Eating Disorder Is a Global Problem - Essay Example

?Eating Disorders Eating disorders are one of the most fundamental global problems in the last decade (News Medical, . Countries where eating disorders have become a big issue include but are not limited to the US, the UK, Australia and Canada. Since 1960, there has been a four-fold increase in the population of obese adolescents (Story, Sallis and Orleans, 2009). Eating disorders are affecting millions of Americans in the present age. “If health is wealth, America is going bankrupt” (Rose, 2010). There are two fundamental types of eating disorders, namely bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa causes obesity while anorexia nervosa causes the body to shed off even the necessary fat. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines the overweight and obesity like “abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to an individual’s health” (News Medical, 2011). With the growth of the popular culture and the excessive reliance of the food industry on the processed and packed foods, there has been a rapid increase in the number of overweight and obese people. In addition to that, the spread of the fast food culture and its suitability to the present day lifestyle in terms of cost effectiveness and time saving has encouraged more and more people to consume it on a daily basis, thus adding kilos of fat to their weight. “Experts believe if the current trends continue by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese” (News Medical, 2011). On the other extreme of the scale, there has occurred an increase in the number of weight conscious people. Modern age is driven by fashion and style. The stereotypical images of the fashion stars have well-defined body contours because of a muscular and fat-free body. We see slim and smart male and female models on the bill boards, in fashion shows, on the cover pages of the magazines and in advertisements. The more we see them, the more we are convinced subconsciously that beauty and overweight are antonyms. This has yielded a culture of starvation and excessive physical workout with least emphasis upon a balanced diet. Thus, conditions like anorexia nervosa are increasingly being noticed in the people. Anorexia nervosa is a psychological eating disorder. “Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond concern about obesity or out-of-control dieting” (MedicineNet, 2011). The individual suffering from this eating disorder starts with dieting but gradually the loss of weight becomes a symbol of control. The food industry has been immensely criticized lately for its unhealthful activities (Arnst, 2009). The point to ponder is; is eating disorder a serious problem? Bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa have negative impacts on an individual’s social skills, way of life, ability to work and health, so they are a serious problem. Eating disorders put the individual into social exclusion in the extreme circumstances. People suffering from the eating disorders are either overweight or obese, or underweight. Sometimes, we come across excessively overweight people. They are carrying mounds and mounds of flesh. They seem so odd in the look that many people tend to remain at a distance from them. The patients of anorexia nervosa, on the other hand, look like living skeletons, so are no less frightening. Obese people consume much more space than the average individual, and are thus unwanted in the public transport. Obese and extremely underweight children are made fun of by their class fellows in the school. Gynecomastia is another consequence of obesity in which men develop larger than normal chest because of the excessive deposition of fat in it. Children developing the condition of gynecomastia due to obesity have to face a lot of embarrassment which affects their social link. On the other hand, skeleton-like appearance also increases an individual’s susceptibility to the mockery. They are emotionally tortured. This may also have a very bad impact upon the child’s academic performance. The obese people are generally too lazy to participate in any kind of activity while the underweight people lack the required energy to participate in physical tasks. Over the years, social exclusion becomes a necessary part of their identity. Eating disorders are both a cause and effect of unemployment and poverty. Organic foods are much more expensive as compared to the cheap fatty food. The relationship between obesity and poverty is so strong that obesity is increasingly being termed as a measure of the financial status of an individual. “[O]ne University of Glasgow study found that residents of an impoverished Glasgow neighbourhood were more than twice as likely to be obese compared with residents of an affluent neighbourhood only miles away” (El-Sayed, 2010). Patients of eating disorders are much more susceptible to the risk of unemployment as compared to the normal weight people. Being overweight or underweight ruins the looks of an individual. These days, public dealing has become a necessary part of the responsibilities in any kind of