Mental and Physical Effects of Eating Disorders - Research Paper Example

 Mental and Physical Effects of Eating Disorders Eating disorders count among the biggest challenges in front of many nations in the contemporary world. There are basically two kinds of eating disorders; one is the bulimia nervosa while the other is anorexia nervosa. Both of the disorders are on the opposite ends of the scale. While the bulimia nervosa makes an individual excessively fat, anorexia nervosa makes the individual excessively thin. On one hand, eating disorders are to much an extent, a consequence of the popular culture that is spread far and wide in the present age. Fast food has become an intrinsic element of the modern lifestyle. This is because of its cost effectiveness and the convenience it provides the consumers in terms of the saving of time in addition to the fact that it generally tastes better than the organic food. In addition to that, the whole range of the processed foods is also a fundamental cause of the spread of eating disorders in the society. On the other hand, people have become very conscious about their looks over the decades. This is because of the way beauty is portrayed and defined in the media. Slim and smart models with well-defined muscles and curves can be seen everywhere in the TV, on the internet, the billboards and the cover pages of the magazines. In an attempt to attain their ideal figure, many people have become the victims of anorexia nervosa. Over the decades, people have become excessively conscious about their personal hygiene, health and safety. In such a culture, eating disorders are seen as a potential threat to the healthcare. Eating disorders expose an individual to various kinds of complications and illnesses in addition to ruining the individual’s looks as well as his/her relationship with the society. This paper discusses the psychological and physical effects of the eating disorders. There is a very strong relationship between the eating disorders and social exclusion. Obesity caused by the bulimia nervosa often becomes the root-cause of the social exclusion. The obese person is generally unwelcomed in public gatherings. Since he/she occupies much more space than an average individual his/her age does, he/she is not wanted in the public transport. Children that acquire obesity are frequently made fun of by their class fellows. Their class fellows call them names which hurts their self respect and integrity. When the children grow up in such a culture and in such circumstances, the disrespect gradually becomes a part of their social identity. Irrespective of whether or not some external factors put the obese individual into the social exclusion, the individual himself/herself endorses it willingly or otherwise as there is often no other option. Obese people are way too lazy and incapable to participate in any task that requires even little physical workout. They can not participate in games. They carry so much weight that it becomes difficult for them to walk, what to talk of running. Gradually, they become used to their laziness and the kind of lifestyle they have been spending for years, and thus endorse the social exclusion. Many of them seek refuge in food in order to shed off the tension that cultivates in the social exclusion, and end up adding even more weight to what they already carry. “The bulimic feels intense guilt, which can often only be overcome by vomiting, use of laxatives and starvation. Bulimia is sometimes associated with other impulsive behaviors such as alcohol and drug abuse, repeated self-harm and stealing” (Hickin). Depression is one of the most fundamental consequences of eating disorders. Depression can occur because of a variety of reasons, all of which are related to the eating disorder one way or another. The most common cause of the depression is the individual’s attempt to stay away from food, both in the case of obesity and in the case of anorexia nervosa. In the case of obesity, the individual is addicted to food. When there is no food, there is no relaxation. The more the individual tries to stay away from the food after becoming addicted to it once, the more he/she acquires depression. A patient of eating disorder shared her views in these words, “I didn't feel like I had control over anything in my life. That also had a lot to do with the perfectionist piece. If I didn't do it good enough (whatever "it" was), then I failed and that felt out of control…My eating disorder was my way of gaining back control of my life. Unfortunately, as is always the case with eating disorders, that control is illusive. I thought I was in control, when really, the eating disorder was in control of me. It didn't help me to feel any better about myself ... in fact, it made me feel worse” (“Psychological Effects”). A significant population of the people becomes obese because food gives them relief against all kinds of tensions in the world. While they eat, all of their attention is focused upon the food and thus, they feel relieved. This becomes a habit with time and they become even more obese than before. On the other extreme, the individual who starves in an attempt to lose weight lacks the necessary energy that is required to do the different kinds of works everyday. First of all, the individual feels dull and upset overwhelmed with the starvation. Secondly, depression occurs because of the uncompleted works, most of which occur due to the lack of energy resulting from starvation. In addition to that, the craze to attain the ideal figure drives the individual mad. Even after several days and even months of starvation, when the results are not as expected, the individual becomes depressed. Other than these causes of depression, there are also several other factors that depress the individual like the social exclusion discussed before. People suffering from the eating disorder of anorexia nervosa are psychologically ill. In an attempt to gain the ideal figure, they keep away from the food to the extent that they start to starve. “Some people achieve this purely by restricting their food intake, while others use extra means of weight control, such as self-induced vomiting and abuse of laxatives and diuretics (drugs that increase the amount of urine passed)” (Hickin). The