Health Essays Example

The problem of eating disorders has turn out to be a thorny issue because it poses life threating illnesses to the health of individuals that are simultaneously physical and psychological in nature. Eating disorders are neither a fad diet nor an experiment to lose weight. Rather they are serious, complex disorders that can take the time to recover from. In United States, a substantial percent of those affected by eating disorders are women (Fairburn, & Harrison 407). With that in mind reminds me that every little girl dreams of becoming a model. They live in an image conscious culture, which impulses all of them to improve their appearances. However, due to these conditions it is becoming hard for them to achieve their ambitions since they are genetically vulnerable to developing eating disorders.
A significant number of girls with eating disorder die within ten years of having the disease. Typically, this shatters down their dreams, and it comes a time when teenagers will need to be conscious of the risk factors, warning signs, and short and long-term effects of eating disorders (Ghaderi & Scott 122). Risk factors are situations that increase the risk of developing an eating disorder habit. They include age, family history, gender, dieting, and dieting. The paper will explicate risk factors that contribute to the cause of eating disorders, for instance, an obsession over every little pound an individual is wearing; low-esteem and depression are known to usher in the eating disorder. Additionally, the paper will elucidate short and long term consequences of eating disorder.
Eating disorders are diseases in which an individual undergo a severe disturbance in their eating behaviors and related emotions and thoughts. An individual with these conditions tends to become obsessed with food hence resulting to increase in body weight (Polivy & Herman 189). The medical conditions are of three categories; bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Eating disorders are multifaceted illnesses that arise from a combination of long-standing psychological, behavioral, emotional, biological, social factors and interpersonal. In a nutshell, complicated interactions of biological, social and psychological factors lead to eating disorders.
Unfortunately, there is no credible and clear cause of eating disorders, but the medical disorders can be an outcome of many things. However, weight and body shape play a role in alarming the disorders. Psychological factors that can result in eating disorders are low self-esteem, depression, anger, stress and feelings of inadequacy. Interpersonal factors involve a troubled personal relationships, sexual abuse and difficulties in expressing one’s feelings and emotions (Fairburn, & Harrison 411). Another aspect that contributes to eating disorders is social factors. For instance, a culture that is conscious of the glorifying perfect body and a culture with norms that value people on the basis of physical appearances rather the inner strengths and qualities. Additionally social factors may also lead to eating disorders due to discrimination stress-related forms such as racial, ethnicity and weight-related.
Actually, the causes of eating disorders are factors such as personality and emotional disorders as well as family and cultural pressure. Symptom signs of eating disorders can either be very subtle or noticeable. For example, people with anorexia tend to have either reduced appetite or aversion to food that include situations of avoiding strange food rituals and having intense fear in weight increase. Bulimia patients may have warned a sign such as excessive eating that is followed by eradication. For instance, when an individual consumes a significant amount of calories one can get rid of the food by using purgatives and vomiting.
In amazement, eating disorders appear to be solely about weight and food concerns. However, individuals suffering from the medical disorders frequently try to use food and it control in order to cope with the emotions and feelings that may otherwise seem devastating. For some victims, bingeing, purging and dieting may start as method of coping with severe emotions that help them to feel in charge of their lives (Ghaderi & Scott 128). Eventually, these behavioral factors will destruct a person’s emotional and physical health, sense of control and competence and self-esteem. Particular extracurricular activities can be reducing factor to an eating disorders. For instance, in sports the participants are advice to keep the body fit, therefore, reducing or discourage eating. Models, dancers, and gymnastics are emphasized in maintain thinness in order to be successful. Therefore, their coaches trigger reduction of eating habit hence maintaining their body weight and fitness.
Eating disorders do not only affect people before they find treatment for their disorder, but they can have long-life effects on their health. The medical conditions have long and short term effects (Dietz 518). Examples of short term effects are electrolyte imbalances, dehydration, malnutrition, edema, dry hair and skin, lanugo, swelling and hyperactivity. These are only a few of countless short-term impact of this life-threatening disorder. The short term impact of these medical conditions can be painful and unappealing. For instance, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, and dehydration are caused by inadequate vitamins and minerals in the body to function accordingly. In addition, short-term effects have an impact on individual appearances such situation is when soft down hair develops on the face and arms. The function of these hairs is to keep the body warmth due to lack of fat in the body. Hyperactivity is also a short term effect of an eating disorder, and the prevention measure of this course can be treated with medication. Long term effects involve thrombocytopenia, hypotension or hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, amenorrhea, kidney or liver infection and failure, slowed heart rate, paralysis, and ultimately death.
Long term effects occur later after an individual has stopped practicing eating disorder behaviors. For example, Hypotension is a low blood pressure that is caused by dehydration and malnutrition. Hypertension can result in heart complications such as shock or hear arthymethis. Hypertension is probably happened to occur in patients with eating disorder behaviors or individual who compulsive overeaters. Thrombocytopenia is a low platelet count that is caused by malnutrition, folic acid and inadequate vitamin B12 in the body (Dietz 520). The long term effect on the body causes a weakened immune system of the body. Additionally, diabetes is also a long term effect that is associated with the impact of eating disorder that is caused by hyperglycemia and hormone imbalance.
When people struggle with an eating disorder, their body get extremely weak as the disorder continues. An example of the body weakening is the development of osteoporosis in someone with an eating disorder. Osteoporosis disorder is weakening and thinning of the human bones, which makes them more vulnerable to breaking. Amenorrhea is the loss of a menstrual cycle can cause barrenness in a woman (Polivy & Herman 190). Therefore, becoming hard to for a woman to reproduce or get pregnancy. Liver and kidney failure can also be an overwhelming outcome of this disorder. Liver failure is triggered by fasting and taking acedometophine which people with eating disorders frequently do. Kidney failure is caused by the lack of vitamins that the kidneys need to function normally. Eating disorders can also lead to paralysis because of the inadequate of potassium in the body may make the body to become very weak and unable to move. Eventually, because of the many health complications an eating disorder cases, the disorder can lead to death.
In conclusion, teenagers are conscious of the warning signs and risk factors that may lead to eating disorder behaviors (Fairburn, & Harrison 416). These disorders are harmful illnesses that can cause the fatalities to struggle for the rest of their lives and even in life after they stop practice the eating disorders behaviors. Eating disorders are life changing but have a number or warning signs. The eating disorder can perfectly eradicated by parents and the entire family. Therefore, the essay recommends that family should encourage healthy eating behaviors. Children believe that their parents are their best friends as well as role models in their lives. Therefore, they tend to hear their parents’ advice and do what the does (Ghaderi & Scott 130). Parents should talk to their children alter their lifestyle choice and about the risk of eating unhealthy eating choices. Parents should also nurture and strengthen a healthy body image to create a self-image on their children. This will offer an encouragement that body shape do differ and will build their self-esteem.

Work cited

Fairburn, Christopher G., and Paul J. Harrison. "Eating disorders." The Lancet 361.9355 (2003): 407-416. Retrieved from https://rcpsych.ac.uk/pdf/EDE_16.0.pdf
Ghaderi, Ata, and Berit Scott. "Prevalence, incidence and prospective risk factors for eating disorders." Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica 104.2 (2001): 122-130. Retrieved from http://www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:166520/FULLTEXT01.pdf
Polivy, Janet, and C. Peter Herman. "Causes of eating disorders." Annual review of psychology 53.1 (2002): 187-213.
Dietz, William H. "Health consequences of obesity in youth: childhood predictors of adult disease." Pediatrics 101.Supplement 2 (1998): 518-525. Retrieved from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/101/Supplement_2/518.full.html