They feel that they weigh more than their friends and such comparisons push them into a dietary lifestyle because they are not satisfied with their bodies. They keep comparing themselves to their friends and indulge on a restricted diet until when they feel that they have the desired body. Such pressure can also come from a boyfriend who advised his girlfriend that she would look prettier if she shed off some pounds. A girl will do all that she can with fear of losing the friendship. This has resulted in many adolescents becoming extremely thin.
In conclusion, eating disorders can become life-threatening, resulting in death among teenagers who develop the sickness. They can end up having psychological distress and many other complications that could be avoided. The disorders result in unhealthy relationships and diminish their self-esteem. The society should stop putting unnecessary pressure on teenagers and encourage them to appreciate their bodies. Treatment should start as early as possible upon detection of an eating disorder before it becomes fatal. The disorders can, however, be treated through therapy and proper health care. Disorders such as Anorexia nervosa are characterized as mental illness. In most cases, such disorders have ended up in death. Some treatments do not work for everybody that is why therapy is advised for severe cases.
References
Cole, E., Rothblum, E. D., & Schramm, K. W. (2014). Anorexia nervosa and recovery: A hunger for meaning . New York: Routledge.
Pinkasavage, E., Arigo, D., & Schumacher, L. M. (2015). Social comparison, negative body image, and disordered eating behavior: The moderating role of coping style. Eating behaviors , 16 , 72-77.
Sharan, P., & Sundar, A. S. (2015). Eating disorders in women. Indian journal of psychiatry , 57 (Suppl 2), S286.
