overcoming an eating disorder essay

Overcoming an Eating Disorder During the Pandemic Uncovers Deeper Wounds

By kaley neal.

Listen to Executive Director Gabriel Nathan read this post aloud:

Podcast (mental-health-aloud): Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

It all began innocently enough. As my thoughts became clouded with the suggestions, questions, and comments from my mom about my evident skin issues:

“You should eliminate dairy.”

“What happened to your face?”

“Are you using this specific eczema cream? Maybe that’s the problem.”

I felt called out for something that I couldn’t understand. I was determined to do whatever it took to stop the comments and make the confrontation go away. What’s more, I wanted to do it all by myself in order to feel proud and capable that it was my willpower and discipline that got the job done.

I had just finished middle school, had the entire summer off, and could do anything my heart desired by taking on any new challenges. Shortly after eliminating sugar and dairy from my diet in hopes to clear my skin, I noticed positive progress and felt in control of my body in a way I’d never experienced. I believe that undergoing the process almost in spite of proving others wrong and thinking food was the only solution was the first warning. Inevitably, on the days when I would have breakouts or feel uncomfortable in my body, I’d blame myself.

I just needed to eat cleaner, I thought to myself.

Going into my first year of high school was already tough. I was plagued by my middle school insecurities and fueled by guys who treated me poorly or objectified me. Playing sports was a confidence-booster, at times, but I constantly felt like my accomplishments were all consuming growing up without real bonding/connection. At home, I felt like I had to withhold a Miss Perfect persona with comments of comparison to teammates, friends, or my younger self.

As the only conversations at home were at dinner or in the car, they became minute, mundane, and surface-level, I desired an accomplishment that I could have to myself without needing to be downplayed. Due to the rush from sport to sport and never really spending much alone time with my family, I never questioned, “How do I actually feel?”

My first experience with this was a night after two sports practices back to back. I started crying in the car. My body hurt and I knew it was too much for me. I was unable to continue to perform at a high level in multiple sports because I was feeling burned out and below my teammates in both sports. Until then, I was able to mask all my worries in sports and not have to deal with the emotions that I soon found out were at home.

I believed screaming and yelling about chores and everything while I was around was normal because kids always do something wrong, right? I felt dismissed and unable to voice a word due to being afraid I’d get yelled at. Voicing my feelings in other aspects of life: boys, friends, school, struggles, etc., were nonexistent because I didn’t want to give up my record of doing everything right.

Going into my freshman year, I had looked up workout routines and how to eat like a volleyball player in order to be at my best for the year. I began “eating clean” to aid my desire of making the varsity volleyball team. Family members, friends, and teammates labeled me as the “healthy one.” I saw it as a confirmation that I was on the right track. Other’s comments simply confirmed what I believed my value was. When I finally look like x, I will be good enough. But I never was. I never questioned my sense of self-worth or emotional reactions to my parents because you know what they say, parents are always right.

We lift up the voices of individuals living with mental illness. Busting stigma one essay and short film at a time.

We lift up the voices of individuals living with mental illness. busting stigma one essay and short film at a time. join the movement., welcome to our community check your email so we can say hi..

I was the only one of my friends who made the freshman team as opposed to the JV team. Soon after the season ended, I had a scare one morning when I was on my period. I got out of bed a few hours later than usual and hadn’t eaten anything yet. I hopped into a very hot shower right away and saw stars before everything went black and I fainted in the bathtub.

The next thing I know, the paramedics are with me at the top of the stairs along with my parents while I sit half-conscious in a towel. They checked my vitals and my mom drove me to the hospital. The doctors didn’t ever find anything wrong with me, not even (surprisingly) low iron levels! I had only been maybe ten pounds below what I was five months earlier. I never knew what happened besides the likely trifecta of being on my period, not eating, and taking a hot shower.

My school and sports life was going well as I moved into swimming in the winter. Then, in March of 2020, the world shuts down. School, sports, stores, restaurants. Everything, life gets real…

I saw the pandemic as an opportunity to be my version of the healthiest and most beautiful. I was stuck at home with only my dad as my mom was a healthcare worker and my brother was at college. I learned soon into the pandemic that my dad had anger issues and more that aren’t diagnosed. They were beyond the typical screaming about chores or attitude problems. He went on and on about the uncertainty of the world, wishes to be at work, and talked to himself. My words were swiftly run over like a bulldozer in which we didn’t do anything together. Not even eating, as I made my own meals, and lost things in common without a sports barrier. I became acutely familiar with adult topics like money, politics, and decisions that he’d say out loud for no one in particular. As the only one present, who else would he be talking to?

I was on my own in this evolutionary journey and I was going to go all in even if I wasn’t seen for my dedication.

I was berated with anger and frustrations from my father about my choices and what I was able to do. I took each cussing conversation he had to heart. What I never realized was that any comment would fuel the fire. So, I did what I thought would save me from his outbursts; isolate more and never be around to witness the fallouts. My mom was always at work during this time and wouldn’t see this side of my father. In which it’s hard to do something about a problem you never witness. I felt broken , stuck, and like there was no way out. I was already having triggering thoughts daily about what I’d eat, exercising, and my body that every harsh comment about the food I’d want, money, or the dishes I’d created made me think I wasn’t accepted at home. I was no longer praised and rather seen as “too much”.

“Why didn’t I just do exactly what my parents did and eat exactly what they ate?”

I was engulfed in my feelings of wanting to change aesthetically, escape my father, and longed for connection.

8 Tips for Telling Your Own Story

Do you have a story to tell chances are, you do. this free guide will walk you through our editor in chief's top suggestions..

Before the pandemic, I’d never been much of a social media enthusiast as I wasn’t allowed to have Snapchat and didn’t have a great experience once I got it anyways. But I was mainly on YouTube. I recall deleting Instagram as a part of my New Year’s resolution that year. The more I spent time on YouTube looking for nutrition and exercise advice, the more I found claims to lose ten pounds in a week, lose belly, thigh, or arm fat. There were so many click-baitted claims and filtered/ photoshopped/ unrealistic expectations of models that flooded my thoughts to translate to:

You’re not good enough as you are. You need to change the way you look.

For a while, I’d do everything any of the influencers said by exercising for hours on end and eating as little as possible, which created so much family tension, mental stress , and a lack of energy. My life was: exercise to eat on repeat. I don’t want to go into too many details that could be triggering but the main points were that I was:

~very restrictive, overexercising, had no mental capacity for anything besides food & exercise,

and lost my period.

A little over a year into the sticky situation I got myself into, my mom reached out to a nutritionist. I saw her weekly, and I had to address my fear foods , create goals to incorporate those foods, and eat a meal that I hadn’t made; all the while stopping exercise completely. I was told that I could walk for five minutes a day and nothing else until I was at a certain weight because I was very underweight for my body. For someone who did around seven hours of yoga a day prior, this was disheartening, and I was forced to think about why I was doing what I was doing. The first session ended with a great deal of crying and emotions beyond food came into the picture, so I needed to see a therapist too.

My body was never the problem.

After a year of seeing a nutritionist and therapist , I had gained over thirty pounds back and was able to play the sports I once played before. My performance was continually improving, and I focused all my energy into volleyball. I even made a travel team above the levels of other travel teams I’d been on before. This meant more competition, struggle, time, and effort spent on volleyball. As I was feeling the high of making an elite team and constantly striving for more, I was taking on weightlifting to be the strongest I could be, as opposed to the skinniest.

My intentions were good in growing stronger. However, lifting at 5am in conjunction with late volleyball nights left me exhausted and, quite honestly, falling on the opposite end to where I thought I was doing the right thing by eating more and more. But, I was still exercising too much and constantly felt overwhelmed and tired. I had fallen in love with how going to the gym made me feel by being able to set goals, feel strong, and be free and independent. Whereas in that season of volleyball, I was starting to feel powerless through the yelling and screaming of my coach when deep down I’d be trying my best. In addition, I feel like I’d always had the background of thoughts surrounding my eating disorder and felt like I was still in the dark. I chose to stop my volleyball career in the middle of the season to take time for myself. I wouldn’t say that I rushed into volleyball too much, but I did still have the feeling that by getting the athletic accolades, in turn I would feel worthy which again I’d failed by quitting.

Honestly, when I started going to the gym to be stronger, I knew I’d found a place where I could grow and had a journey ahead of me. I wasn’t wanting to join back into sports until it was questioned and expected upon me. My parents instilled that “I couldn’t not do anything” which hit me right in my worthiness wound. In some sense, they were directing me as to what to do with my life (get a job), but the constant validation in work, sports, or academics made me always feel internally unlovable.

“My worthiness isn’t defined by my academic or athletic achievements.”

Long reads. Short films. Showing the word what is possible with mental health challenges. Bust stigma with us.

During winter break of my senior year, I was alone at home and stumbled upon the first meditation that was ironically by the yoga teacher whom I’d practiced for seven hours a day which is both traumatizing and healing. That week was the first time that I’d begun to notice how my internal dialogue affected how I carried out actions in my life. I realized I was just at the beginning of healing inner wounds. The euphoric feelings I got after meditating boosted my confidence one hundred-fold and helped me create boundaries to not be dragged into unhealthy or negative phrases I’d hear or see around me. In addition, I learned to calm my nervous system which helped me cope during my parents’ reactive states and heal my skin.

My aha moments as to

~why I reacted a certain way

~what’s holding me back from following my desires

~identifying the beliefs that I’d instilled

I have come in the practice of stillness (meditation), journaling, or simply taking a step away from the problem. Humans are so used to being comfortable and acting out of the same belief pattern over time. In stillness, I’d stop to realize the power I had to change my belief over a situation and not succumb to others’ negative patterns. I was taught to take the safe route, follow a cookie cutter approach, and that everything in life came with hard work. Growing up and witnessing my parents have their own struggles and not doing anything to change their next choices and blaming outside sources helped me look inward. I knew I didn’t have the most skills or had a plan mapped out for life, but I prioritized becoming mentally tough and being accountable to myself. If I said I was going to do something, I would follow through. And when I mess up, I don’t BLAME others or myself, but use what I learned to push me in a new directions and just keep trying.

Whether it’s a few minutes right as I wake up, during a triggering moment, or before bed, being aware of how I’m talking to myself is important. When I close my eyes, take a deep breath and realize that I can’t control past or future events, I show up in the present moment in a calmer state. The more I take into account how I feel, I notice what I can do to better serve me.

“Is this the right decision or should I change paths?”

Sometimes discomfort arises as not every situation feels easy breezy, but knowing that I will be okay isn’t dependent on an external circumstance, rather the thoughts and beliefs I have about myself and the circumstances. In addition, social media used to consume my mind as though I could live through other people’s successes or feel like I always needed to be striving for something someone else had. I had deleted TikTok early in high school due to getting very distracted. My approach to Instagram and YouTube is to go on when I have something in mind I want to look up or become inspired for. Also, I set aside time whether it’s fifteen or thirty minutes to search and look for a particular subject or influencer of interest rather than opening the app willy-nilly. Personally, I only follow about forty people who add positivity and abundance to my knowledge. When someone has shared their struggles, challenges, or more to their lives than what a picture shows, then I’m interested in how that can apply to me. Sometimes you follow someone for a small reason and someone else for another. In this case, you can mold things to harness your goals, but not feel like you have to fit into a label or box that society has created.

This past fall started my college journey and was a major transition for me like it is for everyone. I would say I’ve had moments where I stress ate after a class when I was overwhelmed. I don’t let one overindulgence or something I view as “a mistake” make my head spin because meals I eat or workouts I do are tools to learn how to better get to know and understand my body’s needs. For example, the types and amounts of food that make me feel good in order to move forward with a non-perfectionist while including variety/ spontaneity within my mental, physical, and emotional health journey. I have been striving to perform best in all areas of my health by fueling for performance, recovery, and the ability to get stronger day after day. No matter the circumstance in life, the attitude towards your capabilities is the strongest force you have to persevere through anything to build resilience.

​EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR / EDITOR: Gabriel Nathan | DESIGN: Leah Alexandra Goldstein | SITE ORIGINATOR: Bud Clayman

#buststigma with a tax deductible donation now..

See Related Recovery Stories: Eating Disorders , Mental Health Aloud , Mental Health First Person Essays

Kaley Neal is a freshman in college at High Point University in North Carolina. She is pursuing a double major of Exercise Science and Health and Wellness with a minor in Psychology. Learning the science of what supports human health and performance is fascinating in order to help those who suffer from mental and physical ailments. She hopes to promote the advances in women's health and advocate for vulnerability around mental health. Kaley focuses on an intuitive approach that is in-sync with the natural cycle of a female body. In addition, Kaley loves to spend time in nature and practices feel-good movement like pilates and yoga as well as reading realistic fiction. You can follow her on IG @kalefitmind .

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You might like ...

Does battling with your own mental health diagnosis make you more or less qualified as a clinician? In this essay, Naomi Kunstler explores that question, and shares the price she paid to offer exemplary clinical service while also battling with depression and a history of self-harm.

A Personal Narrative: My Eating Disorder Found Hope in Recovery

Primary tabs.

• View (active tab)
• Manage Registrations

Eating Disorders are a distorted perception of your body, one often caused by the unreasonable expectations women feel by society. Each image of a slender tall model seen on an advertisement impacts you. Social media influencers of beautiful women and the comments made by their followers impact you. In the back of your brain these cultural beauty standards make you question your self-worth. Am I good enough? Why don’t I look like that? These can slowly root and distort your concept of a perfect body, till it’s firmly a belief accepted and unquestioned, by you. Most women at some point feel like their body isn’t good enough. 

