Psychology Of Eating Disorders - Essay Example

Psychology of Eating Disorders Introduction Eating disorders are a group of serious health conditions characterized by one’s preoccupation with food and weight resulting in an individual consuming excess food or insufficient amounts of food in order to control his or her desired weight and body shape (Keel 12). Eating disorders are psychological conditions because they affect one’s mental state in terms of their emotional development. Eating disorders often result in other serious physical, mental, emotional and in some cases life-threatening conditions. There are many types of eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and bulimia nervosa (Keel 23). Despite being serious health conditions, eating disorder can be treated through psychotherapy, counseling, nutrition education, and i9n some cases hospitalization and medication. Primarily, eating disorders affect women and teenage girls, but men are also becoming victims of eating disorders. In the UK, for instance, about 12% of the victims of eating disorders are male. Eating disorders have been on the increase in various parts of the world. Women are the most susceptible (Mitchell, and Carol 17). Leading psychologists in America state that nearly half of the entire population knows of at least an individual struggling with challenges of eating disorder. Global statists show that eating disorders are more prevalent in the developed world as compared to less industrialized nations. This mostly attributed to changes in lifestyles in the Western world and the influence of mass media and marketing strategies of businesses. Types of Eating Disorders The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa arises from a psychological condition where an individual has a distorted image of his or her body, causing them to view themselves as being excessively overweight, when in fact, they are very slim (Keel 47). Individuals with anorexia nervosa often reduce the amount of food they eat in order to reduce their weight. Most of them usually refuse eating in front of others and eat very little when they are on their own. They also engage in compulsive exercise in order to reduce weight faster. If not rectified early, anorexia nervosa can cause an individual to starve themselves to death. Another characteristic of individuals with anorexia nervosa is that they have an intense fear of gaining weight and that they do not realize the severity of their situation when they keep on losing weight. Bulimia nervosa is mainly characterized by excessive eating and purging. It also arises from the fact that an individual considers himself or herself overweight and wishes to lose weight. Individuals with this disorder often consume a lot of food, often in excess quantities and later on purging their bodies off the food in order to lose their weight (Keel 115). These individuals often use several techniques to purge, including induced vomiting, excessive exercising, or using diuretics, enemas and laxatives. These people often feel ashamed of their beige behavior, but often feel relieved once they release the food from their stomachs. This is because they feel they have shade off a huge amount of emotional stress and ridicule from other people for being overweight. Binge eating disorder, is the other type of eating disorders. It involves excessive consumption of food without any attempts to purge. Individuals with this eating disorder often fell ashamed of their eating habits, but they always feel out of control in most case. An individual may eat large amounts of food on different episodes in a day, thus leading to uncontrolled loss of weight in the process. People with binge eating disorder may consume a lot of food even when they are not feeling hungry. Psychologists also have also identified another group of eating disorders referred to as "eating disorders not otherwise specified." This is a group of bad eating habits that do not yet meet the level of other known eating disorders such as the ones that are identified above. Causes of Eating Disorders There are several causes of eating disorders. One major cause is cultural values. Different cultures have different values in relation to how individuals should behave and maintain themselves. Some cultures will appreciate individuals with less weight or skinny people, while others prefer overweight people. In some cultures, for instance, men with potbellies are more appreciated and they are considered wealthy. In other cultures, mostly in the West, skinny women are more appreciated as more beautiful. These cultural values have a huge impact on how people behave in general as they try to attain the standard set in the community (Morris 63). People may therefore change their eating habits to develop a body shape or weight that will be more appreciated in their society. Another cause of eating disorders is biology. This mainly relates to genetically acquired eating disorders. Individuals can inherit eating disorders from other people in their family tree. Studies have also shown that actors such as perinatal complications such as maternal anemia can transmit eating disorders to children. Maternal smoking can also lead to transmission of eating disorders. Eating disorders can also result from environmental factors. These include issues such as maltreatment of children, social isolation, peer pressure, and influence from parents. Child abuse has several effects on children such as affecting their psychology, emotional and physical development. As the children become teenagers, they may develop eating disorders in order to gain control of their own bodies. Social isolation, on the other hand affects one’s emotional and moral development. Individuals who are continually isolated from relationships or communities have a higher degree of adopting one or more eating disorders. Peer pressure is rampant among teenagers. This is the tendency for one’s friends to encourage or force the other to change his or her body weight and shape in order to fit in their group. Parents can also exert pressure on their children to change their weight. This pressure may force children to fall victim to eating disorders and other psychological complications. The biggest cause of eating disorders, however, is psychological factors. The American Psychiatric Association identifies eating disorders are psychological disorders categorized under Axis I in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders (DSM-IV). This is as a result of the various factors that contribute to one contracting psychological disorders. Some of the most common psychological factors that can cause eating disorders include low self-esteem, clinical depression, mood swings, withdrawal, obsession with weight and body shape, and distorted self-image among others. Low self-esteem is common among teenage girls (Reel 51). This is mainly because they find it very difficult to accept their bodies, especially if they are overweight, or if they fell that their body shape is does not meet the acceptable social standards. These girls may find it difficult to fit in