erratic eating patterns adopted by the patient of anorexia nervosa cause much more than simply the loss of weight. The individual is certain to experience the metabolic complications, though the loss of weight is not quite as dramatic as desired. The restrictive eating causes the heart rate to retard and the blood pressure to fall, which increases the individual’s susceptibility to the kidney failure and heart diseases. Starvation causes dizziness and fainting spells. The declined blood pressure also makes the individual feel cold. Starvation can be particularly dangerous for the women because not only does it cause balding, but it also facilitates the growth of hair on the unwanted areas on the body in the condition called as lanugo. Restrictive eating causes interruption in the menstrual cycle because of the plummeting levels of estrogen in females. In extreme cases, this becomes the cause of osteoporosis. Once acquired, this condition cannot be reversed. “Without menstrual periods, women are also at a greater risk of developing ovarian cysts or other problems with the reproductive system; perhaps even to the point of never being able to have children” (“Physical and psychological”). Many people suffering from the bulimia nervosa or the anorexia nervosa tend to vomit after eating so that the body is not able to store any fat from the food. The individual’s desire and attempt to vomit becomes the cause of further complications. Electrolyte imbalances are caused by the forced vomiting which can cause a lot of problems of the heart. The teeth enamel wears down because of the action of the acid that passes through the mouth during the vomiting. Same acid when lined along the walls of the esophagus can lead to the gastric rupture, which can prove fatal in many cases. People that try to vomit after taking the meal can lose the ability to eat anything without a gag reflex. Forced vomiting can also cause the disease of the gastro-esophogal reflux. The dehydration caused by forced vomiting leads to the increased fainting risk as well as the risk of declined blood pressure. Patients of the eating disorder sometimes abuse the syrup of ipecac that is a drug prescribed to the patient for vomiting in the cases of emergency. This drug is a poison. Accordingly, its use is the most dangerous method of inducing the vomiting. Ipecac when abused can permanently rupture various organs of the body. A potential physical consequence of overweight and obesity for the boys is the development of gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is a condition in which the boys develop larger than normal breast. Gynecomastia means breasts that resemble those of a woman. Gynecomastia starts developing in the boys with the onset of puberty. In some cases, the condition is temporary while in others, the individuals have to live with it for the whole life. The chest in this condition becomes puffier. The larger than normal size of the breasts is easily noticeable through the shirt. This is one of the most embarrassing conditions that a boy can ever suffer from. Although obesity is not always the cause of the development of this condition, yet it happens to be one of the most common causes of gynecomastia. “Increased cases of obesity are partly to blame for male gynecomastia causes. This is because improper diet and lack of exercising can lead to the excessive build up of chest fat and pseudo-gynecomastia” (“Gynecomastia Causes”). Just like the excess fat deposits on all areas of the body, so does it also deposit on the chest. The excess fat under the skin of the breast makes it larger so that it starts to resemble the breast of a woman. Once developed, it is very difficult to shed off the excess fat unless the boy goes on a very strict diet and exercise plan. In a vast majority of cases, there is no solution to the problem but surgery. The surgery for the removal of the excess fat or the breast tissue can cost an individual anywhere between $3000 to $6000. Gynecomastia in itself is a physical effect of the eating disorder of obesity, and is also a root cause of many psychological effects on the individual that acquires this condition. Since this is a not-so-common condition, so there is very less awareness about it in the public in general. Owing to their limited knowledge about this condition and the factors that cause it, the boy’s sexuality is challenged and his status as a physically fit male is doubted. This is contrary to the fact that it is perfectly normal for physically fit boys to develop the condition of gynecomastia. Boys that have to live with this condition for many years and take all the mockery that the friends and other class fellows have to offer also subconsciously become convinced that they are not truly males which is actually not true. Concluding, a growing population around the world is becoming the patient of eating disorders i.e. the bulimia nervosa and the anorexia nervosa. Bulimia nervosa makes an individual overweight and obese where anorexia nervosa makes the individual so slim that the body loses the necessary fat and ribs and bones start to show up through the skin. Both types of eating disorders have their own cons. Eating disorders have exposed the people to a number of psychological and physical risks. The psychological effects of eating disorders include social exclusion, inferiority complex, and depression. The physical consequences of eating disorders include low blood pressure, retarded heart beat, lanugo, interruption in the menstrual cycle, osteoporosis, electrolyte imbalances, gastro-esophogal reflux, organs’ damage and death by ipecac abuse, and gynecomastia. Gynecomastia is amongst the most embarrassing physical consequences of the bulimia nervosa. The embarrassment also causes depression and psychological upset in the individual. Works Cited: “Gynecomastia Causes: Discover Possible Reasons Why You Have Moobs or Man Boobs!” 2011. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. . Hickin, Lesley. “The Physical Effects of Eating Disorders.” 11 Jan. 2009. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. . “Physical and psychological effects.” Angelfire. n.d. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. . “Psychological Effects of Eating Disorders.” 2010. Web. 28 Nov. 2011. . Read More