The contemporary disorder that I am focusing is Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia Nervosa is starving yourself. It is a weight loss goal that when surpassed still continues. It is a need for control that slowly feeds on any part of who you were before it. These disorders become your identity, your desire, your passion. As it grows stronger you begin to hide behind it, isolating you from anyone who might ask if you need help. Ultimately leading the disorder as your only companion. 

Anorexia became mine. 

Although I had never been jealous of my best friends’ looks, I had secretly wished I was as small as her. When we ate junk food I felt resentment in the back of my mind, that I would gain weight, while she would remain the same. None the less, I was a 14-year-old girl, and my confidence wore thick. I was more than comfortable with my body, and how I looked, and yet before I knew it, in what felt like a single moment, I had forgotten was it was like to love myself.

I began to slowly walk down the staircase towards the living room where my mom was sitting watching tv on the couch with our golden retriever. She could tell I wanted something, which only made my tone less confident. Just say it, just say it, repeated in my head as I looked at her with blank stares.

I was able to mumble a few words, explaining that volleyball season made me want to eat more, and since it was over it had been hard for me to stop, I felt hungry all the time. My mother continued to look at me waiting to see what my drawn-out reasoning’s were about. I looked at the ground as I asked for diet pills shamefully. She reacted calmly, only wanting to know why diet and exercise wasn’t the best option. Inside I felt the confidence seep back into my bones and looked up at her explaining that it was only for me to get my cravings under control, and after a week or two I probably wouldn’t even need them. We went back and forth for a while until she agreed to at least go to the store and see what was available.

That night my mom came to my room and pulled out a bottle from a grocery bag and told to me they were only to help suppress my appetite. She told me to take them twice a day, for a couple weeks until I had it under control. I remained calm, but inside I felt powerful, like the world hadn’t truly seen what I was capable of yet.

So much so, I couldn’t sleep. I felt this intense urge to begin my diet immediately. I grabbed my computer and googled weight loss exercises, and quietly slipped out of my bed and started to do abs on my floor. I looked in the mirror. I wanted to remember exactly how I looked in this moment. I pictured myself five pounds lighter and started to smile.

The next morning, I woke up, rushed downstairs, grabbed my first diet pill and took it. I waited anxiously for 30 minutes, then grabbed my cereal. I couldn’t believe it; I had barely touched my bowl. After a few bites and I felt like throwing up. Usually, I was on my second helping. I grabbed the barely eaten bowl of special k chocolate delight and poured it down the sink. As I walked away an incredible rush of confidence flooded my body. I knew that I looked the same. I knew that I hadn’t lost any weight, yet it felt as if everything had already changed. It was like nothing I had ever experienced.

After a few weeks, I had shed off at least five pounds. I stood in my room, looking at myself in jeans that once struggled to get up to my waist and button now slip on, with a slightly loose waistline. Adrenaline swooped over my body with gratification filling every inch. I grabbed all my jeans from my closest. Each pair fit better than the last. I couldn’t get enough. I Imagined what the jeans would look like after another five pounds gone.

It was my little cousin’s birthday, and we were going out to eat for pizza. I begged my mom the night before to let me skip, but she said I had to go. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see my family, because I did, but going to a pizza place felt like I was asking myself to gain weight.

I asked my mom to back me up if anyone asked if I wanted more than a salad, because I was still on my diet. It was the first time I hid my true feelings. It wasn’t just the desire to not eat pizza I was worried about; I was terrified to. I knew this was not a diet, because I had no intention of stopping at my goal weight, in fact it wasn’t just about the weight anymore. I was hooked on the control it gave me.

I began to feel anxious, praying nobody would say I looked good or skinny. I couldn’t have anyone asking questions that might lead to suspicion. Plus, it wasn’t their business, my eating disorder was personal, they weren’t allowed to have any part of it. Honestly, I had only lost seven pounds, which wasn’t much anyways. I felt ridiculous even worrying.

The salad bar had tones of options, I grabbed a bowl and filled it with lettuce to fill me up. I added a pinch of cheese and a few croutons. I decided to add a couple peanuts on top so the protein would help curb my appetite. I was barely taking my pills. My body got used to me eating so little it didn’t need them anymore. Which was great, because I could tell my mom I stopped using them.

As we ate, I looked around and felt sorry for them. If only they knew the intoxicating pleasure of refusing food. I was the lucky one, because I was able to see the gift of control while other people stuffed their faces with pizza. I knew they would never be as happy as me. How could they when they had no ability to stop eating whatever they wanted knowing the consequences.

I always spent a weekend during Christmas season at my grandma’s house with the rest of my family. The fear of family dinner had worsened since the birthday party, it now outweighed my desire to socialize. It was almost as if I felt a tattoo saying, I have an eating disorder but don’t want anyone to ask me about it, would somehow appear on my face the moment I arrived.

I instantly could feel the sensation of anxiety creep at every cell in my body as I entered the door. I was on constant look out to remain aware of everyone’s consumption and whether mine would stand out.

The night of Christmas dinner was the final stretch. After three long days of avoiding my family shoving Christmas cookies down my throat and asking me if I had enough to eat every 20 minutes, I was exhausted. As I helped myself to a dinner proportion of my acceptance, I felt every eyeball on me, I repeated in my head, it’s the last roadblock, then no more uncomfortable social interaction and back to focusing on my weight loss.

I felt like a criminal by not overindulging myself while everyone else did. I never realized how much food is around, it was like I couldn’t do anything without people wanting to gather around and stuff their faces in the highest calorie food they can find.

I had worked pretty hard to lose more weight before this cotillion dance, where all the 9th graders in school got together to learn dances. I bought a black dress with one strap, and dangle earrings to match. I wasn’t much for high heels but after seeing my legs look slimmer, I was more than convinced it was the right choice. My Mom helped me curl my hair, and for once in my life it actually stayed curled. I looked great and I felt even better. After my weekly self-weigh in I discovered I was down to 105. It wasn’t exactly my goal weight, but I had to give myself credit, I was two pounds away from losing 25 total since September. I can’t believe I ever let myself weigh that much; it was disgusting.

My mom took me to my friend’s where we started to take pictures, a lot of pictures. I was getting tired. I was happy my mom was there; I honestly didn’t want her to leave. Apart of me didn’t want to stay the night anymore, I liked being at home, playing games with my mom. It was the best way to make sure I never ate my food earlier then the set time. Plus, now that I was counting calories, it was harder to spend the night places.

Later at our sleepover I was lying in bed with my friend trying to sleep when my stomach started to growl. Luckily, she had already fallen asleep. I looked through my bag on the floor next to me and grabbed some peppermint gum to suppress my appetite. I felt homesick, why did I stay, I couldn’t wait for this nightmare to end. I never slept over at friends after that.

I was 101 pounds now and didn’t see myself ever stopping.

I was completely alone. Isolated by my own self destruction, I started to feel myself missing my old life. I wanted out, but if I leave who will be? A world where I wake up and eat whatever I want for breakfast? One where I no longer say no to sleepovers with my friends, not that we talk much anymore. Was it worth it? Losing every sense of who I once was, I had forgotten that guys even liked me yet my desire for flirting was depleted. My days were filled with fake surfaced level conversations with people that I wasn’t close with, because I didn’t have the energy to fake a smile for the friends, I used to have deep conversations and eat frozen blueberries out of giant container with. They just wouldn’t get it, and they never even asked. It felt like it was easier for everyone to pretend nothing had changed even as we continued to grow further apart. Each day I waited till I could go home and see my mom. The only one who did listen for hours about the same calories and the same dieting thoughts that continued to circle in my head 24/7. She did so with no complaint or judgement, her patience and ability to show complete strength amazed me, but she cried in the garage behind the closed doors of her car, because she knew I was lost, and felt no desire to change. I was okay with sacrificing friendships because losing weight gave me a high better than any closeness with a person. Except my mom.

My mom told me it was time to get help. I was fragile, the bones on my ribs felt like they would crumble with one touch. My mind was checked out, and I was a shell of a human. I had not cried in months, and conversations with anyone felt like a task, I just wanted to be alone. I really missed myself, the one who didn’t eat grapes at 11pm and look at Instagram judging girls who I once thought were skinny because I had passed their body weight long ago.

Even after rehab, I was not recovered, but I knew I could no longer go back to the girl who ate 400 calories a day. It took year for me to fully let it go. Years went by till I was able to embrace myself for who I am. It took that long to no longer look in a mirror only to see what needed to be fixed. It took that many years for me to not feel shame eating in front of people. Yet the part most don’t get is this disease is yours to carry for life. If you are stressed you want to fall back, if you get your heart broken, it screams at you to reunite itself and it would be so easy.

Present Day

I no longer feel afraid of the part my anorexia had in my life.

I no longer want to go back to a place of loneliness and isolated.

It gives me the strength to listen and be involved with organizations that allow me to be a beacon of hope for someone who might be feeling alone, just like I was. It's essential I use my experience to empower young individuals to be mindful of their self-care and to speak up when they begin to struggle.

It is nothing to be ashamed of and I want those who are struggling right this moment to know that you are not alone, and we are here to help you get the information and help you deserve.

It’s essential that we as individuals choose to let go of comparing ourselves to unrealistic body images that have been distorted and falsely claimed as real.

Not allowing yourself to see the beauty that is internal is depriving yourself of living the life that is your own.

Our bodies hold the beauty inside of us, not the other way around.

I was lucky to have someone on my team.

My mother was my small dim light that kept me alive when I no longer had the strength to feel what happiness was, and because of that I have felt unconditional love, and it gave me the power to love myself unconditionally. There is not a single thing that I could do to repay the humble role she kindly took on during that time, but what I can do is make an impact to change our perception on eating disorders.

Thanks to my anorexia hidden and dim inside me is now my powerful drive for prevention of this disease.

The more we stand in this power to stop this corrupted, deceitful lie from industries and corporations who see eating disorders as their price to pay for all the money, entertainment and jobs they provide.

Sign Up For Our Newsletter

Sign up for our newsletter.

DIET CULTURE IN THE WORKPLACE - HOW TO CREATE A SAFER WORK ENVIRONMENT FOR YOURSELF

Quick Links

Upcoming Events

Legal and Disclaimers

Photo Gallery

P.O. Box 11344

St. Louis, MO 63105

[email protected]

What Recovering From an Eating Disorder Is Really Like

By Kimberly Neil

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains sensitive content regarding eating disorders.

We all get sick – from a minor cold to an infection that requires time in the hospital, the process of our body repairing itself is part of being human. Sometimes our bones break, sometimes our organs lose their ability to function properly. The cause of some illnesses take more energy to decipher, and these cases usually inspire episodes of Grey’s Anatomy or Mystery Diagnosis. The phrase “get well soon” explains how the average person views illness. Finding a cure, regardless of how small or big the problem may be, is what those who aren’t well and the people who love them wish for. In an ideal world, getting better is the best possible outcome.

What do you picture when you think about sickness? There are usually physical symptoms. Sometimes, we have to take time off from school or work. Can you imagine days in bed, chicken noodle soup, or negative side effects from strong prescription medication? Your discomfort is usually visible to those around you; and even if people can’t see your pain they can find a way to empathize once it is described. Mental illness is different.

I want you to imagine a time where you really, truly felt ashamed of who you are. A moment where the people around you didn’t get it, and more than anything, you wished the earth would open up and swallow you whole. My eating disorder has always been the personification of that very feeling. It began around the age of 11, and by the time I was 12, it had turned into something I carried around with me daily. That feeling was constant. It was my biggest, most embarrassing secret.

Though I wouldn’t describe it as a literal voice in my head, my eating disorder started with a feeling that I wasn’t good enough. This problem needed to be fixed, and controlling what I ate seemed like the perfect solution. I had no idea how easily avoiding certain foods would lead to eliminating them entirely. Though I could not put it into words as I became a teenager, I felt dirty from the inside out. Not eating specific foods turned into skipping meals, followed by days without food, replaced by days where the rules I had created for myself didn’t matter and all I could do was eat until I physically could not anymore. One day, I pushed myself past the point I thought I was capable of. It hurt, but I kept going – until my impulse changed entirely and suddenly I knew that I just had to get what I had eaten out of me.

Purging became my way of undoing: every mistake I made in class, at dance, or even with life in general, it was always something that I knew I could use as an outlet for all of the underlying negativity. I felt more in control with each meal or mistake that I tried to erase. I internalized the idea that something about me wasn’t good enough until that framed the way I saw myself. Being a teenager, a pre-professional dancer, and attending a competitive high school with amazing, intelligent, talented friends should have made me feel empowered. Sometimes it did, but because of my eating disorder, it became too easy to see myself as inadequate.

At one point, I realized that I loved certain parts of being a dancer. Ballet classes were always something I enjoyed, and I couldn’t get enough of costumes, makeup, or being on stage. Dancing gave me a way to become someone else. The downside of wanting to dance as a career while having an eating disorder was the way that no one around me said anything until I was deep into my illness. For the longest time, my friends and teachers complimented me whenever I lost weight. I noticed that the audition season for summer intensives magnified all of my insecurities. I inevitably was accepted into more pre-professional ballet programs when I was thinner.

I can remember two summers in particular where, in retrospect, I’m honestly amazed that I did not get “caught” in the chaos of my disorder. I was absolutely not healthy enough to dance 6-7 days per week from morning until as late as midnight, considering how out of control my disordered behaviors were. During one of those intensives, I also attended a summer chemistry class three days per week in between classes and rehearsal. I reached a point where I wound up leaving both. Between passing out a few times, feeling dizzy every single day, and eventually, throwing up blood – it all became too much.

