Eating Disorders in the United States - Research Paper Example

?Introduction Eating disorder is one of the major problems that are affecting the health of people in the United s. It not only affects the physical health of a person but also affects the psychological condition. Eating disorders causes many psychological and medical conditions that prove fatal to the life of a person (Byrne et al 319). According to Kaplan and Noble (2007), major organs of the body, and particularly the skeletal, gastrointestinal, cardiovascular and endocrine system, are severely affected by eating disorders and this creates major medical complications in people suffering from eating disorders (Byrne et al 319). This shows that eating disorder is life threatening in nature. The sad part is that the researches conducted in the field of psychology and medicine have revealed that it is the psychological and environmental factors, more than the biological factors, that cause eating disorders in people. Unfortunately, the media has played a major role in creating a wrong impression that thin means healthy. Due to this, the natural process of eating and making food choices has been replaced with anxiety and confusion (Pollan 1). Instead of depending on parental advice and traditional meals, people are depending on ‘expert’ help to choose their food and eating habits (Pollan 1). Sadly, people are being affected strongly by the external pressure and are becoming vulnerable to developing eating disorders. If the prevalence of eating disorder is to be reduced, then it is necessary to remove the psychological and environmental factors that lie at the root of the problem. Hence, understanding the causes of eating disorder and treating the causes of the disorder, is the best way to prevent the development of eating disorders in people. Definition There are different types of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Hence, defining eating disorder is not that easy. According to DSM IV (1994), eating disorder is defined as a disorder that is “characterized by severe disturbances in eating behavior” (Gilbert 3). However, eating disorder is not just related to the eating behavior. It has various psychological dimensions to it. Hence, it can be said that the most applicable definition for eating disorder is provided by two psychiatrists named Fairburn and Walsh, who have for more than twenty years conducted intense researches on eating disorder (Gilbert 3). According to Fairburn and Walsh (2002), eating disorder is a “persistent disturbance of eating behavior or behavior intended to control weight, which significantly impairs health or psychological functioning. The disturbance should not be secondary to any recognized general medical disorder or any other psychiatric disorder” (Gilbert 3). The definition of eating disorder by Fairburn and Walsh proves to be appropriate definition. This definition gives a complete picture of the nature of disorder as it focuses not only on the behavioral pattern, but also on the psychological and social aspects of eating disorder, which lie at the root of disturbed eating behavior. Causes Researches in the field of psychology and medicine have found that eating disorders are developed due to various causes. Different factors cause the development of eating disorders in different people as eating disorders are complex and multidimensional in nature (Gilbert 16). However, one thing that has consistently surfaced through different studies of eating disorder is that it is not jut biological problem. Most of the times, the causes of eating disorder are found to be related to the environment and external factors of a person. Some of the major causes of eating disorders in people are discussed below. Psychosomatic causes Researches in the field of psychology have revealed that psychological condition of a person affects his eating behavior to a great extent. It has been found that underlying psychological problems and maladjustment cause development of eating disorders in people. Studies by psychiatrist Hilde Bruch (1974) have revealed that it is at the earlier stages of childhood that the eating disorders begin to arise in people (Gilbert 17). While working largely with women who were suffering from eating disorders, she found that major deficits in self-identity and autonomy were displayed by them (Gilbert 17). Bruch concluded that clients’ faulty relationship with their mother, due to consistent misinterpretation of hunger signals and other needs at an early age, were the actual underlying disturbances of personality that led to development of eating disorders in them (Gilbert 17). The faulty relationship makes the child to find comfort and satisfaction through food as the child fails to learn what to want or need if she gets upset (Gilbert 17). Bruch also found that such children become incapable of handling stress in their life. When these children experience stress due to new experiences like going to school, then they are likely to go on diet, or adopt different eating patterns (Gilbert 17). They desire acceptance from the peers and susceptibility to criticism makes them to adopt diet as a means to be accepted (Gilbert 17). Social Influence Society plays a major role in developing a ‘good’ body image in the mind of a person. It has been found that eating disorder like anorexia and bulimia are specific to culture (Durand and Barlow 305). Studies have found that fewer people suffer from eating disorders in the cultures that do not value thinness (Warbrick 30). The pressure to look