Medical Counseling Issues - Essay Example

The main types are ‘anorexia nervosa and binge eating and usually develop during adolescence or early adulthood’ (Natl. Inst. Of Mental Health). This disorder usually ‘co-occurs with psychiatric disorders like substance abuse, anxiety disorder, and depression’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

People with anorexia consider themselves overweight although they are already the opposite. They tend to avoid food and meals, become picky, and eat only in small quantities. They constantly check their body weight and engage in weight control techniques like too much exercise or ‘purging using vomiting and abuse of laxatives, enemas, and diuretics’ (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). On the other hand, binge-eaters eat until over full, eat large amounts even though not hungry, and don’t practice purging so they become overweight for their age and height.

Some of the physiological myths about hunger and satiety include a common belief that our blood glucose levels affect our hunger and satiety. But research shows that this is untrue because ‘glucose levels remain fairly stable and do not fluctuate often’ (Stier, 2009). Also, they say that our energy levels drop along with our blood glucose, and this triggers hunger so we should eat again to restore our levels to the standard energy level. But this is still not true because if that would be the case then we would have maintained a stable amount of weight because we will only eat what our energy levels needed. Another myth is that ‘hunger is caused by an empty stomach and satiety is caused by the feeling of a full stomach’ (Stier, 2009). This is still untrue because there are people who had their stomachs removed and yet still experience feelings of hunger and satiety.

I will be answering questions and I’ll start with Lindsey. She said her parents were both obese, so is that why she is? Well, genetics may play a small role but it is ‘our environments that shape our eating habits (Stier, 2009). And if we live in an environment that consumes mostly processed, fatty and unhealthy foods then most likely you’ll eat what they eat so you’ll gain weight as they gain weight.

Robert asked, “My girlfriend and I eat together all of the time, so we eat the same food and amounts of food, but she never gains weight as I do? Why is that so?”. Well, it may be because of the amount of physical activity you exert individually. Maybe she moves around fast and uses her energy more effectively than you do.

Nancy asked: “My mom says that I became anorexia because I’ve been reading too many Cosmo magazines and want to look like those girls. Maybe I did, but I just don’t crave food. What do you think it is?”. My answer is ‘while there’s a link between our environment and the development of eating disorders but it is also possible that it could be higher than normal insulin response which results in the interest in food but feeling disgusted by fatty and sweet foods’ (Stier, 2009).

Tyra asked: ”I don’t eat because every time I do, I just feel sick. Do you know why is this?” Well, you may be suffering from ‘IBS or irritable bowel syndrome, a common ailment of the intestines affecting an estimated 15% of the US population’ (Philosophy, 2008).