Dance seemed like the root of my disorder at the time, but I had no idea how to let it go. I fought so hard to maintain my ED without losing ballet or modern. At one point, after receiving my first professional diagnosis of bulimia nervosa I withdrew from my selective enrollment high school, because my disorder essentially meant that I had to decide between my education and my dream of being a professional dancer. I eventually became so injured that dancing en pointe was no longer physically possible for me. Looking back, I believe that injury would have happened on some level even if I had been completely healthy. But I have no way of knowing if I would have still wound up in a place where dance was too painful to make the chance of a professional career a possibility, had I never developed an ED.

There also is no way I can know with complete certainty that I wouldn’t have struggled with an eating disorder had I never danced in the first place. After losing dance, it took me a little longer than my friends to finish high school by home schooling myself. Education had always been an important aspect of my identity, and losing both dance and my high school also meant that I became more and more isolated, wrapped up in my ED. I wound up pushing most of my high school friends away out of shame and guilt. To this day, I am not sure if my teachers (both from every studio that I’ve danced at and from school) and friends really knew what was going on with me. Did they avoid reaching out because mental illness is stigmatized, and talking about it is really scary? Did everyone just think I was very driven and committed to dance, making it pointless to intervene? Or did people really not know — did I hide it that well?

By Sara Delgado

By Kara Nesvig

By Donya Momenian

Once the raw heartbreak from losing so much because of my ED began to fade away, I decided that I wanted to attend college. Had I graduated from my selective enrollment high school and been healthy enough to put the hard work into college applications, I think that I would have been accepted to at least one of my dream colleges with financial aid. The process of applying as a home schooled student is a little different, so I decided to attend a local community college for at least a year and apply to some of my dream colleges as a transfer student.

Instagram content

This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.

Healing from an eating disorder is almost as stigmatized in discussion as admitting the problem itself. From books like Wintergirls to movies like Starving in Suburbia , the media presents a consistent message that the process of healing is a continuous, upward journey. I cannot speak for everyone with an eating disorder. I can admit how difficult it has been to tell my story at times, because my illness comes and goes in waves. I’ve yet to experience recovery, full stop.

There was a period of time between the end of high school and attending my first college class where my relationship with food became easier to manage. I took a similar DIY approach to recovery as I did to earning a high school diploma. My body became healthy again, and while I still struggled with depression, I felt my confidence come back slowly. I tried out for my [first] college’s volleyball team and not only made it, but received a scholarship offer as well – and I had never played before. I became involved with student government. Out of the four colleges I decided to apply to as a transfer student, I was accepted and offered aid by all of them, including my dream school. I made new friends. All of these aspects of freshman and sophomore year were wonderful, but I put a lot of pressure on myself to be the perfect student.

All of this resulted in a full relapse. It didn’t happen overnight, but my esophagus was healing from a serious tear by move-in day at the college I decided to transfer to. While my first few weeks at this amazing school on the east coast were everything I’d ever wanted out of my college experience, they were also moments that were painful and terrifying. Every single day I spent on this beautiful campus with new friends from all around the world was a day I felt torn between gratitude and self-hatred, and inadequacy. I eventually asked for help, and that lit a fire under my eating disorder. I went from feeling like recovery was possible to thinking it was something I didn’t deserve. I tore my esophagus for the second time, and simultaneously fell into restricting, abusing diet substances like laxatives and water pills, and exercising too much. I also started dancing again, and didn't feel supported by my college’s dance department at all. Even if I had felt that support, I don’t think it would have made a difference.

During the first week of October 2014, I took two cabs across the state of Massachusetts to an inpatient facility outside of Boston. I was 21 years old. It took 10 years for me to be hospitalized for my eating disorder, with an updated diagnosis of Eating Disorder Non-Otherwise Specified (EDNOS – now referred to as OSFED in the DSM-5), and that month was one of the hardest ones of my life. Inpatient was both the best and worst thing that has ever happened to me. I met people that changed my life. Both staff and other patients made me realize that maybe, the thing I was meant to do with my life all along was help other people who shared my struggle. Inpatient also made me realize how much my college meant to me, and how important education would continue to be in order to achieve my goals.

In November 2014, after leaving inpatient and returning to my college campus, I posted a poem on my personal blog. Because I also helped with a shared blog about EDs (that currently has over 40,000 followers) other people spread that poem around. The poem led to me becoming a contributor for Proud2bme , an online recovery community connected with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA). More recently, I even received a scholarship to attend the 2015 NEDA conference this October in San Diego, California.

My ED has given me a voice, and more importantly, it has given me a passion for helping others. It also hasn’t completely gone away. More than anything, I hope that someone out there, reading this, is able to look at their personal journey and hopefully feel less alone. I hope that someone that knows and loves someone with an eating disorder will read this, and feel inspired to really support that person through the ups and downs of recovery. Having an eating disorder is never a choice. When you’re sick, people expect you to get better. This is why compassion is essential. Healing takes nonstop effort and requires so much support, but it is possible. No one should feel ashamed of talking about the process, or receiving help along the way.

If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, the NEDA helpline is here to help at 1-800-931-2237.

Related: The Hidden Eating Disorder Side Effect That’s Both Extremely Dangerous and Far Too Common

By Liv McConnell

Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder

• Anorexia Nervosa: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment
• Bulimia Nervosa: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment
• Orthorexia Nervosa: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Binge Eating Disorder

• Body Shaming: The Effects and How to Overcome it
• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): What it is, How it Helps

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

• Online Therapy: Is it Right for You?
• Mental Health
• Health & Wellness
• Children & Family
• Relationships

Are you or someone you know in crisis?

• Bipolar Disorder
• Eating Disorders
• Grief & Loss
• Personality Disorders
• PTSD & Trauma
• Schizophrenia
• Therapy & Medication
• Exercise & Fitness
• Healthy Eating
• Well-being & Happiness
• Weight Loss
• Work & Career
• Illness & Disability
• Heart Health
• Childhood Issues
• Learning Disabilities
• Family Caregiving
• Teen Issues
• Communication
• Emotional Intelligence
• Love & Friendship
• Domestic Abuse
• Healthy Aging
• Aging Issues
• Alzheimer’s Disease & Dementia
• Senior Housing
• End of Life
• Meet Our Team

How do I begin recovery from an eating disorder?

Reach out for support, getting treatment for an eating disorder, self-help tip 1: learn healthier ways to cope with emotional pain, tip 2: develop a balanced relationship with food, tip 3: learn to accept and love yourself as you are, tip 4: avoid relapse, eating disorder treatment and recovery.

Ready to begin recovery from anorexia, bulimia, or another eating disorder? These tips can help you start recovery and develop true self-confidence.

The inner voices of anorexia and bulimia whisper that you’ll never be happy until you lose weight, that your worth is measured by how you look. But the truth is that happiness and self-esteem come from loving yourself for who you truly are—and that’s only possible with recovery.

The road to recovery from an eating disorder starts with admitting you have a problem. This admission can be tough, especially if you’re still clinging to the belief—even in the back of your mind—that weight loss is the key to your happiness, confidence, and success. Even when you finally understand this isn’t true, old habits are still hard to break.

The good news is that the behaviors you’ve learned can also be unlearned. Just as anyone can develop an eating disorder, so too, anyone can get better. However, overcoming an eating disorder is about more than giving up unhealthy eating behaviors. It’s also about learning new ways to cope with emotional pain and rediscovering who you are beyond your eating habits, weight, and body image.

True recovery from an eating disorder involves learning to:

• Listen to your feelings.
• Listen to your body.
• Accept yourself.
• Love yourself.

This may seem like a lot to tackle, but just remember that you’re not alone. Help is out there and recovery is within your reach. With the right support and guidance, you can break free from your eating disorder’s destructive pattern, regain your health, and find the joy in life again.

Speak to a Licensed Therapist

BetterHelp is an online therapy service that matches you to licensed, accredited therapists who can help with depression, anxiety, relationships, and more. Take the assessment and get matched with a therapist in as little as 48 hours.

Once you’ve decided to make a change, opening up about the problem is an important step on the road to recovery. It can feel scary or embarrassing to seek help for an eating disorder, so it’s important to choose someone who will be supportive and truly listen without judging you or rejecting you. This could be a close friend or family member or a youth leader, teacher, or school counselor you trust. Or you may be more comfortable confiding in a therapist or doctor.

Choose the right time and place. There are no hard and fast rules for telling someone about your eating disorder. But be mindful about choosing the right time and place—ideally somewhere private where you won’t be rushed or interrupted.

Starting the conversation. This can be the hardest part. One way to start is by simply saying, “I’ve got something important to tell you. It’s difficult for me to talk about this, so it would mean a lot if you’d be patient and hear me out.” From there, you may want to talk about when your eating disorder started, the feelings, thoughts, and behaviors involved, and how the disorder has impacted you.

Be patient. Your friend or family member will have their own emotional reaction to learning about your eating disorder. They may feel shocked, helpless, confused, sad, or even angry. They may not know how to respond or help you. Give them time to digest what you’re telling them. It’s also important to educate them about your specific eating disorder.

Be specific about how the person can best support you. For example, you may want them to help you find treatment, accompany you to see a doctor, check in with you regularly about how you’re feeling, or find some other way of supporting your recovery (without turning into the food police).

Eating disorder support groups

While family and friends can be a huge help in providing support, you may also want to join an eating disorder support group. They provide a safe environment where you can talk freely about your eating disorder and get advice and support from people who know what you’re going through.

There are many types of eating disorder support groups. Some are led by professional therapists, while others are moderated by trained volunteers or people who have recovered from an eating disorder. You can find online anorexia and bulimia support groups, chat rooms, and forums. These can be particularly helpful if you’re not ready to seek face-to-face help or you don’t have a support group in your area.

For help finding an eating disorder support group:

• Ask your doctor or therapist for a referral.
• Call local hospitals and universities.
• Call local eating disorder centers and clinics.
• Visit your school’s counseling center.
• Call a helpline listed below.

While there are a variety of different treatment options available for those struggling with eating disorders, it is important to find the treatment, or combination of treatments, that works best for you.

Effective treatment should address more than just your symptoms and destructive eating habits. It should also address the root causes of the problem—the emotional triggers that lead to disordered eating and your difficulty coping with stress, anxiety, fear, sadness, or other uncomfortable emotions.

Step 1: Assemble your treatment team

Because eating disorders have serious emotional, medical, and nutritional consequences, it’s important to have a team of professionals that can address every aspect of your problem. As you search, focus on finding the right fit—professionals who make you feel comfortable, accepted, and safe.

To find an eating disorder treatment specialist in your area:

• Ask your primary care doctor for a referral.
• Check with your local hospitals or medical centers.
• Ask your school counselor or nurse.
• Call a helpline listed in the Get more help section below.

Step 2: Address health problems

Eating disorders can be deadly—and not just if you’re drastically underweight. Your health may be in danger, even if you only occasionally fast, binge, or purge, so it’s important to get a full medical evaluation. If the evaluation reveals health problems, they should take priority. Nothing is more important than your well-being. If you’re suffering from any life-threatening problem, you may need to be hospitalized in order to keep you safe.

Step 3: Make a long-term treatment plan

Once your health problems are under control, you and your treatment team can work on a long-term recovery plan. Your treatment plan may include:

Individual or group therapy. Therapy can help you explore the issues underlying your eating disorder, improve your self-esteem, and learn healthy ways of responding to stress and emotional pain. Different therapists have different methods, so it is important to discuss with them your goals in working towards recovery.

Family therapy. Family therapy can help you and your family members explore how the eating disorder is affecting your relationships—and how various family dynamics may be contributing to the problem or impeding recovery. Together, you’ll work to improve communication, respect, and support.

Nutritional counseling. The goal of a nutritionist or dietician is to help you incorporate healthy eating behaviors into your everyday life. A nutritionist can’t change your habits overnight, but over a period of time you can learn to develop a healthier relationship with food.

Medical monitoring. Often, treatment will include regular monitoring by a medical doctor to make sure your health is not in danger. This may include regular weigh-ins, blood tests, and other health screenings.

Residential treatment. In rare cases, you may need more support than can be provided on an outpatient basis. Residential treatment programs offer around-the-clock care and monitoring to get you back on track. The goal is to get you stable enough to continue treatment at home.

Step 4: Learn self-help strategies

While seeking professional help is important, don’t underestimate your own role in recovery. The more motivated you are to understand why you developed an eating disorder, and to learn healthier coping skills, the quicker you will see change and healing. The following tips can help:

It may seem like eating disorders are all about food—after all, your rules and fears about dieting and weight have taken over your life. But food itself isn’t the real problem. Disordered eating is a coping mechanism for stress or other unpleasant emotions. You may refuse food to feel in control, binge for comfort, or purge to punish yourself, for example. But whatever need your eating disorder fulfills in your life, you can learn  healthier ways to cope with negative emotions and deal with life’s challenges.

The first step is figuring out what’s really going on inside. Are you upset about something? Depressed? Stressed out? Lonely? Is there an intense feeling you’re trying to avoid? Are you eating to calm down, comfort yourself, or to relieve boredom? Once you identify the emotion you’re experiencing, you can choose a positive alternative to starving or stuffing yourself.

Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

• Call a friend
• Listen to music
• Play with a pet
• Read a good book
• Take a walk
• Write in a journal
• Go to the movies
• Get out into nature
• Play a favorite game
• Do something helpful for someone else

Even though food itself is not the problem, developing a healthier relationship with it is essential to your recovery. Most people with eating disorders struggle with issues of control when it comes to food—often fluctuating between strict rules and chaos. The goal is to find a balance.

Let go of rigid eating rules. Strict rules about food and eating fuel eating disorders, so it’s important to replace them with healthier ones. For example, if you have a rule forbidding all desserts, change it into a less rigid guideline such as, “I won’t eat dessert every day.” You won’t gain weight by enjoying an occasional ice cream or cookie.

Don’t diet.  The more you restrict food, the more likely it is that you’ll become preoccupied, and even obsessed, with it. So instead of focusing on what you “shouldn’t” eat, focus on nutritious foods that will energize you and make your body strong. Think of food as fuel for your body. Your body knows when the tank is low, so listen to it. Eat when you’re truly hungry, then stop when you’re full.

Stick to a regular eating schedule. You may be used to skipping meals or fasting for long stretches. But when you starve yourself, food becomes all you think about. To avoid this preoccupation, try to eat every three hours. Plan ahead for meals and snacks, and don’t skip!

When you base your self-worth on physical appearance alone, you’re ignoring all the other qualities, accomplishments, and abilities that make you beautiful. Think about your friends and family members. Do they love you for the way you look or who you are? Chances are, your appearance ranks low on the list of what they love about you—and you probably feel the same about them. So why does it top your own list?

Placing too much importance on how you look leads to low self-esteem and insecurity. But you can learn to see yourself in a positive, balanced way:

Make a list of your positive qualities.  Think of all the things you like about yourself. Are you smart? Kind? Creative? Loyal? Funny? What would others say are your good qualities? Include your talents, skills, and achievements. Also, think about negative qualities you don’t   have.

Stop body checking. Pinching for fatness, continually weighing yourself, or trying on too-small clothes only magnifies a negative self-view and gives you a distorted image of what you really look like. We are all very bad at detecting visual changes in ourselves. Your goal right now is to learn to accept yourself—and that shouldn’t depend on a number on the scale or a perceived flaw you think you see in the mirror.

Avoid “fat talk.” It’s something many of us take part in without even noticing. Perhaps we make self-deprecating jokes about our appearance, criticize a celebrity for gaining a few pounds, or when we greet friends, we focus on how they look—their new outfit or newly toned physique, for example. But focusing on appearance—our own or others—only leads to feelings of body dissatisfaction. Instead of telling others, “You look great!” try focusing on something other than appearance, such as “You seem really happy!” And avoid spending time with people intent on judging others by their looks.

Challenge negative self-talk. We all have negative thoughts about our appearance from time to time. The important thing is not to base your self-worth on these thoughts. Instead, when you catch yourself being self-critical or pessimistic, stop and challenge the negative thought . Ask yourself what evidence you have to support the idea. What is the evidence against it? Just because you believe something, doesn’t mean it’s true.

Tips to improve your body image

Dress for yourself, not others. You should feel good in what you wear. Pick clothes that express your personality and make you feel comfortable and confident.

Stop comparing yourself to others. Even people without an eating disorder experience feelings of anxiety and inferiority when they compare themselves to others on social media. People exaggerate the positive aspects of their lives on Facebook, Instagram and the like, brushing over their flaws and the doubts and disappointments that we all experience. If necessary, take a break from social media —and toss the fashion magazines. Even when you realize that the images are pure Photoshopped fantasy, they can still trigger feelings of insecurity. Stay away until you’re confident they won’t undermine your self-acceptance.

Pamper your body. Instead of treating your body like the enemy, look at it as something precious. Pamper yourself with a massage, manicure, facial, a candlelight bath, or a scented lotion or perfume that makes you happy.

Stay active. While it’s important not to overdo it with exercise, staying active is good for both your mental and physical well-being. The key is to differentiate between compulsive exercise—which is rule-driven, weight-focused, and rigid—and healthy exercise that is rule-free, fun, and flexible. Focus on activities you enjoy and do them because they improve your mood, not because they might change how you look. Outdoor activities can be especially good at boosting your sense of well-being.

The work of eating disorder recovery doesn’t end once you’ve adopted healthier habits. It’s important to take steps to maintain your progress and prevent relapse.

Develop a solid support system. Surround yourself with people who support you and want to see you healthy and happy. Avoid people who drain your energy, encourage disordered eating behaviors, or make you feel bad about yourself.

Identify your “triggers.” Are you more likely to revert to your old, destructive behaviors during the holidays, exam week, or swimsuit season? Or are difficulties at work or in your relationship likely to trigger your disordered eating habits? Know what your early warning signs are, and have a plan for dealing with them, such as going to therapy more often or asking for extra support from family and friends.

Avoid pro-ana and pro-mia websites. Don’t visit websites that promote or glorify anorexia and bulimia. These sites are run by people who want excuses to continue down their destructive path. The “support” they offer is dangerous and will only get in the way of your recovery.

Keep a journal. Writing in a daily journal can help you keep tabs on your thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. If you notice that you’re slipping back into negative patterns, take action immediately.

Stick with your eating disorder treatment plan. Don’t neglect therapy or other components of your treatment, even if you’re doing better. Follow the recommendations of your treatment team.

Fill your life with positive activities. Make time for activities that bring you joy and fulfillment. Try something you’ve always wanted to do, develop a new skill, pick up a fun hobby, or volunteer in your community . The more rewarding your life, the less desire you’ll have to focus on food and weight.

If you do lapse, don’t beat yourself up. Recovery is a process—and that often involves setbacks. Don’t let feelings of guilt or shame derail your recovery, but think about how you’ll handle the same situation next time. Remember: One brief lapse doesn’t have to turn into a full-blown relapse.

Helplines and support

National Eating Disorders Association  or call 1-800-931-2237 (National Eating Disorders Association)

Beat Eating Disorders  or call 0345 643 1414 (Helpfinder)

Butterfly Foundation for Eating Disorders  or call 1800 33 4673 (National Eating Disorders Collaboration)

Service Provider Directory  or call 1-866-633-4220 (NEDIC)

More in Eating Disorders

Advice for parents, family members and friends offering support

Anorexia Nervosa

Signs, symptoms, causes, and treatment options for anorexia

Bulimia Nervosa

Signs, symptoms, treatment and self-help tips

Orthorexia Nervosa

How to recognize if your healthy eating has gone too far

Symptoms, treatment and help for compulsive overeating

Body Shaming

Improving your body image and achieving body acceptance

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

How it can help with anxiety, depression, PTSD, substance abuse, and more

Always focusing on your physical flaws? You may have BDD.

Professional therapy, done online

BetterHelp makes starting therapy easy. Take the assessment and get matched with a professional, licensed therapist.

Help us help others

Millions of readers rely on HelpGuide.org for free, evidence-based resources to understand and navigate mental health challenges. Please donate today to help us save, support, and change lives.

• Undergraduate
• High School
• Architecture
• American History
• Asian History
• Antique Literature
• American Literature
• Asian Literature
• Classic English Literature
• World Literature
• Creative Writing
• Linguistics
• Criminal Justice
• Legal Issues
• Anthropology
• Archaeology
• Political Science
• World Affairs
• African-American Studies
• East European Studies
• Latin-American Studies
• Native-American Studies
• West European Studies
• Family and Consumer Science
• Social Issues
• Women and Gender Studies
• Social Work
• Natural Sciences
• Pharmacology
• Earth science
• Agriculture
• Agricultural Studies
• Computer Science
• IT Management
• Mathematics
• Investments
• Engineering and Technology
• Engineering
• Aeronautics
• Medicine and Health
• Alternative Medicine
• Communications and Media
• Advertising
• Communication Strategies
• Public Relations
• Educational Theories
• Teacher's Career
• Chicago/Turabian
• Company Analysis
• Education Theories
• Shakespeare
• Canadian Studies
• Food Safety
• Relation of Global Warming and Extreme Weather Condition
• Movie Review
• Admission Essay
• Annotated Bibliography
• Application Essay
• Article Critique
• Article Review
• Article Writing
• Book Review
• Business Plan
• Business Proposal
• Capstone Project
• Cover Letter
• Creative Essay
• Dissertation
• Dissertation - Abstract
• Dissertation - Conclusion
• Dissertation - Discussion
• Dissertation - Hypothesis
• Dissertation - Introduction
• Dissertation - Literature
• Dissertation - Methodology
• Dissertation - Results
• GCSE Coursework
• Grant Proposal
• Marketing Plan
• Multiple Choice Quiz
• Personal Statement

Power Point Presentation

• Power Point Presentation With Speaker Notes
• Questionnaire
• Reaction Paper
• Research Paper
• Research Proposal
• SWOT analysis
• Thesis Paper
• Online Quiz
• Literature Review
• Movie Analysis
• Statistics problem
• Math Problem
• All papers examples
• How It Works
• Money Back Policy
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• We Are Hiring

Eating Disorders, Essay Example

Pages: 6

Words: 1701

Hire a Writer for Custom Essay

Use 10% Off Discount: "custom10" in 1 Click 👇

You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

Introduction

Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, although adolescents tend to be the age group that is more susceptible. This is because, as their bodies are changing, they may feel more pressure by society as well as peer groups to look attractive and fit in (Segal et al). Types of eating disorders include Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating, which can also be related to the first two. The reasons behind Eating Disorder usually stem from a reaction to low self-esteem and a negative means of coping with life and stress (Something Fishy).  Eating disorders are also often associated with an underlying psychological disorder, which may be the reason behind the eating disorder or which may develop from the Eating Disorder itself. Mental health disorders that are often associated with Eating Disorder include Anxiety, Depression, Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, BiPolar, BiPolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder and Dissociative Disorder. The longer a person suffers from ED, the more probable that they will be dealing with another mental illness, most likely Anxiety or Depression (Something Fishy). The eventual outcome of Eating Disorder can be deadly. “Some eating disorders are associated with a 10-15% mortality rate and a 20-25% suicide rate. Sometimes, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating may be perceived as slow suicide (Carruthers).” In order to prevent the deadly consequences of Eating Disorder and to prevent it from becoming more pervasive in society, it is necessary to recognize the correct treatment method for this disease.  Traditional treatments have focused on providing risk information to raise awareness of the consequences of Eating Disorder (Lobera et al 263). However, since Eating Disorder is a mental illness, a more effective treatment is one that offers psychological evaluation, counseling and treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is emerging as a more robust and effective method that can be used not only to treat Eating Disorder but the associated mental illnesses that may accompany it.

The Problem

Eating disorder is pervasive in society and can have deadly consequences on those that suffer from it. Many time Eating Disorder goes undetected by family members and friends because those suffering will go to great lengths to hide their problem. However, there are some signs and symptoms that can be clues that a person is suffering from some sort of eating disorder. According to Segal, these signs can include:

• Restricting Food or Dieting: A change in eating habits that includes restricting food or excessive dieting. The person my frequently miss meals or not eat, complaining of an upset stomach or that they are not hungry. A use of diet pills or illegal drugs may also be noticed.
• Bingeing: Sufferers may binge eat in secret, which can be hard to detect since they will usually do it late at night or in a private place. Signs of potential bingeing are empty food packages and wrappers and hidden stashes of high calorie junk food or desserts.
• Purging: Those who suffer from bulimia will force themselves to throw up after meals to rid their body of added calories. A sign that this is occurring is when a person makes a trip to the bathroom right after eating on a regular basis, possible running water or a fan to hide the sound of their vomiting. They may also use perfume, mouthwash or breath mints regularly to disguise the smell. In addition to vomiting, laxatives or diuretics may also be used to flush unwanted calories from the body.
• Distorted body image and altered appearance: People suffering from Eating Disorder often have a very distorted image of their own body. While they may appear thin to others, they may view themselves as fat and attempt to hide their body under loose clothing. They will also have an obsessive preoccupation with their weight, and complain of being fat even when it is obvious to others that this is not the case.

There are several possible side effects from Eating Disorders, both physical and psychological. Physical damage can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the eating disorder and the length of time the person has been suffering from it.  Psychological consequences can be the development of a mental illness, especially depression and anxiety. Some sufferers of Eating Disorder will also develop a coping mechanism such as harming themselves, through cutting, self-mutilation or self-inflicted violence, or SIV (Something Fishy).

Physical consequences of Eating Disorders depend on the type of eating disorder that the person has. Anorexia nervosa can lead to a slow heart rate and low blood pressure, putting the sufferer at risk for heart failure and permanent heart damage. Malnutrition can lead to osteoporosis and dry, brittle bones. Other common complications include kidney damage due to dehydration, overall weakness, hair loss and dry skin. Bulimia nervosa, where the person constantly purges through vomiting, can have similar consequences as Anorexia but with added complications and damage to the esophagus and gastric cavity due to the frequent vomiting. In addition, tooth decay can occur because of damage caused by gastric juices. If the person also uses laxatives to purge, irregular bowel movements and constipation can occur. Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis can also common negative heath effects (National Eating Disorders Association).  If the Eating Disorder goes on for a prolonged time period, death is also a possible affect, which is why it is important to seek treatment for the individual as soon as it is determined that they are suffering from an Eating Disorder.