good is driving young people to adopt life threatening methods like semistarvation and purging to reduce their weight and become thin (Durand and Barlow 305). Western cultures give lot of importance to body image and slimness (Warbrick 30). Hence, looking good is more important than being healthy for young Western women (Durand and Barlow 305). It is the body measurement and percentage of fat that are determining the self-worth, happiness and success of young females in the middle class to upper class competitive environment (Durand and Barlow 305). To attain the cultural requirement of thinness, young people resort to dieting, that in turn, becomes a first step towards the development of different types of eating disorders (Durand and Barlow 305). Moreover, the changing idea of thinness makes young people more vulnerable and confused about their body image. According to Cash and Pruzinski (2002), the standards of desirable body size among women changes as often as changes in fashion styles, which makes the consistent idea of thinness more difficult (Durand and Barlow 305). Levine and Smolak (1996) have pointed out that young females are influenced by the body images of women in magazines and television, in which the slenderness is glorified and where most females are thinner than the average American women (Durand and Barlow 306). According to the study by Thompson and Stice (2001), “the risk of developing eating disorders was directly related to the extent to which women internalize or ‘buy in’ to the media messages and images glorifying thinness” (Durand and Barlow 305). Many of young people try to achieve the so called ideal image that is strongly imposed by the media (Warbrick 28). Young people resort to the pressure and forget that the messages about ideal body images sent out by the media are unrealistic and unhealthy (Warbrick 28). This proves that indirect pressure from the cultural elements and media, to have a thin body, is so strong that it drives young people to adopt any means to attain the ‘desirable’ body image. They fail to understand that it is not the media or society that they need to please but their own ‘self.’ Personality The psychological aspects of a person play a major role in development of eating disorders. Researches have revealed that people with certain personality types are more prone to develop eating disorders than others (Warbrick 30). For example, people are more vulnerable to developing anorexia if they have tendency towards perfectionism (Warbrick 30). People who suffer from eating disorders display a strong need for control (Warbrick 30). The feeling of ‘high’ they get by achieving the desired weight makes them feel that they are in control of their body (Warbrick 30). The need to control drives them to control their eating behavior unnecessarily and this result in eating disorders. Sadly, it has been found that people with low self-esteem are strongly vulnerable to developing eating disorders (Warbrick 30). Comparing oneself unfavorably with others due to feeling low about oneself can drive a person to aspire a body image like others (Warbrick 30). In an effort to try to improve self-esteem, many young females aim at attaining thin body by adopting unhealthy eating patterns like dieting etc. (Warbrick 30). They fail to understand that dieting or weight loss cannot help them in gaining high self-esteem as self-esteem is not about body but is about mind and soul (Warbrick 30). It is only by accepting and loving themselves as they are that they can achieve high self-esteem (Warbrick 30). In this way, personality types also become one of the major causes of eating disorders. Conclusion The literature review shows that some of the major causes of eating disorders are related to the environment and society in which a person lives. It is clear that when a culture that a person lives in, and the media that she is exposed to glorifies thinness and slender body, then she is more likely to desire and aspire it no matter if it is healthy or not. The constant glorification of thinness has led to increase in prevalence of eating disorders in people. In order to reduce weight quickly and to gain acceptance, young people are resorting to unhealthy eating patterns which causes eating disorders and create threat for their life. Hence, if prevalence of eating disorders is to be reduced, then immediate steps are needed to be taken to create awareness amongst parents and children regarding the wrong messages that social elements like media and culture are giving regarding healthy body image. Most of the times, it is the media and social pressure that are the root cause of eating disorders in young people and hence, it is only by creating awareness in parents and reducing the influence of media that the development of eating disorders can be prevented. Works Cited Durand, Mark and David Barlow. Essentials of abnormal psychology. 5th ed. Belmont: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Gilbert, Sara. Counselling for eating disorders. 2nd ed. London: Sage Publication, 2005. Print. Pollan, Michael. The Omnivore's Dilemma: The search for a perfect meal in a fast-food world. London : Bloomsbury Publishing, 2006. Print. Susan Byrne et al. “Enhanced Cognitive Behavior Therapy: A Single Treatment For All Eating Disorders.” Journals of Counseling and Development 90.3 (2012): 319-329. Consumer Health Complete- EBSCOhost. Web. 26 Nov. 2012. Warbrick, Caroline. Taking action against eating disorders. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2010. Print. Read More