A group of severe conditions known as eating disorders. An abnormal eating pattern is described as an "Eating Disorder”. Such pattern help in satisfying the psychological needs instead of physical requirements. The three most common eating disorders recorded are named as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating. Another condition is a dangerous desire to look thin and high fear of weight-gain. This fear lead to limited food intake. In these conditions, patients are worried about food and weight that is checked by the patients on a frequent basis. Many young people use other compensatory techniques to lose weight as vomiting, etc. These students experience physical, dramatic changes in them, creates a risk of being accepted by the peer group of schools.
The eating disorder symptoms consisted of physical, emotional and behavioral symptoms. Physical symptoms contain bloated feeling, pain in an abdominal, losing weight or variation in weight. Further, symptoms are cold or faint feeling, getting hair or skin dry, hands/feet becomes blue, problem of dehydration and getting fine or lanugo hair.
Moreover, emotional symptoms are related to the fear of becoming fat and complaining about the appearance. Other indications are sad or a depress feeling, attitude to become perfectionist and conflicts in the family.
The behavioral symptoms are limited to food intakes, not taking enough food and pretending to eat. It also adds to spending hours on exercise and consistent conversation about food. Other symptoms include consistent running towards bathroom, wearing loose clothes to hide thin body and getting injured.
The facts and figures of eating disorders reported that from 1995 to 2005, eating disorder cases had doubled in both females and males. The older and younger people both are affected with eating disorders, and high growing rate. Males and females both have eating disorders until they reach puberty. The estimated ratio of males against females is near 1:10 and at adulthood the ratio is 1:20.
Young and old males have a growing rate of eating disorders. The females with anorexia and bulimia nervosa has estimated 90% rate. However, an eating disorder is found in females up to 15% at some point in their life. But percentage of undiagnosed eating disorder is 20% among females.
Younger people are found with Anorexia as compared with older who are found with bulimia or anorexia both. In young girls chronic illness is diagnosed as an eating disorder. The risk associated with an eating disorder is death at premature age that is 6:12 times higher than a general population.
The main reason of hospitalization is an eating disorder that has ranked 12th on the chart for mental health problems. Reported cases of 45% to 86% found with depression that is also an eating disorder among individuals.
However, the anxiety is estimated 64% in individuals and personality disorder is 58% found in individuals. Those who suffer with an eating disorder deny of having this disease. The United States association for (National Eating Disorder) has estimated a ratio of 5:10 million has eating disorders when compared with 4 million. Such eating disorder is referred to Alzheimer disease.
The records of 1998 reported, 15% girls aging 17 on the average diagnosed to vomiting and controlled weight. Also, reported cases of 74% have diagnosed with being fat and too big. This record reported for Nadroga Fiji as they have one channel that broadcasts British, American and Australian program. Also, the television had introduced first time in 1998 for Nadroga in 38 months. According to the research, the youngest child being diagnosed with an eating disorder in 2005 was six years. Since the youngest girl diagnosed with anorexia was eight years old.
The records of United States reported that 10 out of 100 young teenager girls have suffered from an eating disorder. The poor nutritional habits, food fads and tension were main factors of overeating that are general eating problems for the teens. Although the teenage girls and young women are the one facing psychiatric eating disorders that are bulimia and anorexia nervosa. Also, such eating disorders runs in families on frequent basis (Morris).
But statistics records tell that, in boys these two eating disorders appear less. The biggest concern of many parents is how to find eating disorder symptoms in their children. These eating disorders referred to a distortion of body image and featured by an obsession with food. Teenagers hide these symptoms of eating disorders from their families and friends, if related to fatal disorders (Morris).
The problems that are associated with teens towards feeding and eating are characterized as, failure to succeed. Also, featured as eating selected items of food, small appetite, avoiding food, fear of vomiting or choking, want to be thin and refuse to take food.
Also, many teenagers refuse to engage in any activity such as drinking, walking, self-care etc. that may lead to serious trauma. Other problems include, to lose weight avoiding food, mood swing, eating obsession, gaining weight, medication to increase appetite and eating disorders like Anorexia and Bulimia nervosa.
Many teenagers face other problems like anxiety, substance abuse and depression. Also, it is very essential for the teenagers suffering from these problems get a proper cure as soon as possible.
Many researchers identified that early identification and treatment is always favorable for the patients with eating disorders. The symptoms of anorexia or bulimia present in the teenagers has to be consulted on an immediate basis with a physician or pediatrician.
The eating disorders may lead to different types of disorder. Since these eating disorders, lead to severe physical problems. This may lead to severe life threatening disease for the patients. The recorded statistics say that the percentage of eating disorders in females is high as compared to males. However, males can also have eating disorders. Such as, a binge eating disorder that appears more in males as compared to females.
Body Dysmorphic Disorder is featured as an anxiety with an assumption of feeling defect in the body appearance. Or extreme feeling of physical abnormality. The most time consuming behaviors are the factors associated with Body Dysmorphic Disorder. Such as, comparing others features, hide or camouflage the defect and seeking advice. The percentage of BDD among the population is 0.5% to 0.7% (Hoek and Van Hoeken 383--396).
There is a perception that white girls have eating disorders. But a reality is different, no gender, socioeconomic group or ethnicity is resistant to the hazards of this disease. According to gender based study the recorded statistic of 1:10 males are affected to eating disorders (Phillips and Mcelroy et al. 302--302).