Once it is recognized that a loved one may be suffering from an Eating Disorder, the next step is coming up with an effective intervention in time to prevent any lasting physical damage or death. The most effective treatment to date is Cognitive-behavioral therapy, an active form of counseling that can be done in either a group or private setting (Curtis). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to help correct poor eating habits and prevent relapse as well as change the way the individual thinks about food, eating and their body image (Curtis).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for eating disorders, but of course this depends on both the counselor administrating the therapy and the attitude of the person receiving it.  According to Fairburn (3), while patients with eating disorders “have a reputation for being difficult to treat, the great majority can be helped and many, if not most, can make a full and lasting recovery.” In the study conducted by Lobera et al, it was determined that students that took part in group cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions showed a reduced dissatisfaction with their body and a reduction in their drive to thinness. Self esteem was also improved during the group therapy sessions and eating habits were significantly improved.

“The overall effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy can depend on the duration of the sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered effective for the treatment of eating disorders. But because eating disorder behaviors can endure for a long period of time, ongoing psychological treatment is usually required for at least a year and may be needed for several years (Curtis).”

  Alternative solutions

Traditional treatments for Eating Disorders rely on educating potential sufferers, especially school aged children, of the potential damage, both psychological and physical, that can be caused by the various eating disorders .

“ Research conducted to date into the primary prevention of eating disorders (ED) has mainly considered the provision of information regarding risk factors. Consequently, there is a need to develop new methods that go a step further, promoting a change in attitudes and behavior in the  target population (Lobera et al).”

The current research has not shown that passive techniques, such as providing information, reduces the prevalence of eating disorders or improves the condition in existing patients. While education about eating disorders, the signs and symptoms and the potential health affects, is an important part of providing information to both the those that may know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder and those that are suffering from one, it is not an effective treatment by itself. It must be integrated with a deeper level of therapy that helps to improve the self-esteem and psychological issues from which the eating disorder stems.

Hospitalization has also been a treatment for those suffering from an eating disorder, especially when a complication, such as kidney failure or extreme weakness, occurs. However, treating the symptom of the eating disorder will not treat the underlying problem. Hospitalization can effectively treat the symptom only when it is combined with a psychological therapy that treats the underlying psychological problem that is causing the physical health problem.

Effectively treating eating disorders is possible using cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, the sooner a person who is suffering from an eating disorder begins treatment the more effective the treatment is likely to be. The longer a person suffers from an eating disorder, the more problems that may arise because of it, both physically and psychologically. While the deeper underlying issue may differ from patient to patient, it must be addressed in order for an eating disorder treatment to be effective. If not, the eating disorder is likely to continue. By becoming better educated about the underlying mental health issues that are typically the cause of eating disorder, both family members and friends of loved ones suffering from eating disorders and the sufferers themselves can take the steps necessary to overcome Eating Disorder and begin the road to recovery.

Works Cited

“Associated Mental Health Conditions and Addictions.” Something Fishy, 2010. Web. 19 November2010.

Carruthers, Martyn. Who Has Eating Disorders?   Soulwork Solutions, 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

Curtis, Jeanette. “Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders.” WebMD (September 16, 2009). Web. 19 November 2010.

Fairburn, Christopher G. Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press, 2008. Print.  

“Health Consequences of Eating Disorders” National Eating Disorders Association (2005). Web. 21 November 2010.

Lobera, I.J., Lozano, P.L., Rios, P.B., Candau, J.R., Villar y Lebreros, Gregorio Sanchez, Millan, M.T.M., Gonzalez, M.T.M., Martin, L.A., Villalobos, I.J. and Sanchez, N.V. “Traditional and New Strategies in the Primary Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Comparative Study in Spanish Adolescents.” International Journal of General Medicine 3  (October 5, 2010): 263-272. Dovepress.Web. 19 November 2010.

Segal, Jeanne, Smith, Melinda, Barston, Suzanne. Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder: Advice for Parents, Family Members and Friends , 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

Stuck with your Essay?

Get in touch with one of our experts for instant help!

American Liberty, Outline Example

Israeli Political Parties, Power Point Presentation Example

Time is precious

don’t waste it!

Plagiarism-free guarantee

Privacy guarantee

Secure checkout

Money back guarantee

Related Essay Samples & Examples

Voting as a civic responsibility, essay example.

Pages: 1

Words: 287

Utilitarianism and Its Applications, Essay Example

Words: 356

The Age-Related Changes of the Older Person, Essay Example

Pages: 2

Words: 448

The Problems ESOL Teachers Face, Essay Example

Pages: 8

Words: 2293

Should English Be the Primary Language? Essay Example

Pages: 4

Words: 999

The Term “Social Construction of Reality”, Essay Example

Words: 371

Calculate for all schools

Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, discussing my eating disorder in college essays – too personal or potentially impactful.

Hey guys, so here's the thing – I’ve battled with an eating disorder, and it’s been a significant part of my high school experience. Should I write about overcoming this challenge in my essays, or would it be better to choose a less sensitive subject?

Your courage in facing and overcoming such a personal challenge is commendable. When choosing an essay topic, the key is to focus on how the experience has shaped you and enabled personal growth. If you believe that your journey with an eating disorder has been a transformational part of your high school experience and has changed you in a significant way, it is worth considering as an essay topic.

However, ensure that your narrative is one of resilience and that it showcases how this experience has helped you build up your strengths, rather than solely focusing on the struggle itself. For example, avoid graphic descriptions of what you dealt with, as they may be uncomfortable for admissions officers to read, especially if they have struggled with eating disorders themselves—remember, you never know who is going to be reading your essay.

Rather, focus on how overcoming the hardship of this experience has taught you important life skills, by talking about accomplishments or formative experiences that were enabled by the abilities you developed as a result of your struggle with your eating disorder. This approach will give colleges what they are interested in in any personal statement, which is your ability to persevere and how your experiences have prepared you for the challenges of college life.

In summary, this topic is not too personal if framed correctly. If you're wondering if your approach is working, you can always check out CollegeVine's free peer essay review service, or submit it to an expert advisor for a paid review. Since they don't know you, they can provide an objective perspective that will hopefully give you a sense of how an actual admissions officer would read you essay. Good luck!

About CollegeVine’s Expert FAQ

CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.

