Anorexia 2 Essay, Research Paper
Anorexia
Anorexia is an eating disorder caused by depression, guilt, or low self-esteem. When a person is suffering from anorexia they do not eat anything or if they do eat it is very little. Most of the people with this disorder have a big fear of being or becoming fat. They feel there lives will be better if they are thinner. They also see a poor image of themselves. It is very common for people with this disease to be perfectionists.
Anorexia causes several changes to your body such as, malnutrition, dehydration, edema, cancer, dry hair and nails, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney infection, osteoporosis, TMJ, easily bruised skin, dental problems, bad circulation, infertility, depression, cramps, seizures and even death. Anorexia is a physical, emotional, and behavioral disease. A person usually comes to the point where they look so bad they either realize it themselves and start eating or get help. They sometimes even have to be hospitalized for anorexia. After a while a person starts looking like a different person. There skin becomes a yellowish color and there bones begin to show drastically. Their hair falls out and they become weak. They do not listen to anyone but themselves. They feel like the whole world is against them. When they are out in public they always think that people are staring at them or talking about them. They become very self-conscious about themselves.
Sometimes they binge, which is eating to the point of vomiting. They are known to eat a lot of junk food and candy, things that are bad for you. Some people even take diet pills. Diet pills can be used to a certain point. You should check with you re doctor before taking them. The doctor will usually tell you which one to take and how much. People think if they take them it will make up for over eating, or keep them from getting hungry. Diet pills are even taking too much that the person overdoses and dies.
There are over three hundred diet pills out on the market. Some of the names of them are Thermoslim, which is a pill that doctors say will reduce craving and appetite. Other diet pills that are very popular today are Herbal diet pills. They have more vitamins in them and are more healthy for you than the regular ones. Herbal diet pills are suppost to make you look great, feel great, and also give you a natural way to slim up. Pills on the market today are said to be some what dangerous because, they are not prescribed by a doctor, and also most people that do take diet pills know nothing about them.
Compulsive exercise is also another way anorexia s deal with their problem. They sometimes exercise two to three hours a day non-stop. They overwork themselves and become sick. Excersing too much can lead to serious physical dangers. If a person exercises too much they might become dehydrated or injure their body. Dancers, runners, and gymnasts are usually septable to the disease more than anyone else. They are constantly under pressure to stay thin and do their best to win. In competitions people always want to win. They feel if they are thin and in shape they will do better. A lot of models also suffer from Anorexia. They are always told to be a certain weight. In the modeling career it becomes very overwhelming and competitive. They fear they might gain weight and loose their modeling career. Several models also take diet pills just to stay thin.
It is hard for some people to stay thin. Some people might have a medical problem or it might just be hereditary. A lot of people feel pressured because of other people that are thin. Most of the ads in commercials, magazines, and billboards are with thin models. People look at them and feel pressured to be thin. Other people influence them.
After a certain amount of time, Anorexic people become very isolated. They are always by themselves and shut out others in their life. Family and close friends usually begin to notice there is a problem. Eventually people will notice because of the body change. Anorexians do not listen to anyone but themselves. They feel there disease is their problem and no one else s.
The well-known sitcom actress Tracey Gold is fighting Anorexia and has been for several years. She talks to people world wide to discuss Anorexia and as seminars about it. Tracey tries to help people like her because she knows what they are going through. Anorexia put a stress on her life and her career. She battles this disease everyday of her life and tries to over come it.
Some people are very against anorexia. They feel it is a horrible disease that they put on themselves. For example Opera Winfrey of the talk show Opera is very against it. Opera has fought her weight since she was a teenager. She has been very thin and also very heavy. She says she has tried everything but becoming Anorexic or Bulimic. She also tries to help people with there weight but, does not believe the disease Anorexia or Bulimia is a way to solve you re weight problem.
There are places where you can go and talk to someone about your problem. They will help you through it and encourage you to overcome your disease. Some places even have group meetings where you can go and discuss things with other people suffering with anorexia. Seeing a doctor is the number one thing to do I f you have this disease. Doctor s can prescribe medicine and also give you advice.
For people to stay healthy and remain in shape they only need to exercise twenty to thirty minutes, four to five times a week. They need to make sure they are eating the right food that is healthy for you. If a person sees a problem occurring, they should get to a doctor as soon as possible.
In the stage of recovery a person has to be watched very closely. They have to make sure they are not exercising too much. They also have to make sure they eat just the right amount of food. A person with Anorexia has to want to overcome their disease. For someone to get better they have to want to and try. The person also has to overcome the feeling of guilt and depression. They should be with someone as much as possible to have someone there to talk to and spend time with. Talking to a therapist is also helpful to someone recovering from Anorexia. You can recover very quickly or very slowly depending on the person.
I interviewed a girl who suffered from anorexia when she was a teenager. She always felt that she was fat. She got influenced by her friend and people around her to be thin. Diet pills and exercising did not work so she decided to stop eating. She did not eat for weeks at a time. About once a month she had a tiny bit to eat. She sometimes would binge and make herself vomit. She said whenever she ate food she could never let the food touch her lips. She hid it well for about two months, and then people began to notice. Her friends and family tried to help her. They kept telling her she looked horrible. They wanted to help her but; noone could help her but herself. She wouldn t listen to anyone. One day she looked in the mirror and saw nothing but thin hair, sunken in eyes, yellowish skin and bones. Reality of her appearance finally scared her and she began to eat. She now eats healthy and controls her weight. She developed sarasyis and still has occasional problem with her body from being anorexic.
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