business. Customer services are required at numerous levels within an organization. In order to set a good impression of their company upon the customers, employers prefer to offer the jobs to individuals who are talented as well as good looking. If an employer finds two people with same level of skill, he/she prefers to hire the one who looks more decent. Patients of eating disorders look very odd, so they are not liked in such a position at the workplace where they have to deal with the customers. Thus, the employment opportunities for these people are limited. Although machines have replaced a lot of manual work in all types of businesses in the present age, yet the need for the manual work has not altogether extinguished. The patients of anorexia or bulimia nervosa can not give their best in the jobs that require the minutest amount of physical workout. This further adds to the limitation of the job opportunities for these people. For the scanty jobs that are left behind, these people may not necessarily be skilled enough. In addition to the direct negative impacts of the bulimia nervosa on an individual’s employment profile, it also is the root-cause of many chronic illnesses which render an individual unfit for the job. “In 2004-2005, 60% of all Americans had at least one chronic health condition, 26% suffered from two or more chronic health conditions, and after age 55, those percentages rose to 78% and 47% respectively” (Rose, 2010). All of the chronic illnesses including the depression, stroke and arthritis are caused as a consequence of the eating disorder of bulimia nervosa. The chronic illnesses sap an individual’s ability to fulfill the requirements of the job during the working life. This is further “compounded by the time-consuming use of medical services and the frequent sick leaves” (Jusot et al, 2008). Many patients of bulimia nervosa have to be provided with a constant supply of oxygen with a tube as they are not able to breathe in the normal way without it. Limited extent of eating disorder is not a serious problem. Many people are habitual of consuming processed food items as well as the fast food, yet it does not make them fat. They have a more stable body mass index (BMI) as compared to the obese people. Two twin brothers consume the same diet, yet one becomes overweight while the other remains underweight. The tendency of becoming fat depends upon an individual’s homeostasis. Since every person has his/her own homeostasis, accordingly the tendency to store fat in the body varies from one person to another. For the people that eat a lot and yet don’t acquire the fat storage under the skin, eating disorder is not a serious problem. Their bodies are attuned to maintaining a balance which does not allow the fat to store in the body. However, although they may not suffer from the regular consequences of the obesity or underweight, yet they may also suffer from other health issues like high blood pressure and heart attack. When we come across a person whose ribs are visible and yet he/she wants to starve in order to shed that little bump of fat off his/her waist, we see that person in serious trouble and think of him/her as a psychological patient. The sense of pity comes from within us and we feel like helping such people. Likewise, obese people obsessed with their habit of eating and the love for food are in no less a state of misery. Many have become so chubby in the face that they can not talk clearly and also have to be provided with a constant supply of oxygen with a tube because they experience problem breathing in the normal way. Concluding, both bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa are serious problems. On both sides of the eating disorder, i.e. anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, the individual’s life is miserable. Eating disorders put an individual into social exclusion, distort his/her link with the society, affect his/her academic performance and render him/her unfit for the job. In addition to that, eating disorders increase the individual’s susceptibility to a lot of chronic illnesses. Thus, extreme eating disorders are a serious problem. Nevertheless, the lesser the severity of the eating disorder, the lesser it becomes in magnitude as a problem accordingly. References: Arnst, C 2009, Blaming The Food Industry For Obesity, Bloomberg Businessweek, viewed, 27 November 2011, . El-Sayed, A 2010, Obesity: understanding the UK epidemic, The Guardian, viewed, 27 November 2011, . Rose, C 2010, Obesity in America, viewed, 27 November 2011, . Story, M, Sallis, JF, and Orleans, CT 2009, Adolescent Obesity: Towards Evidence-Based Policy and Environmental Solutions, Journal of Adolescent Health, vol. 45. Jusot, F, Khlat, M, Rochereau, T, and Serme, C 2008, Job loss from poor health, smoking and obesity: a national prospective survey in France, Journal of Epidemiol Community Health, vol. 62, pp. 332-337, viewed, 27 November 2011, . MedicineNet 2011, Anorexia Nervosa, viewed, 27 November 2011, . News Medical 2011, What is Obesity? viewed, 27 November 2011, . Read More

 

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