• Search Menu
• Browse content in Arts and Humanities
• Browse content in Archaeology
• Anglo-Saxon and Medieval Archaeology
• Archaeological Methodology and Techniques
• Archaeology by Region
• Archaeology of Religion
• Archaeology of Trade and Exchange
• Biblical Archaeology
• Contemporary and Public Archaeology
• Environmental Archaeology
• Historical Archaeology
• History and Theory of Archaeology
• Industrial Archaeology
• Landscape Archaeology
• Mortuary Archaeology
• Prehistoric Archaeology
• Underwater Archaeology
• Urban Archaeology
• Zooarchaeology
• Browse content in Architecture
• Architectural Structure and Design
• History of Architecture
• Residential and Domestic Buildings
• Theory of Architecture
• Browse content in Art
• Art Subjects and Themes
• History of Art
• Industrial and Commercial Art
• Theory of Art
• Biographical Studies
• Byzantine Studies
• Browse content in Classical Studies
• Classical History
• Classical Philosophy
• Classical Mythology
• Classical Literature
• Classical Reception
• Classical Art and Architecture
• Classical Oratory and Rhetoric
• Greek and Roman Papyrology
• Greek and Roman Epigraphy
• Greek and Roman Law
• Greek and Roman Archaeology
• Late Antiquity
• Religion in the Ancient World
• Digital Humanities
• Browse content in History
• Colonialism and Imperialism
• Diplomatic History
• Environmental History
• Genealogy, Heraldry, Names, and Honours
• Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing
• Historical Geography
• History by Period
• History of Emotions
• History of Agriculture
• History of Education
• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Industrial History
• Intellectual History
• International History
• Labour History
• Legal and Constitutional History
• Local and Family History
• Maritime History
• Military History
• National Liberation and Post-Colonialism
• Oral History
• Political History
• Public History
• Regional and National History
• Revolutions and Rebellions
• Slavery and Abolition of Slavery
• Social and Cultural History
• Theory, Methods, and Historiography
• Urban History
• World History
• Browse content in Language Teaching and Learning
• Language Learning (Specific Skills)
• Language Teaching Theory and Methods
• Browse content in Linguistics
• Applied Linguistics
• Cognitive Linguistics
• Computational Linguistics
• Forensic Linguistics
• Grammar, Syntax and Morphology
• Historical and Diachronic Linguistics
• History of English
• Language Evolution
• Language Reference
• Language Acquisition
• Language Variation
• Language Families
• Lexicography
• Linguistic Anthropology
• Linguistic Theories
• Linguistic Typology
• Phonetics and Phonology
• Psycholinguistics
• Sociolinguistics
• Translation and Interpretation
• Writing Systems
• Browse content in Literature
• Bibliography
• Children's Literature Studies
• Literary Studies (Romanticism)
• Literary Studies (American)
• Literary Studies (Asian)
• Literary Studies (European)
• Literary Studies (Eco-criticism)
• Literary Studies (Modernism)
• Literary Studies - World
• Literary Studies (1500 to 1800)
• Literary Studies (19th Century)
• Literary Studies (20th Century onwards)
• Literary Studies (African American Literature)
• Literary Studies (British and Irish)
• Literary Studies (Early and Medieval)
• Literary Studies (Fiction, Novelists, and Prose Writers)
• Literary Studies (Gender Studies)
• Literary Studies (Graphic Novels)
• Literary Studies (History of the Book)
• Literary Studies (Plays and Playwrights)
• Literary Studies (Poetry and Poets)
• Literary Studies (Postcolonial Literature)
• Literary Studies (Queer Studies)
• Literary Studies (Science Fiction)
• Literary Studies (Travel Literature)
• Literary Studies (War Literature)
• Literary Studies (Women's Writing)
• Literary Theory and Cultural Studies
• Mythology and Folklore
• Shakespeare Studies and Criticism
• Browse content in Media Studies
• Browse content in Music
• Applied Music
• Dance and Music
• Ethics in Music
• Ethnomusicology
• Gender and Sexuality in Music
• Medicine and Music
• Music Cultures
• Music and Media
• Music and Religion
• Music and Culture
• Music Education and Pedagogy
• Music Theory and Analysis
• Musical Scores, Lyrics, and Libretti
• Musical Structures, Styles, and Techniques
• Musicology and Music History
• Performance Practice and Studies
• Race and Ethnicity in Music
• Sound Studies
• Browse content in Performing Arts
• Browse content in Philosophy
• Aesthetics and Philosophy of Art
• Epistemology
• Feminist Philosophy
• History of Western Philosophy
• Metaphysics
• Moral Philosophy
• Non-Western Philosophy
• Philosophy of Language
• Philosophy of Mind
• Philosophy of Perception
• Philosophy of Science
• Philosophy of Action
• Philosophy of Law
• Philosophy of Religion
• Philosophy of Mathematics and Logic
• Practical Ethics
• Social and Political Philosophy
• Browse content in Religion
• Biblical Studies
• Christianity
• East Asian Religions
• History of Religion
• Judaism and Jewish Studies
• Qumran Studies
• Religion and Education
• Religion and Health
• Religion and Politics
• Religion and Science
• Religion and Law
• Religion and Art, Literature, and Music
• Religious Studies
• Browse content in Society and Culture
• Cookery, Food, and Drink
• Cultural Studies
• Customs and Traditions
• Ethical Issues and Debates
• Hobbies, Games, Arts and Crafts
• Lifestyle, Home, and Garden
• Natural world, Country Life, and Pets
• Popular Beliefs and Controversial Knowledge
• Sports and Outdoor Recreation
• Technology and Society
• Travel and Holiday
• Visual Culture
• Browse content in Law
• Arbitration
• Browse content in Company and Commercial Law
• Commercial Law
• Company Law
• Browse content in Comparative Law
• Systems of Law
• Competition Law
• Browse content in Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Government Powers
• Judicial Review
• Local Government Law
• Military and Defence Law
• Parliamentary and Legislative Practice
• Construction Law
• Contract Law
• Browse content in Criminal Law
• Criminal Procedure
• Criminal Evidence Law
• Sentencing and Punishment
• Employment and Labour Law
• Environment and Energy Law
• Browse content in Financial Law
• Banking Law
• Insolvency Law
• History of Law
• Human Rights and Immigration
• Intellectual Property Law
• Browse content in International Law
• Private International Law and Conflict of Laws
• Public International Law
• IT and Communications Law
• Jurisprudence and Philosophy of Law
• Law and Politics
• Law and Society
• Browse content in Legal System and Practice
• Courts and Procedure
• Legal Skills and Practice
• Primary Sources of Law
• Regulation of Legal Profession
• Medical and Healthcare Law
• Browse content in Policing
• Criminal Investigation and Detection
• Police and Security Services
• Police Procedure and Law
• Police Regional Planning
• Browse content in Property Law
• Personal Property Law
• Study and Revision
• Terrorism and National Security Law
• Browse content in Trusts Law
• Wills and Probate or Succession
• Browse content in Medicine and Health
• Browse content in Allied Health Professions
• Arts Therapies
• Clinical Science
• Dietetics and Nutrition
• Occupational Therapy
• Operating Department Practice
• Physiotherapy
• Radiography
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Browse content in Anaesthetics
• General Anaesthesia
• Neuroanaesthesia
• Clinical Neuroscience
• Browse content in Clinical Medicine
• Acute Medicine
• Cardiovascular Medicine
• Clinical Genetics
• Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics
• Dermatology
• Endocrinology and Diabetes
• Gastroenterology
• Genito-urinary Medicine
• Geriatric Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Medical Toxicology
• Medical Oncology
• Pain Medicine
• Palliative Medicine
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Respiratory Medicine and Pulmonology
• Rheumatology
• Sleep Medicine
• Sports and Exercise Medicine
• Community Medical Services
• Critical Care
• Emergency Medicine
• Forensic Medicine
• Haematology
• History of Medicine
• Browse content in Medical Skills
• Clinical Skills
• Communication Skills
• Nursing Skills
• Surgical Skills
• Browse content in Medical Dentistry
• Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery
• Paediatric Dentistry
• Restorative Dentistry and Orthodontics
• Surgical Dentistry
• Medical Ethics
• Medical Statistics and Methodology
• Browse content in Neurology
• Clinical Neurophysiology
• Neuropathology
• Nursing Studies
• Browse content in Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Gynaecology
• Occupational Medicine
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology (ENT)
• Browse content in Paediatrics
• Neonatology
• Browse content in Pathology
• Chemical Pathology
• Clinical Cytogenetics and Molecular Genetics
• Histopathology
• Medical Microbiology and Virology
• Patient Education and Information
• Browse content in Pharmacology
• Psychopharmacology
• Browse content in Popular Health
• Caring for Others
• Complementary and Alternative Medicine
• Self-help and Personal Development
• Browse content in Preclinical Medicine
• Cell Biology
• Molecular Biology and Genetics
• Reproduction, Growth and Development
• Primary Care
• Professional Development in Medicine
• Browse content in Psychiatry
• Addiction Medicine
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Forensic Psychiatry
• Learning Disabilities
• Old Age Psychiatry
• Psychotherapy
• Browse content in Public Health and Epidemiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health
• Browse content in Radiology
• Clinical Radiology
• Interventional Radiology
• Nuclear Medicine
• Radiation Oncology
• Reproductive Medicine
• Browse content in Surgery
• Cardiothoracic Surgery
• Gastro-intestinal and Colorectal Surgery
• General Surgery
• Neurosurgery
• Paediatric Surgery
• Peri-operative Care
• Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery
• Surgical Oncology
• Transplant Surgery
• Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
• Vascular Surgery
• Browse content in Science and Mathematics
• Browse content in Biological Sciences
• Aquatic Biology
• Biochemistry
• Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Ecology and Conservation
• Evolutionary Biology
• Genetics and Genomics
• Microbiology
• Molecular and Cell Biology
• Natural History
• Plant Sciences and Forestry
• Research Methods in Life Sciences
• Structural Biology
• Systems Biology
• Zoology and Animal Sciences
• Browse content in Chemistry
• Analytical Chemistry
• Computational Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Environmental Chemistry
• Industrial Chemistry
• Inorganic Chemistry
• Materials Chemistry
• Medicinal Chemistry
• Mineralogy and Gems
• Organic Chemistry
• Physical Chemistry
• Polymer Chemistry
• Study and Communication Skills in Chemistry
• Theoretical Chemistry
• Browse content in Computer Science
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computer Architecture and Logic Design
• Game Studies
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Mathematical Theory of Computation
• Programming Languages
• Software Engineering
• Systems Analysis and Design
• Virtual Reality
• Browse content in Computing
• Business Applications
• Computer Security
• Computer Games
• Computer Networking and Communications
• Digital Lifestyle
• Graphical and Digital Media Applications
• Operating Systems
• Browse content in Earth Sciences and Geography
• Atmospheric Sciences
• Environmental Geography
• Geology and the Lithosphere
• Maps and Map-making
• Meteorology and Climatology
• Oceanography and Hydrology
• Palaeontology
• Physical Geography and Topography
• Regional Geography
• Soil Science
• Urban Geography
• Browse content in Engineering and Technology
• Agriculture and Farming
• Biological Engineering
• Civil Engineering, Surveying, and Building
• Electronics and Communications Engineering
• Energy Technology
• Engineering (General)
• Environmental Science, Engineering, and Technology
• History of Engineering and Technology
• Mechanical Engineering and Materials
• Technology of Industrial Chemistry
• Transport Technology and Trades
• Browse content in Environmental Science
• Applied Ecology (Environmental Science)
• Conservation of the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Environmental Sustainability
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Environmental Science)
• Management of Land and Natural Resources (Environmental Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environmental Science)
• Nuclear Issues (Environmental Science)
• Pollution and Threats to the Environment (Environmental Science)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Environmental Science)
• History of Science and Technology
• Browse content in Materials Science
• Ceramics and Glasses
• Composite Materials
• Metals, Alloying, and Corrosion
• Nanotechnology
• Browse content in Mathematics
• Applied Mathematics
• Biomathematics and Statistics
• History of Mathematics
• Mathematical Education
• Mathematical Finance
• Mathematical Analysis
• Numerical and Computational Mathematics
• Probability and Statistics
• Pure Mathematics
• Browse content in Neuroscience
• Cognition and Behavioural Neuroscience
• Development of the Nervous System
• Disorders of the Nervous System
• History of Neuroscience
• Invertebrate Neurobiology
• Molecular and Cellular Systems
• Neuroendocrinology and Autonomic Nervous System
• Neuroscientific Techniques
• Sensory and Motor Systems
• Browse content in Physics
• Astronomy and Astrophysics
• Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics
• Biological and Medical Physics
• Classical Mechanics
• Computational Physics
• Condensed Matter Physics
• Electromagnetism, Optics, and Acoustics
• History of Physics
• Mathematical and Statistical Physics
• Measurement Science
• Nuclear Physics
• Particles and Fields
• Plasma Physics
• Quantum Physics
• Relativity and Gravitation
• Semiconductor and Mesoscopic Physics
• Browse content in Psychology
• Affective Sciences
• Clinical Psychology
• Cognitive Psychology
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Criminal and Forensic Psychology
• Developmental Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Evolutionary Psychology
• Health Psychology
• History and Systems in Psychology
• Music Psychology
• Neuropsychology
• Organizational Psychology
• Psychological Assessment and Testing
• Psychology of Human-Technology Interaction
• Psychology Professional Development and Training
• Research Methods in Psychology
• Social Psychology
• Browse content in Social Sciences
• Browse content in Anthropology
• Anthropology of Religion
• Human Evolution
• Medical Anthropology
• Physical Anthropology
• Regional Anthropology
• Social and Cultural Anthropology
• Theory and Practice of Anthropology
• Browse content in Business and Management
• Business Ethics
• Business Strategy
• Business History
• Business and Technology
• Business and Government
• Business and the Environment
• Comparative Management
• Corporate Governance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Entrepreneurship
• Health Management
• Human Resource Management
• Industrial and Employment Relations
• Industry Studies
• Information and Communication Technologies
• International Business
• Knowledge Management
• Management and Management Techniques
• Operations Management
• Organizational Theory and Behaviour
• Pensions and Pension Management
• Public and Nonprofit Management
• Strategic Management
• Supply Chain Management
• Browse content in Criminology and Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice
• Criminology
• Forms of Crime
• International and Comparative Criminology
• Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice
• Development Studies
• Browse content in Economics
• Agricultural, Environmental, and Natural Resource Economics
• Asian Economics
• Behavioural Finance
• Behavioural Economics and Neuroeconomics
• Econometrics and Mathematical Economics
• Economic History
• Economic Systems
• Economic Methodology
• Economic Development and Growth
• Financial Markets
• Financial Institutions and Services
• General Economics and Teaching
• Health, Education, and Welfare
• History of Economic Thought
• International Economics
• Labour and Demographic Economics
• Law and Economics
• Macroeconomics and Monetary Economics
• Microeconomics
• Public Economics
• Urban, Rural, and Regional Economics
• Welfare Economics
• Browse content in Education
• Adult Education and Continuous Learning
• Care and Counselling of Students
• Early Childhood and Elementary Education
• Educational Equipment and Technology
• Educational Strategies and Policy
• Higher and Further Education
• Organization and Management of Education
• Philosophy and Theory of Education
• Schools Studies
• Secondary Education
• Teaching of a Specific Subject
• Teaching of Specific Groups and Special Educational Needs
• Teaching Skills and Techniques
• Browse content in Environment
• Applied Ecology (Social Science)
• Climate Change
• Conservation of the Environment (Social Science)
• Environmentalist Thought and Ideology (Social Science)
• Natural Disasters (Environment)
• Social Impact of Environmental Issues (Social Science)
• Browse content in Human Geography
• Cultural Geography
• Economic Geography
• Political Geography
• Browse content in Interdisciplinary Studies
• Communication Studies
• Museums, Libraries, and Information Sciences
• Browse content in Politics
• African Politics
• Asian Politics
• Chinese Politics
• Comparative Politics
• Conflict Politics
• Elections and Electoral Studies
• Environmental Politics
• European Union
• Foreign Policy
• Gender and Politics
• Human Rights and Politics
• Indian Politics
• International Relations
• International Organization (Politics)
• International Political Economy
• Irish Politics
• Latin American Politics
• Middle Eastern Politics
• Political Behaviour
• Political Economy
• Political Institutions
• Political Methodology
• Political Communication
• Political Philosophy
• Political Sociology
• Political Theory
• Politics and Law
• Public Policy
• Public Administration
• Quantitative Political Methodology
• Regional Political Studies
• Russian Politics
• Security Studies
• State and Local Government
• UK Politics
• US Politics
• Browse content in Regional and Area Studies
• African Studies
• Asian Studies
• East Asian Studies
• Japanese Studies
• Latin American Studies
• Middle Eastern Studies
• Native American Studies
• Scottish Studies
• Browse content in Research and Information
• Research Methods
• Browse content in Social Work
• Addictions and Substance Misuse
• Adoption and Fostering
• Care of the Elderly
• Child and Adolescent Social Work
• Couple and Family Social Work
• Developmental and Physical Disabilities Social Work
• Direct Practice and Clinical Social Work
• Emergency Services
• Human Behaviour and the Social Environment
• International and Global Issues in Social Work
• Mental and Behavioural Health
• Social Justice and Human Rights
• Social Policy and Advocacy
• Social Work and Crime and Justice
• Social Work Macro Practice
• Social Work Practice Settings
• Social Work Research and Evidence-based Practice
• Welfare and Benefit Systems
• Browse content in Sociology
• Childhood Studies
• Community Development
• Comparative and Historical Sociology
• Economic Sociology
• Gender and Sexuality
• Gerontology and Ageing
• Health, Illness, and Medicine
• Marriage and the Family
• Migration Studies
• Occupations, Professions, and Work
• Organizations
• Population and Demography
• Race and Ethnicity
• Social Theory
• Social Movements and Social Change
• Social Research and Statistics
• Social Stratification, Inequality, and Mobility
• Sociology of Religion
• Sociology of Education
• Sport and Leisure
• Urban and Rural Studies
• Browse content in Warfare and Defence
• Defence Strategy, Planning, and Research
• Land Forces and Warfare
• Military Administration
• Military Life and Institutions
• Naval Forces and Warfare
• Other Warfare and Defence Issues
• Peace Studies and Conflict Resolution
• Weapons and Equipment

• < Previous chapter
• Next chapter >

2 What Can You Expect from the Program?

• Published: September 2007
• Cite Icon Cite
• Permissions Icon Permissions

Chapter 2 covers what the patient can expect from the program, and includes an overview of the program, patient expectations, taking the patient's history, the CBT model of BN and BED, the rationale behind it, the use of the patient workbook, self-disclosure, and the structure of treatment (behavior change, identifying triggers, relapse prevention), session structure, self-monitoring, questions about starting treatment, homework, and self-assessment questions.

Signed in as

Institutional accounts.

• GoogleCrawler [DO NOT DELETE]
• Google Scholar Indexing

Personal account

• Sign in with email/username & password
• Get email alerts
• Save searches
• Purchase content
• Activate your purchase/trial code

Institutional access

• Sign in with a library card Sign in with username/password Recommend to your librarian
• Institutional account management
• Get help with access

Access to content on Oxford Academic is often provided through institutional subscriptions and purchases. If you are a member of an institution with an active account, you may be able to access content in one of the following ways:

IP based access

Typically, access is provided across an institutional network to a range of IP addresses. This authentication occurs automatically, and it is not possible to sign out of an IP authenticated account.

Sign in through your institution

Choose this option to get remote access when outside your institution. Shibboleth/Open Athens technology is used to provide single sign-on between your institution’s website and Oxford Academic.

• Click Sign in through your institution.
• Select your institution from the list provided, which will take you to your institution's website to sign in.
• When on the institution site, please use the credentials provided by your institution. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.
• Following successful sign in, you will be returned to Oxford Academic.

If your institution is not listed or you cannot sign in to your institution’s website, please contact your librarian or administrator.

Sign in with a library card

Enter your library card number to sign in. If you cannot sign in, please contact your librarian.

Society Members

Society member access to a journal is achieved in one of the following ways:

Sign in through society site

Many societies offer single sign-on between the society website and Oxford Academic. If you see ‘Sign in through society site’ in the sign in pane within a journal:

• Click Sign in through society site.
• When on the society site, please use the credentials provided by that society. Do not use an Oxford Academic personal account.

If you do not have a society account or have forgotten your username or password, please contact your society.

Sign in using a personal account

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members. See below.

A personal account can be used to get email alerts, save searches, purchase content, and activate subscriptions.

Some societies use Oxford Academic personal accounts to provide access to their members.

Viewing your signed in accounts

Click the account icon in the top right to:

• View your signed in personal account and access account management features.
• View the institutional accounts that are providing access.

Signed in but can't access content

Oxford Academic is home to a wide variety of products. The institutional subscription may not cover the content that you are trying to access. If you believe you should have access to that content, please contact your librarian.

