Essay - Eating Disorders the Media's Obsession with Weight and Its Relentless...

Eating Disorders

The media's obsession with weight and its relentless portrayal of 'desirable' women ***** unrealistically thin figures has made eating disorders one ***** the leading health concerns of modern-day living, especially among young *****. With as many as 11 million Americans currently suffering from eating disorders ***** about 80 percent of women reporting dissatisfaction with their appearance, it is no exaggeration to say that ***** disorders have now reached epidemic levels in the United States ("Media's Obsession..." 2008). In this research paper, I shall present an overview ***** eating disorders, including a discussion of their types, symptoms, causes, treatment and prevention.

Types of Eating *****

The three most common types of eating disorders are: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder (BED). These are briefly explained below:

Anorexia Nervosa: According to the National Eating Disorders Association, "Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potenti*****lly life-threatening ***** disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss." ("Anorexia Nervosa" 2008). Being characterized by "*****" means that ***** disorder is brought on by a deliber*****te and sustained weight loss ***** ***** to be distinguished from "anorexia" in which a symp*****matic loss ***** appetite or disinterest in food occurs. The four primary symptoms of ***** nervosa include a deliberate resistance to maintaining a 'n*****mal' body weight for the age and height; an intense fear of gaining weight or being fat, even while being under*****; suffering from a distorted body im*****; and loss ***** menstrual periods in post-menarchal females (Levey, 2006).

***** ***** of the disorder may ***** depressed mood, social withdrawal, irritability, insomnia, ***** diminished interest in sex. Other features such as an exaggerated c*****cern about eating in public, feelings of ineffectiveness, a strong need to control one's environment, inflexible thinking may also be present (Ibid.)

***** the United States, anorexia nervosa has been found to occur in 1 out ***** 100-200 females, mostly in late adolescence and early adulthood and the *****cidence rates ***** shown an increasing trend in recent years. The rate of *****rence follows a similar pattern in economically developed countries with the ***** occurr*****g far more frequently in industrialized societies where food is abund*****t and thinness ***** considered to be a fe*****ture of feminine beauty. ***** affliction ***** been ***** to occur mostly in the white population. However, this may well be due to the economic reasons rather than ***** reasons of race since the white population in the US and elsewhere is economically more prosperous than populations of o*****r races. Anorexia nervosa can be termed as a d*****e*****e ***** 'young females' since ***** ***** 90% of cases occur in females ***** it is more ***** in ***** ***** (13~18 years) and early adulthood (Ibid).

Some of the negative health consequences ***** the cond*****ion include an abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, making ***** sufferer susceptible to heart failure; osteoporosis or a reduction in bone density that results in brittle bones; muscle loss ***** weakness; episodes of fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness; severe dehydration, which can result in kidney