Anorexia vs. Bulimia Essay - 2741 Words

Anorexia vs. Bulimia According to Mary Pipher, PhD, â€Å"In a city of strangers, appearance is the only dimension available for the rapid assessment of others. Thus it becomes incredibly important in defining value† (216). â€Å"Beauty is a defining characteristic for American women† (Pipher 216). She later goes on to say that, â€Å"When unnatural thinness became attractive, girls did unnatural things to be thin† (217). One of the most common unnatural things girls did to be thin were develop two popular eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. â€Å"A person may have anorexia nervosa when she diets to the point of weighing only 85 percent of ideal weight† (Kirby 68). â€Å"Unlike the anorexic, who is excessively thin, the bulimic is usually†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"Anorexics tend to be compliant, approval seeking, conflict avoiding, perfectionist, socially anxious, and obsessive/compulsive, with average or above-average intelligence† (Kirby 69). â€Å"The anorexic person has an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though she is obviously underweight† (Kirby 68). Typical characteristics of an anorexic are, â€Å"skipping meals, eating in ritualistic ways, grocery shopping or cooking for the entire household but will not eat, always making excuses not to eat, becoming argumentative with people who try to help, having trouble concentrating, denying anger and withdrawing into self and becoming socially isolated† (Kirby 69). In â€Å"Eating Disorders: When Dieting Goes Too Far,† Amy Chen gives an adequate description of the symptoms of anorexia: Some symptoms of anorexia are the same as in starvation and severe weight loss. Anorexics may have dry skin, dry hair, hair loss and easily chipped fingernails, growth of body hair (lanugo), a severe drop in metabolic rate, disturbances in the hearts rhythm and rate, dangerously low blood pressure and body temperature, cold hands and feet, constipation and digestive problems, infertility, stunted growth in the young, and amenorrhea in women. Amenorrhea is defined as the absence of the menstrual period for three consecutive cycles. The danger of amenorrhea is the high increase in risk for thin, brittle bones (osteoporosis) and infertility. In severe anorexia, severe chemicalShow MoreRelatedAnorexia Vs. Bulimia Nervosa1200 Words   |  5 PagesAnorexia vs. Bulimia In our culture today, people concerned with the way they look to a high extent, how much they weight, their physical appearances and how to change a body part they do not like. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are eating disorders that affect a person’s weight to an extreme due to wanting to be thinner when in reality they are already thin to the bone. Both disorders have their similarities and differences from their main obsession of body weight to how they try to loseRead MoreEating Disorders : Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa1303 Words   |  6 Pagesdisorder. Out of all the eating disorders, the two most common are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where people, who are underweight, see themselves as overweight. People with anorexia are obsessed with weighing themselves and eat small portions of a certain type of food. Some people can also have binge-eating disorder by self-vomiting, excessive exercising and extreme dieting. Anorexia is the fear of becoming fat and in order to stay thin, the personRead MoreEating Disorders : An Eating Disorder1184 Words   |  5 Pages0.9 percent of women and 0.3 percent of U.S men develop anorexia, while 1.5 percent of women and 0.5 percent of men develop bulimia during their lifetime. According to Weir (2016), serious conflicts with one’s diet caused by any illnesses is known as an eating disorder. Weir (2016) goes on to explain the origins behind eating disorders in individuals. This topic is important because, in the United States, many women and men suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some point in theirRead MoreThe Effect s Of Eating Disorders On Women And Young Girls839 Words   |  4 Pageswas interesting to see that people with Bulimia have more negative feelings about their disease than Anorexia. It made sense when they connected it with the statistic that people with Bulimia are more willing to change. I am curious as to why that is though and I feel as though it would be important for the field to know. Is it because of the acts that many people commit during Bulimia that are so off putting like binging and purging? Does a person with Anorexia feel as though they are not doing anythingRead MoreComparsion Study of Sexual Experience of Women with Bulimia versus Women with Anorexia920 Words   |  4 Pagescomparing the sexual experiences of women with bulimia vs. women who suffered anorexia. Similar to this experiment control groups in the past have used bulimics and anorexics (Wiederman et al., 1996a). It had been reported that women who are bulimic have greater sexual activity and experience c ompared to women with anorexia, and are more likely to engage in sexual intercourse (Wiederman et al., 1996a). In addition reports have stated that â€Å"anorexia nervosa was often precipitated by menarche and theRead MoreEye Opener : The Mind And Body1478 Words   |  6 Pagesthe most common are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating. It is only human to wish to look differently or want to lose weight; however, many young people choose an unhealthy route to achieve these goals. The main cause of Anorexia Nervosa is unknown but there a lot of leading factors such as depression, anxiety, being bullied at school, etc. â€Å"Anorexia is a complex condition that arises from a combination of many social, emotional, and biological factors† (Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, SymptomsRead MoreEye Opener : The Mind And Body1480 Words   |  6 Pagesthe most common are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating. It is only human to wish to look differently or want to lose weight; however, many young people choose an unhealthy route to achieve these goals. The main cause of Anorexia Nervosa is unknown but there a lot of leading factors such as depression, anxiety, being bullied at school, etc. â€Å"Anorexia is a complex condition that arises from a combination of many social, emotional, and biological factors† (Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, SymptomsRead MoreSociety’s Influence on Young Girls: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa1296 Words   |  6 Pagesdidnt read the articles. (Recovery and Support Network, 2008) I believe it is these influences of society that are leading to more and more young girls being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. You may be saying to yourself, â€Å"I have heard of those, but what exactly are they?† Well the terms anorexia and bulimia are often confused with each other. Though they are both eating disorders, they are different, and if someone has one they do not necessarily have both. It is also a commonRead MoreSociety’s Influence on Teenagers: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa1294 Words   |  6 Pagesdidnt read the articles. (Recovery and Support Network, 2008) I believe it is these influences of society that are leading to more and more young girls being diagnosed with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. You may be saying to yourself, â€Å"I have heard of those, but what exactly are they?† Well the terms anorexia and bulimia are often confused with each other. Though they are both eating disorders, they are different, and if someone has one they do not necessarily have both. It is also a commonRead MoreGender Vs. Eating Disorders894 Words   |  4 PagesGender vs. Eating Disorders More women worry about their weight than men. It is a fact that among the adults, 38% of the women and 24% of the men were trying to lose weight. When you hear about Anorexia and Bulimia most people think of females. What people do not know is tons of males suffer from the same problem. I believe males should be more looked upon when it comes to this subject. Gymnasts, runners, body builders, rowers, wrestlers, racers, dancers, and swimmers are especially helpless against