For librarians and administrators, your personal account also provides access to institutional account management. Here you will find options to view and activate subscriptions, manage institutional settings and access options, access usage statistics, and more.

Our books are available by subscription or purchase to libraries and institutions.

• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Rights and permissions
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

• Entertainment
• Environment
• Information Science and Technology
• Social Issues

Home Essay Samples Health

Essay Samples on Eating Disorders

College students face various challenges, and one of the most critical ones is eating disorders. As a result, essays on this topic have become quite popular among students. Writing a college essay about eating disorders can be challenging, especially if you have not experienced it before. However, it is a critical topic that requires attention.

An eating disorder essay typically addresses the psychological, emotional, and physical impacts of eating disorders. It also covers factors that can cause an eating disorder, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem. Additionally, the essay provides information about the types of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

When choosing among eating disorder essay topics, it is crucial to choose the one you are interested in, as it will make the writing process more manageable. You could choose to write about how eating disorders affect mental health or explore the relationship between social media and eating disorders. Furthermore, you can also provide tips on how to prevent or overcome an eating disorder.

To write an effective essay, ensure that you research extensively to gather relevant information about the topic. Also, maintain a clear structure, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Finally, proofread and edit your work to eliminate any errors.

A college essay about eating disorders is an an opportunity to raise awareness about the harmful impacts of eating disorders and provide tips on prevention and management. Use this section to get inspiration and find essay samples on this topic.

Causes and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

'He is just a kid, give him what he wants'. This is the phase that is mostly used by the parents in order to encourage their children from eating what they want as long as it will make them happy. However, the statistic has shown...

• Child Behavior
• Childhood Obesity
• Eating Disorders

Lactose Intolerance: Main Topics About Disorder

Lactase persistence is something that we covered in class briefly, though it is something I found to be interesting. Even though most people are lactose intolerant, they still consume dairy anyways. The reason for that is because the consequences, such as bloating or diarrhea, are...

• Lactose Intolerance

Why Teenagers Are Developing Eating Disorders

Nowaday, Teenager have feeling that their body isn’t perfect.It decreases their confidence and giving them an eating disorder this is called Teenage Anorexia . Even though this eating disorder is very dangerous but people continue doing it. It can harm themselves and may cause to...

Anorexia As An Eating Disorder

Anorexia Nervosa, commonly called anorexia, is one of the most dangerous eating disorders. It is where individuals relentlessly starve themselves to pursue their ideal body image, which is to be thin. In doing so they starve their body from obtaining vital nutrients. There are a...

Anorexia: Psychiatric Illness Or Not

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious psychiatric illness that deeply affects the lives of both the victim and the victim’s close friends and family in that those afflicted with anorexia have an overwhelming desire to remain thin where they obsess over calories, the fat content of...

Stressed out with your paper?

Consider using writing assistance:

• 100% unique papers
• 3 hrs deadline option

Coping Methods To Get Through Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving can be a wonderful day filled with family togetherness and traditional foods. It can also be very stressful, due to the very same things: family togetherness and traditional foods. Several Thanksgiving dishes, such as pie or mashed potatoes, may be experienced as 'trigger' foods...

• Psychotherapy
• Thanksgiving

Eating Disorder: Types, Causes, and Treatment Options

Malaysia is a nation that has been recognized as a developing country and is one of the most competitive economists among developing countries in Asia. However, we as Malaysian are not immune to the mental illness disorder because of many common factors such as social,...

Taking Care of Eating Disorders During Holidays

Thanksgiving, while typically viewed as a holiday where people are free to stuff their faces, can be a difficult experience for others. It is impossible to know the details of another person’s relationship with food, and the way we talk about food can have a...

The Link Between Memories, Emotions and Motivation

Memory is the capability to learn, retain, and also remember information from our previous experiences. Memories are accumulated from prior experiences and recollected, which can influence a change of behavior or thought. This ability can help us with learning and adapting to new experiences. I...

• Flashbulb Memory

Bulimia Affects More Women than Men

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, or DSM, is a classification of mental disorders with associated criteria designed to facilitate more reliable diagnoses of these disorders (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). DSM started in America but is now widely used by...

The Study of Neuroscientifical Approach to Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN), usually referred to as merely anorexia is a predominant eating disorder that is more commonly in but not restricted to females in comparison to their male counterparts. Anorexia is split into two separate types within the disorder, restrictive and binge/purging. Restrictive Anorexia...

• Mental Illness

The Role of Social Environmental Issues in Anorexia and Eating Disorder

Having better knowledge about what lies at the roots of an eating disorder, the world could improve in order to make the environmental triggers as small as possible. This is already happening slowly in the fashion industry, as mentioned earlier, but things could go a...

Recovery from Eating Disorder Fueled by Compassion

Compassion is the ability to show empathy, love, and concern for other people with a desire to help reduce their suffering. It is often confused with empathy, and although the two share similar qualities, empathy refers to our ability to feel the emotions another person...

Stop Eating Fast Food: The Link Between Fast Food And Health Disorders

Almost everyone has had fast food at some point during their lives, whether it is because it’s a quick and easy option or due to just laziness. Whatever the reason, there is no doubt about the link between fast food consumption and overall health deterioration....

Overview Of Eating And Feeding Disorders

Introduction Feeding and Eating Disorder recently have become a very common phenomena and subject to study. This is related to psychological disorder and emerged from any psychological stress disorder, trauma or any other by born physical health problem that is diagnosed in this paper reviewing...

The Impact Of Social Media On The Prevalence Of Eating Disorders

While searching the internet for advertisements and music videos that I could use for this assignment, I came across an alarming number of advertisements and music videos that subconsciously promoted disordered eating or an unhealthy mindset. I then did a little bit more research into...

• Effects of Social Media
• Western Culture

Best topics on Eating Disorders

1. Causes and Treatment of Childhood Obesity

2. Lactose Intolerance: Main Topics About Disorder

3. Why Teenagers Are Developing Eating Disorders

4. Anorexia As An Eating Disorder

5. Anorexia: Psychiatric Illness Or Not

6. Coping Methods To Get Through Thanksgiving

7. Eating Disorder: Types, Causes, and Treatment Options

8. Taking Care of Eating Disorders During Holidays

9. The Link Between Memories, Emotions and Motivation

10. Bulimia Affects More Women than Men

11. The Study of Neuroscientifical Approach to Anorexia Nervosa

12. The Role of Social Environmental Issues in Anorexia and Eating Disorder

13. Recovery from Eating Disorder Fueled by Compassion

14. Stop Eating Fast Food: The Link Between Fast Food And Health Disorders

15. Overview Of Eating And Feeding Disorders

• Cerebral Palsy

Need writing help?

You can always rely on us no matter what type of paper you need

*No hidden charges

100% Unique Essays

Absolutely Confidential

Money Back Guarantee

By clicking “Send Essay”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement. We will occasionally send you account related emails

You can also get a UNIQUE essay on this or any other topic

Thank you! We’ll contact you as soon as possible.

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Newsletters
• Sweepstakes

Zoe Kazan Opens Up About Overcoming Anorexia in First-Person Essay

"It took years for me to stop counting calories," Zoe Kazan writes of her battle with anorexia in the New York Times

Zoe Kazan suffered from a serious eating disorder when she was younger, as she revealed in a powerful first-person essay for the New York Times .

The Monster star discussed the depths of her anorexia as a 19-year-old college student, subsisting on 500 calories a day.

“For a year and a half, I had been struggling with a bout of anorexia that had knocked 20 pounds off my already slim frame,” she said. “I had to be weighed multiple times a week at the medical center at Yale, where I went to school, and I saw a therapist almost as often.”

She explained, “The causes for my eating disorder ran along the usual lines: depression, an inability to express my rage, a desire to exert control, a desire to feel less, a desire to have my body express the things my voice could not. That, and I had gotten in the habit of believing it was better to take up less space.”

The essay also mentioned the role Kazan’s first love played in her road to recovery.

“Love didn’t make me better, but it made me happier,” wrote Kazan, now 33. She said she would eat food cooked by her boyfriend to make it seem like nothing was wrong.

RELATED VIDEO: Woman Creates Cookbook for Others Suffering with Eating Disorders to Help Them Become Comfortable with Food Again

While she put on a little weight from his meals, a summer break spent apart lead her to backslide.

“Now, no one was watching,” the actress said. “No one was weighing me. I was the only arbiter of my body.”

By the time she met up with her boyfriend again, her descent into unhealthy behavior had become obvious. He asked about her changing figure, and she had to admit the truth.

“Dragging the terrible thing into the light can strip it of its potency,” wrote the actress. “I didn’t get better all at once — it took years for me to stop counting calories, stop needing a system to get through a meal. Years to get my brain back.”

She added, “But I set a change in motion that night, by telling that one person: This is me. I’m not perfect. Can you still love me?”

Related Articles

We use cookies to enhance our website for you. Proceed if you agree to this policy or learn more about it.

• Essay Database >
• Essay Examples >
• Essays Topics >
• Essay on Eating

Overcoming Eating Disorder Essays Example

Type of paper: Essay

Topic: Eating , Women , Health , Bulimia , Life , Body , Food , Experience

Published: 03/02/2020

ORDER PAPER LIKE THIS

In Anne Lamott’s personal essay called “Hunger”, she describes her battles with food, weight issues, bulimia, depression, and negative sense of self. Her struggles pushed her to face her issues head on even though there were so many women trying to help her get over her condition. According to Lamott, her problems began when at 13, she realized she was heavy at 100 lbs and even reached 130 lbs at the tender age of 14. This, coupled with the discovery that her father had cancer exacerbated her desires to stay lean and thin. Although she looked healthy, happy, and always smiling on the outside, Lamott later on reveals that she felt low and anxious most of the time because of her physical appearance. She suffered from binge eating and bulimia, which are both eating disorders that allows an individual to experience the joys of eating, but pushes the person to purge everything that he or she just ate. It also comes from the belief that when one eats, food makes one fat and gain weight easily. Lamott’s personal experience is admirable considering her journey towards self appreciation and acceptance, which positively changed her view of food and its benefits to one’s health. Overcoming her eating disorder helped Lamott change her mental focus. Lamott’s discovery of bulimia made her believe that she “has discovered the secret to life” (Lamott 222) as she realized that she could indulge in eating everything she wants without having to gain a single pound. This is a common reaction of bulimics who are self-conscious and who always want to be able to conform to the requirements of society when it comes to self-image. However, as Lamott changed her concentration away from her body and instead, focused on the feelings of emotional satisfaction and happiness, she began changing her attitude about food. She realized that she was becoming healthier and can now appreciate the little gifts of life in her everyday living, including “beautiful little fish and dreamy underwater plants, and shells lying in the sand” (Lamott 222). By changing her mental focus and her thought processes, Lamott began seeing the brighter side of life. She eliminated her thoughts of darkness and gloom that only shadowed her view of life. Likewise, as she opened herself up, she realized she had so many things to share to fellow women. The best part of it all is that she realized she can be comfortable in her own skin and that “she could get along [with herself] pretty well” (Lamott 222). Lamott’s journey also teaches about improving eating habits and eating healthy. While the beginning of the process is always a constant battle between one’s newfound beliefs and old eating habits, changes in the way one sees food helps in decreasing the power of binge eating and bulimic tendencies, thus, the individual gains more control of one’s thoughts and body. By slowly paying attention to the idea of food and how the body reacts to the presence or absence of food, Lamott slowly enjoyed the experience of food. In addition, she began to understand subtle signals on how her body reacts to lack of food in the stomach. She also began accepting that she should not just throw out food or wet the food in order to make the food unpalatable (Lamott 225). Whenever she felt the urge to eat, she would feel her stomach and respond according to what her stomach dictates. But never again did she allow herself to go back to her previous reality. Finally, Lamott’s experiences teach about trust, even those who are not members of the immediate family. In her case, she may have met women who shared the same experiences as hers when it came to food and becoming a bulimic as she listened to others’ stories as well (Lamott 222). While she acted pleasant and appeared to tell others about her deepest secrets, one thing she never really shared was her 10-year battle with bulimia, until she met a specialist in eating disorders. With the help of Rita Groszmann, Lamott was able to slowly rebuild her sense of self-worth and self-love by addressing her food issues slowly rather than abruptly. In time, she has experienced a sense of freedom knowing that despite sharing her problems about bulimia and binge-eating, there is someone who neither hates nor judges her. She also developed an appreciation to food and taste. She enjoys the feeling of food coming down her throat and actually liking how it tastes and welcoming the idea of a filling food experience (Lamott 226). By learning to trust another individual with her problems, Lamott also learned to trust and appreciate herself more. She admits that she never got firm body despite overcoming bulimia. However, the more important thing is that she now has a healthier sense of self and does not have to level herself with the dictates of society when it comes to women and body size. Bulimia and binge eating are disorders that affect thousands of women. They are aware that they have this condition, but are just too afraid to share their secret to family members and friends for fear of ridicule or rejection. Because of the secrecy involved, the individual’s condition may go unnoticed and could even turn worse, leading to more health issues. Therefore, women should be taught that self-appreciation and self-love are not tied to one’s physical beauty, but rather to the joy, love, and care that one receives from people, including being able to maintain a healthy body and a sound mind.

Works Cited

Lamott, Anne. “Hunger.” N.d. Web. Obsessions and Transformations. 23 May 2014. PDF.

Cite this page

Share with friends using:

Removal Request

Finished papers: 2144

This paper is created by writer with

ID 280412263

If you want your paper to be:

Well-researched, fact-checked, and accurate

Original, fresh, based on current data

Eloquently written and immaculately formatted

275 words = 1 page double-spaced

Get your papers done by pros!