their groups of friends and may be susceptible to peer pressure. Low self-esteem affects how an individual views himself or herself and affects one’s self-image. Clinical depression is another major psychological factor that contributes to eating disorders. Clinical depression refers to a mood disorder, which affects one’s feelings. Major signs of clinical depression include extreme anxiety, anger, loss, and sadness. Depressed individuals are susceptible to so many things, including eating disorders. Clinical depression lets an individual succumb to his or her emotions. For most depressed individuals, the best way to overcome this feeling is to change their eating habits so as to gain control over their own bodies (Waller 33). This gives depressed individuals a certain sense of power or authority over their own bodies. Eating disorders give depressed individuals a sense of power and control over their own bodies, as opposed to being under control of their emotions. Mood swings can also affect an individual’s eating behavior thereby inducing eating disorders. Mood swings refer to sudden changes in one’s mood from time to time (Greenblatt 153). Most people affected by mood swings are teenage girls and women. This is because of the challenges they have during their periods. Withdrawal is a psychological problem where an individual isolates himself from groups. Withdrawal alienates an individual from friends and other significant people. Withdrawal is usually accompanied with other psychological problems such as depression. When an individual withdraws himself or herself from others, he or she creates favorable conditions to fall victim of eating disorders among other psychological problems. Eating Disorders and Psychology Psychology of eating disorders attempts to understand the psychological nature of eating disorders. Eating order, despite being serious health problems related to one’s eating habit, they are mental problems that need to be addressed with specialist knowledge of psychology. Another important reason for understanding the psychology behaving eating disorders is the fact that eating disorders often co-exist with other psychological problems. This is likely to aggravate the condition and make it difficult for an individual to treat his or her problem (Costin 117). In some cases eating disorders may be secondary symptoms to other more dangerous psychological issues while in other instances the eating disorders may be primary symptoms of other psychological problems. It is therefore important to understand the link between eating orders and psychology in order to respond to them efficiently. The longer one takes nursing their eating disorders the longer they may be harboring other psychological disorders. Some of the psychological disorders that can thrive with eating disorders include psychological complications like Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Depression, Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Dissociative Disorder, BiPolar and BiPolar II Disorder, Panic Disorders and anxiety, and Multiple Personality Disorder. It is however important to note that while these complications can thrive together with eating disorders, it does not straightforwardly mean that individuals suffering from eating complications have these other conditions. It is however important to assess victims of eating disorders for any other psychological condition that they may have. In addition to these psychological disorders, individuals with eating disorders are also likely to inhabit other addictive behavior that may be self-destructive. Such behavior may include succumbing to alcohol and drug abuse, self-injury through self-mutilation and cutting (Reel, 83). Some psychological studies also show that eating disorders can also coexist with psychological conditions such as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), and Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). The most important thing to note is that despite being very serious complications, eating disorders, just like most other psychological problems, can be managed and treated. Eating disorders, in most cases are learned behaviors that in can overcome if they have the right motivation and will to do so (Reel 163). It is important for individuals to note however, that treatment of eating disorders is more than just changing one’s unhealthy eating disorders (Cooperman, and Sara 76). On the other hand, it is a process of self-discovery that goes beyond one’s body weight, image and eating habits. The first point in one overcoming eating disorders is accepting that an individual indeed has a problem that needs attention. The second step is believing that only the individual can change his or her perception of happiness and self image. One can chose to love themselves in the way that they are regardless of what other people think about them (Buckroyd, and Rother 107). After recognizing the problem and accepting that one needs to have proper treatment, the next step is to seek help from professional psychologists. This is an important step because the psychologists will be able to determine if the individual has any other complications that need to be addressed together with the eating disorders. Conclusion Eating disorders are becoming more popular as people change their lifestyles with respect to globalization and modernization. People tend to consume less or more food in order to correspond to the ever-increasing demands of their livelihoods. Busy schedules of people in urban centers have also contributed to changes in eating habits, thereby facilitating development of eating disorders. While women form the largest portion of victims of eating disorders, there has been an increase in the number of men falling victim to eating disorders has also been on the rise in recent years. It is, therefore, very important that both men and women should be cautious about their eating habits. References Buckroyd, Julia, and Sharon Rother. Psychological Responses to Eating Disorders and Obesity. Hoboken, N.J: Wiley, 2008. Print. Cooperman, Sheila, and Sara D. Gilbert. Living with Eating Disorders. New York: Facts On File, 2009. Print. Costin, Carolyn. The Eating Disorder Sourcebook: A Comprehensive Guide to the Causes, Treatments, and Prevention of Eating Disorders. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007. Print. Greenblatt, James M. Answers to Anorexia: A Breakthrough Nutritional Treatment That Is Saving Lives. North Branch: Sunrise River Press, 2010. Print. Keel, Pamela K. Eating Disorders. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 2006. Print. Mitchell, James E, and Carol B. Peterson. Assessment of Eating Disorders. New York: Guilford Press, 2005. Print. Morris, Jane. Abc of Eating Disorders. Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons, 2011. Print. Reel, Justine J. Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention. , 2013. Print. Waller, Glenn. Beating Your Eating Disorder: A Cognitive-Behavioral Self-Help Guide for Adult Sufferers and Their Carers. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Read More