The Causes Of Eating Disorders Essay Example

Purging disorder is more common than anorexia and bulimia. Purging has no certain cause, but there are various factors believed to cause it including; cultural factors, child abuse, anxiety, stress feelings, addiction and genetic predisposition (Allen, Byrne, Oddy, Schmidt & Crosby, 2014). Binge-eating disorder has causes ranging from three different fields including; biological causes, social and cultural causes, and psychological causes. Biological causes include; hypothalamus effect, the part of the brain may not reflect the right message about fullness and hunger, genetic mutation leading to food addiction and brain cells may fail to take part in compulsive eating. Social and cultural causes include; exposing children to particular comments about their actual appearance like their bodies and weight, parents using food to dismiss, comfort or reward their children. Psychological causes include; depression, problem in expressing feelings and controlling impulse. Binge eating is much involved in ones emotions.

Bulimia nervosa is linked with the need to avoid getting fat and emotional factors. Emotional causes include; depression whereby binging can be used as a preventive measure, stress after having a traumatic experience like death, having low self-esteem whereby if you have an eating disorder you may feel bad about yourself and therefore view losing weight as a way of gaining back your self-worth. Bulimia is common in people who have sexual abuse, family problems, criticism, and difficult childhood (Fairburn & Harrison, 2003). Atypical anorexia disorder has causes derived from three different fields including; Biological, psychological and sociological. Biological causes include; other infections like mycoplasma and streptococcus may trigger this disorder, obstetric conditions among others. Psychological causes include; dysfunctional family and child abuse (Jappe, 2014). Sociology causes include; belief and

internalization of body ideals, sports majoring on aesthetics where people with low body fats are more advantageous hence many will prefer to lose weight.

Pica is caused by three conditions including; pregnancy whereby there will be increased need to urinate hence if nutritional factors are not considered the baby might be infected by pica, nutritional deficiencies whereby the body does not get adequate nutrients and finally iron deficiency in the body leading to low hemoglobin in the body, these may result to pica in the body (Hsueh, Chen, Li & Chen, 2013). There are environmental risk factors like sociocultural and media images that promote body dissatisfaction. Gene-environment correlation whereby children receive genes from same people who are in their family environment. Economic hardship especially household economic burden seems to have the effect on quality of life. The statics show that anybody can be affected by these disorders. 90% of those affected by eating disorders are females, anorexia and bulimia are commonly in teens aged 13-18 for anorexia while bulimia starts at late teens or early twenties. These disorders are common in industrial societies.

These disorders can be detected through the described symptoms. Purging disorder specifically affect people with below or average weight purge when eating. Usually by vomiting after eating. Purging occurs when one try’s to get rid of the body weight. This is done with the aid of diuretics. Its symptoms include; regular use of laxatives, throwing up a lot like broken blood vessels in the eyes and swollen cheeks, obsessing about weight and appearance, frequent bathroom visits after eating. Purging may trigger medical risks like anemia, dehydration, stomach ulcers, and sores in the mouth, low

blood pressure, diarrhea, and constipation. Those are the symptoms of purging and the health implications that come as a result of purging disorder. Binge eating disorder is whereby one overeats regularly and this habit is uncontrollable. Those affected by this disorder use food to deal with negative conditions they experience like stress, bad emotions among others (Allen, Byrne, Oddy, Schmidt & Crosby, 2014). The symptoms are always seen at early adulthood and mainly after a diet.

Binge eaters even eat when they are not hungry. They take much food when trying to just taste the meal. Behavioral symptoms of binge eating include; hiding or stock piling food to eat some other time, eating continuously throughout the day, eating large amounts of food faster, eating even when one is full among others (Allen, Byrne, Oddy, Schmidt & Crosby, 2014). Emotional symptoms include; feeling ashamed and disgusted after eating, never feeling satisfied, and desperation to control eating habits and increased weight. Binge eating causes obesity, which in turn leads to various medical implications including joint and muscle pains, high cholesterol, heart diseases, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea among others. Bulimia disorder is a dangerous mental illness that mainly result into self-induced vomiting. It involves binge eating traits (Craighead, Martinez & Klump, 2013). Its symptoms include; straining of the teeth, swelling of the jaw area or even cheek, eating large amounts of food within a short time, withdrawal from common activities and friends among others, It’s health implications include; can lead to possible heartbeats, possible heart failure, tooth decay, constipation, inflammation among others (Craighead, Martinez & Klump, 2013).

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by one having the low

body weight possible. People with anorexia do this by exercising regularly and controlling the amount of food they take. It has the following symptoms; eating very littler, weighing the body rapidly, missing meals, and physical problems like dry skin, behavior of counting calories in the food. Anorexia has some psychological effects like low self-esteem, anxiety, and depression. Its health implications include; malnutrition, irregular heartbeat, infertility, fragile bones among others (Jappe, 2014). Pica is a disorder that involve eating substances that do not have any nutritional value in the body like dirt. Pica is much more associated with other disorders like compulsive disorder, mental retardation, and development disability. Its symptoms include; eating of non-nutritive substances, substance eaten does not match the development level in an individual, persistent eating of non-nutritious, the eating behavior is not actually part of the social and cultural normative practices.