This identifies that several males are affected to this disease. Cross-culture rates that exits on eating disorders are a red alarm for all men. Well, men don't have overweight issues like women, so they are less in need of dieting (Phillips and Mcelroy et al. 302--302).
Since female intends to feel overweight before they opt for dieting. Males require to opt for dieting when they are overweight. Also, males opt for dieting when they need improvement in their athletic performance as in swimming, track, wrestling or other sports. Since, it is required for a better body shaping and men using weightlifting and muscle toning for it. As males are symbol of strength and athleticism when it comes to social norms. The recorded stats of report display that there was less percentage of males being diagnosed with the eating disorders (Hoek and Van Hoeken 383--396).
The doctors have identified less tendency of eating disorders in males than females. There is another factor found that many parents are not able to find or suspect the disease in boys. This delay lead to less rate of detection and treatment of eating disorders in males (Preti and Girolamo et al. 1125--1132).
There is study on males that tells in which 135 being diagnosed with bulimia eating disorder. As, they feel embarrassed of having a female eating disorder that lead to delay in treatment (Preti and Girolamo et al. 1125--1132).
However, males with binge eating disorder found unrecognized due to less tendency in males towards overeating as compared to overeating females. But males having eating disorders are found 1:10 and this is a real recorded fact.
Dealing with anorexia disorder one out of four boys are diagnosed with this disease. This concern towards males being affected with eating disorders (Preti and Girolamo et al. 1125--1132).
There are many young people who are facing eating disorders. Most of them are not overweight, but they always looking for ways to become thinner. Diet or skipping meals are the two methods of losing weight (Preti and Girolamo et al. 1125--1132).
A slight worry towards weight becomes preoccupation for young people. This lead to severe eating disorder. The most common eating disorder found in young ones are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa (Preti and Girolamo et al. 1125--1132).
A perfectionist and a highflier teenagers in school are fighting with anorexia nervosa. But, at the same time, they feel low self-esteem and behave irrationally. This behavior is due to their appearance that they feel is fat even after becoming slim. To a pursuit of being thin, the teenage girls start starving. This may lead to serious body damage. And, it may create a risk of death.
But young people with bulimia are distinct from those facing anorexia nervosa. The young patients who do self-induced vomiting or using laxatives and indulge in high calorie food or dreaded calories are the one affected with bulimia. This high calorie diets lead to dramatic weight fluctuations.
Physical health of the bulimia patients becomes a serious threat to them that includes hormonal imbalance, damage to vital organs, dehydration and the depletion of essential minerals. Teenagers with a binge eating disorder need to be treated with mental health care professional.
The recorded mortality rate among females who are suffering from eating disorders are between the ages of fifteen to twenty-four. Their death rate is twelve times higher than to other causes of death. Also, the highest percentage of premature fatality is estimated against mental illness due to “Anorexia Nervosa” (I. P. 026-029).
The self-starvation, distorted body appearance, weight loss and irrational fear of putting on weight are characterized as Anorexia Nervosa. But vomiting, extreme exercising and laxative/diuretic abuse are the cycle of continuous striking of purging with these several means are characterized as Bulimia Nervosa.
Also the most common disorder characterized as Binge Eating is the continuous overeating habit on a regular basis with no purging behaviors.
The 2003 research had found 40% girls affected with anorexia symptoms at the age of 15 to 19. Also, it has recorded that the rate of anorexia in women had increased in the year 1935 to 1989 at the age of 15 to 24. The cases of eating disorder had tripled in the year 1988 to 1993, in the young and old women at the age 10 to 39 (I. P. 026-029).
Further, the research tells that the community of one-third with anorexia problems have received mental health care; rest stay untreated. Since, 6% cases of bulimia are the one who have received mental health care. But the big fraction of people with serious eating disorders did not receive mental health care (Keca and Cottone 11-15).
The prevention can take place and treatment is available for early detection and intervention of eating disorder. Although it might be difficult to have treatment, during illness, but following the nutritional plan, medical and psychiatric treatment and psychotherapy can help in curing this disease. Also, preventive majors can be taken in schools by creating a safe environment for students from all harassment activities (Keca and Cottone 11-15).
Encourage the children towards physical activities and not indulging them towards weight loss. Also, size and weight should not be a restriction for selection of students in the physical activities. Provide healthy and clear instructions towards the diet of students (Keca and Cottone 11-15).
A complete knowledge and information about healthy eating should be offered to children. Student’s lunches should be evaluated that they carry with them. Also, guide them what they should bring for food. The recommended food is nutritious and a tasty one. Food must be healthy and good for the mental growth of young people (Keca and Cottone 11-15).
Teenagers can feel relief from the symptoms eating disorder through comprehensive treatment. The treatment is undertaken by the psychiatrist who is trained to diagnose, treat and evaluate the psychiatric disorders.
Team approach is required for the treatment of eating disorders that include family therapy, primary care physician, individual therapy, medication and engage with a nutritionist.
Treatments that can be used for relieving the patients from eating disorders are nutrition education, hospitalization, psychotherapy and family counseling. However, if a situation occurs and eating disorder patients remain untreated for a long time can harm them badly.
If there is no improvement seen in the health of the patient with standard treatment, always opt for an inpatient program that may be necessary.
Make sure that the parents have well organized approach from the treatment of eating disorder for their children. This way patients will be able to regain a healthy weight, manage symptoms and maintain their mental and physical health.
Work Cited
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