Rumination is a disorder quite common among children or infant (Fairburn & Harrison, 2003). Those affected bring back the food that is partially digested and re-chews it after which it is swallowed again (Luiselli, 2015). Its symptoms include; weight loss, tooth decay, bad breath, raw lips, repeated re-chewing, and regurgitation of food and finally those affected by rumination may experience unusual movements like straining, sucking mouth movements among others. Rumination has various health complications associated with it including; dehydration, tooth decay, chocking, death, weight loss, lower resistance to diseases and malnutrition (Luiselli, 2015).

The eating disorders have general implications and psychological implications to those affected. These effects further trigger other dangerous health effects. The psychological effects such as stress, depression, anxiety, and self-denial may result to other illnesses. Bulimia is a disorder with most

of the psychological disorders and physical complications. These psychological complications may yield illnesses including; personality disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress. Most of these eating disorders affect people at puberty when hormones experience changes that make them aware of body conditions. Bulimia effects can affect the teeth in that when one vomits the acidic content of the stomach comes out making the enamel layer of the teeth to wear living the nerve endings and pulp exposed. Hence frequent vomiting leads to quick damage of the teeth.

Psychological complications caused by anorexia nervosa may lead to increased vulnerability thereby acquiring other eating disorders easily and often, personality disorders are as well experienced like alcoholism, borderline, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and dysmorphic disorder. Psychological effects may further cause autism spectrum disorder, fainting, fatigue, dizziness, breaks and falls out and amenorrhea. This condition is not always seen in the general public but only those affected by anorexia hence it is a condition triggered by the effects of anorexia. Poor body image may affect ones physical health and impair mental condition. These will lead to poor lifestyle choices and reduced social lifestyle. Physical complications like dry skin, feeling dizzy, hair loss, and tooth decay may limit one’s ability to conduct practical activities and not experience normal lifestyle as strict measures must be followed so as to prevent getting more injuries. Social effects that may result from these eating disorders include, interpersonal mistrust, reduced sexual interest, secrecy, and isolation. Financial impacts include, increase spending on laxatives and binge food among others. Eating disorders can make one to carry out illegal activities like in the case of binge eating

one can shoplifting laxatives and food, others can even use un prescribed or illegal drugs just to reduce their weight (Allen, Byrne, Oddy, Schmidt & Crosby, 2014).

Eating disorders can be treated and even prevented or controlled. These processes vary according to the eating disorder. However there are some common process that apply to almost all of them. Most of these disorders have no specific treatment disclosed yet hence it is not guaranteed that treatment used for purging will be effective if used to treat binge eating disorder. Purging treatment involves a physician to advice on medical problems.

A dietician is as well involved to health with nutrition education, and healthy, or good eating plans, finally a counselor is needed to emphasize on how to cope up with the new eating plan (Allen, Byrne, Oddy, Schmidt & Crosby, 2014). Binge eating disorder require many medications involving, self-help techniques, therapy, and group support. They are prescribed drugs that calm this disorder. They include; Antidepressants, which must be used continuously and it is as well effective in treating bulimia, and Topamax, which is the drug increasing weight loss. However it has side effects including burning sensation and fatigue.

Those affected by bulimia must be willing to take some corrective steps towards treating the disorder. These steps include; they have to admit that they have a problem in that one’s relationship with food is not good or rather distorted, talk to someone even though it is shameful to talk to someone about something you have kept a secret for a very long time, the third step is to avoid activity, people, places that lure one to binge or purge and finally

one must seek professional aid. Its treatment must be gained early enough. Bulimia therapy is conducted where the effects of binge and purge must be countered first then unhealthy patterns and thought are changed. Emotional issues are also eliminated (Craighead, Martinez & Klump, 2013). Anorexia require social, physical, and psychological need in order to be treated. Suitable care plan must be put in place. A specialist is required to help carry out these processes. Psychological therapy and advice on eating and nutrition is involved. Specialists involved include psychiatrists, nurses, and dieticians. Outpatient mode of treatment is used in most cases and more serious cases it is treated in hospitals.

Pica involves the risk of medical complication like in case of poisoning by substance like lead. Medical monitoring is needed during its treatment. Positive reinforcement must be obtained so as to emphasize on the edible foods and those that are not (Hsueh, Chen, Li & Chen, 2013). Rumination disorder is treated with behavioral techniques. This involves advice on more appropriate behavior and the environment of those affected by rumination disorder. (Luiselli, 2015).

Preventive measures taken against eating disorders involve various steps. These steps include; educating one’s self so as to be more aware of these disorders. Thereby avoiding judgmental attitudes and bad emotions towards body weight, food, body shape and generally these disorders. It involves education on required diet or balanced diet. The other step is ignoring and challenging the belief that muscularity, thinness and weight loss are desirable and that big body and weight are shameful, avoid the attitude that tell you of the desired body shape, and avoid judging others and yourself on issues related to

body shape and weight (Smolak, Striegel-Moore & Levine, 2013). Another preventive measure is the advice that one need to talk about his or her condition since most people learn from the way one talk. This talk should always be about appreciation and respect. Talk about your body’s shape in a celebrative and happy manner and the final measure is to take note the media and their messages concerning body image and self –esteem. Take part in the activities of the national eating disorders organizations or movements (Smolak, Striegel-Moore & Levine, 2013).

Eating disorders are much dangerous if they are not controlled and treated. This simply because some of them even affect children. They are much more associated in that one can lead to the other hence their prevention and treatment is important. There causes must be prevented like effects brought by family, child abuse among others. Those affected are as well urged to seek quick and right treatment. The preventive measures like having appropriate and balanced diet must be observed. All these measures taken to counter the effects of eating disorder are only fruitful if carried out with much care and observation.