Other Pages

Course work on five biblical principles of business, course work on prevalence of diabetic retinopathy, saudi arabia critical thinking, haidilao hotpot essay samples, external analysis of dominos pizza case studies example, social media exercise essay sample, greening transport and expanding access in bogota essay example, mortality essay sample, education for a lifestyle argumentative essays example, good essay about responses, good essay on organizational sustainability and the leaders role, diane feinstein creative writing examples, essay on zappos corporate culture, example of experiment 4 sinusoidal steady state analysis through multisim and matlab report, lawn essays, labor party essays, ulysses s grant essays, pantry essays, regulator essays, waycross essays, medical treatment essays, media technology essays, business relationships essays, attard essays, take care of the essays, kidney failure essays, freaks essays, deformities essays, gawking essays, statute of frauds essays, parol essays, strategy course work, books course work, risk course work, transportation course work, behavior course work, china course work, goals course work, industry course work, patient course work.

Password recovery email has been sent to [email protected]

Use your new password to log in

You are not register!

By clicking Register, you agree to our Terms of Service and that you have read our Privacy Policy .

Now you can download documents directly to your device!

Check your email! An email with your password has already been sent to you! Now you can download documents directly to your device.

or Use the QR code to Save this Paper to Your Phone

The sample is NOT original!

Short on a deadline?

Don't waste time. Get help with 11% off using code - GETWOWED

No, thanks! I'm fine with missing my deadline

• Patient Care & Health Information
• Diseases & Conditions
• Eating disorders

Eating disorders are serious health conditions that affect both your physical and mental health. These conditions include problems in how you think about food, eating, weight and shape, and in your eating behaviors. These symptoms can affect your health, your emotions and your ability to function in important areas of life.

If not treated effectively, eating disorders can become long-term problems and, in some cases, can cause death. The most common eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder.

Most eating disorders involve focusing too much on weight, body shape and food. This can lead to dangerous eating behaviors. These behaviors can seriously affect the ability to get the nutrition your body needs. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, teeth and mouth. They can lead to other diseases. They're also linked with depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicidal thoughts and behaviors.

With proper treatment, you can return to healthier eating habits and learn healthier ways to think about food and your body. You also may be able to reverse or reduce serious problems caused by the eating disorder.

Products & Services

• A Book: Mayo Clinic Family Health Book, 5th Edition
• Newsletter: Mayo Clinic Health Letter — Digital Edition

Symptoms vary, depending on the type of eating disorder. Anorexia, bulimia and binge-eating disorder are the most common eating disorders. People with eating disorders can have all different body types and sizes.

Anorexia (an-o-REK-see-uh), also called anorexia nervosa, can be a life-threatening eating disorder. It includes an unhealthy low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a view of weight and shape that is not realistic. Anorexia often involves using extreme efforts to control weight and shape, which often seriously interfere with health and daily life.

Anorexia may include severely limiting calories or cutting out certain kinds of foods or food groups. It may involve other methods to lose weight, such as exercising too much, using laxatives or diet aids, or vomiting after eating. Efforts to reduce weight can cause severe health problems, even for those who continue eating throughout the day or whose weight isn't extremely low.

Bulimia (buh-LEE-me-uh), also called bulimia nervosa, is a serious, sometimes life-threatening eating disorder. Bulimia includes episodes of bingeing, commonly followed by episodes of purging. Sometimes bulimia also includes severely limiting eating for periods of time. This often leads to stronger urges to binge eat and then purge.

Bingeing involves eating food — sometimes an extremely large amount — in a short period of time. During bingeing, people feel like they have no control over their eating and that they can't stop. After eating, due to guilt, shame or an intense fear of weight gain, purging is done to get rid of calories. Purging can include vomiting, exercising too much, not eating for a period of time, or using other methods, such as taking laxatives. Some people change medicine doses, such as changing insulin amounts, to try to lose weight.

Bulimia also involves being preoccupied with weight and body shape, with severe and harsh self-judgment of personal appearance.

Binge-eating disorder

Binge-eating disorder involves eating food in a short amount of time. When bingeing, it feels like there's no control over eating. But binge eating is not followed by purging. During a binge, people may eat food faster or eat more food than planned. Even when not hungry, eating may continue long past feeling uncomfortably full.

After a binge, people often feel a great deal of guilt, disgust or shame. They may fear gaining weight. They may try to severely limit eating for periods of time. This leads to increased urges to binge, setting up an unhealthy cycle. Embarrassment can lead to eating alone to hide bingeing. A new round of bingeing commonly occurs at least once a week.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder includes extremely limited eating or not eating certain foods. The pattern of eating often doesn't meet minimum daily nutrition needs. This may lead to problems with growth, development and functioning in daily life. But people with this disorder don't have fears about gaining weight or body size. Instead, they may not be interested in eating or may avoid food with a certain color, texture, smell or taste. Or they may worry about what can happen when eating. For example, they may have a fear of choking or vomiting, or they may worry about getting stomach problems.

Avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder can be diagnosed in all ages, but it's more common in younger children. The disorder can result in major weight loss or failure to gain weight in childhood. A lack of proper nutrition can lead to major health problems.

When to see a doctor

An eating disorder can be difficult to manage or overcome by yourself. The earlier you get treatment, the more likely you'll make a full recovery. Sometimes people can have problem eating behaviors that are similar to some symptoms of an eating disorder, but the symptoms don't meet the guidelines for a diagnosis of an eating disorder. But these problem eating behaviors can still seriously affect health and well-being.

If you have problem eating behaviors that cause you distress or affect your life or health, or if you think you have an eating disorder, seek medical help.

Urging a loved one to seek treatment

Many people with eating disorders may not think they need treatment. One of the main features of many eating disorders is not realizing how severe the symptoms are. Also, guilt and shame often prevent people from getting help.

If you're worried about a friend or family member, urge the person to talk to a health care provider. Even if that person isn't ready to admit to having an issue with food, you can start the discussion by expressing concern and a desire to listen.

Red flags that may suggest an eating disorder include:

• Skipping meals or snacks or making excuses for not eating.
• Having a very limited diet that hasn't been prescribed by a trained medical professional.
• Too much focus on food or healthy eating, especially if it means not participating in usual events, such as sports banquets, eating birthday cake or dining out.
• Making own meals rather than eating what the family eats.
• Withdrawing from usual social activities.
• Frequent and ongoing worry or complaints about being unhealthy or overweight and talk of losing weight.
• Frequent checking in the mirror for what are thought to be flaws.
• Repeatedly eating large amounts of foods.
• Using dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss.
• Exercising much more than the average person. This includes not taking rest days or days off for injury or illness or refusing to attend social events or other life events because of wanting to exercise.
• Calluses on the knuckles from reaching fingers into the mouth to cause vomiting.
• Problems with loss of tooth enamel that may be a sign of repeated vomiting.
• Leaving during meals or right after a meal to use the toilet.
• Talk of depression, disgust, shame or guilt about eating habits.
• Eating in secret.

If you're worried that you or your child may have an eating disorder, contact a health care provider to talk about your concerns. If needed, get a referral to a mental health provider with expertise in eating disorders. Or if your insurance permits it, contact an expert directly.

The exact cause of eating disorders is not known. As with other mental health conditions, there may be different causes, such as:

• Genetics. Some people may have genes that increase their risk of developing eating disorders.
• Biology. Biological factors, such as changes in brain chemicals, may play a role in eating disorders.

Risk factors

Anyone can develop an eating disorder. Eating disorders often start in the teen and young adult years. But they can occur at any age.

Certain factors may increase the risk of developing an eating disorder, including:

• Family history. Eating disorders are more likely to occur in people who have parents or siblings who've had an eating disorder.
• Other mental health issues. Trauma, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder and other mental health issues can increase the likelihood of an eating disorder.
• Dieting and starvation. Frequent dieting is a risk factor for an eating disorder, especially with weight that is constantly going up and down when getting on and off new diets. There is strong evidence that many of the symptoms of an eating disorder are symptoms of starvation. Starvation affects the brain and can lead to mood changes, rigid thinking, anxiety and reduced appetite. This may cause severely limited eating or problem eating behaviors to continue and make it difficult to return to healthy eating habits.
• A history of weight bullying. People who have been teased or bullied for their weight are more likely to develop problems with eating and eating disorders. This includes people who have been made to feel ashamed of their weight by peers, health care professionals, coaches, teachers or family members.
• Stress. Whether it's heading off to college, moving, landing a new job, or a family or relationship issue, change can bring stress. And stress may increase the risk of an eating disorder.

Complications

Eating disorders cause a wide variety of complications, some of them life-threatening. The more severe or long lasting the eating disorder, the more likely it is that serious complications may occur. These may include:

• Serious health problems.
• Depression and anxiety.
• Suicidal thoughts or behavior.
• Problems with growth and development.
• Social and relationship problems.
• Substance use disorders.
• Work and school issues.

There's no sure way to prevent eating disorders, but you can take steps to develop healthy eating habits. If you have a child, you can help your child lower the risk of developing eating disorders.

To develop healthy eating habits and lifestyle behaviors:

• Choose a healthy diet rich in whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Limit salt, sugar, alcohol, saturated fat and trans fats. Avoid extreme dieting. If you need to lose weight, talk to your health care provider or a dietitian to create a plan that meets your needs.
• Don't use dietary supplements, laxatives or herbal products for weight loss.
• Get enough physical activity. Each week, get at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity, such as brisk walking. Choose activities that you enjoy, so you're more likely to do them.
• Seek help for mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, or issues with self-esteem and body image.

For more guidelines on food and nutrition, as well as physical activity, go to health.gov.

Talk to a health care provider if you have concerns about your eating behaviors. Getting treatment early can prevent the problem from getting worse.

Here are some ways to help your child develop healthy-eating behaviors:

• Avoid dieting around your child. Family dining habits may influence the relationships children develop with food. Eating meals together gives you an opportunity to teach your child about the pitfalls of dieting. It also allows you to see whether your child is eating enough food and enough variety.
• Talk to your child. There are many websites and other social media sites that promote dangerous ideas, such as viewing anorexia as a lifestyle choice rather than an eating disorder. Some sites encourage teens to start dieting. It's important to correct any wrong ideas like this. Talk to your child about the risks of making unhealthy eating choices.
• Encourage and reinforce a healthy body image in your child, whatever their shape or size. Talk to your child about self-image and offer reassurance that body shapes can vary. Don't criticize your own body in front of your child. Messages of acceptance and respect can help build healthy self-esteem. They also can build resilience ⸺ the ability to recover quickly from difficult events. These skills can help children get through the challenging times of the teen and young adult years.
• Ask your child's health care provider for help. At well-child visits, health care providers may be able to identify early signs of an eating disorder. They can ask children questions about their eating habits. These visits can include checks of height and weight percentiles and body mass index, which can alert you and your child's provider to any big changes.

Reach out to help

If you notice a family member or friend who seems to show signs of an eating disorder, consider talking to that person about your concern for their well-being. You may not be able to prevent an eating disorder from developing, but reaching out with compassion may encourage the person to seek treatment.

• Feeding and eating disorders. In: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-5-TR. 5th ed. American Psychiatric Association; 2022. https://dsm.psychiatryonline.org. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Hales RE, et al. Feeding and eating disorders. In: The American Psychiatric Publishing Textbook of Psychiatry. 7th ed. American Psychiatric Publishing; 2019. https://psychiatryonline.org. Accessed Nov. 10, 2022.
• Eating disorders: About more than food. National Institute of Mental Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/eating-disorders. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Eating disorders. National Alliance on Mental Illness. https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Mental-Health-Conditions/Eating-Disorders/Support. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• What are eating disorders? American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/eating-disorders/what-are-eating-disorders. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Treasure J, et al. Eating disorders. The Lancet. 2020; doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30059-3.
• Hay P. Current approach to eating disorders: A clinical update. Internal Medicine Journal. 2020; doi:10.1111/imj.14691.
• Bhattacharya A, et al. Feeding and eating disorders. Handbook of Clinical Neurology. 2020; doi:10.1016/B978-0-444-64123-6.00026-6.
• Uniacke B, et al. Eating disorders. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2022; doi:10.7326/AITC202208160.
• Fogarty S, et al. The role of complementary and alternative medicine in the treatment of eating disorders: A systematic review. Eating Behaviors. 2016; doi:10.1016/j.eatbeh.2016.03.002.
• Some imported dietary supplements and nonprescription drug products may harm you. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/some-imported-dietary-supplements-and-nonprescription-drug-products-may-harm-you. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Questions and answers about FDA's initiative against contaminated weight loss products. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/frequently-asked-questions-popular-topics/questions-and-answers-about-fdas-initiative-against-contaminated-weight-loss-products. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Mixing medications and dietary supplements can endanger your health. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/mixing-medications-and-dietary-supplements-can-endanger-your-health. Accessed Nov. 16, 2022.
• Lebow JR (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Dec. 1, 2022.
• 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov. Accessed Feb. 3, 2023.
• Long MW, et al. Cost-effectiveness of 5 public health approaches to prevent eating disorders. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2022; doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2022.07.005.
• Health.gov. https://health.gov/. Accessed Feb. 7, 2023.
• Eating disorder treatment: Know your options

Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, has been recognized as one of the top Psychiatry hospitals in the nation for 2023-2024 by U.S. News & World Report.

• Symptoms & causes
• Diagnosis & treatment
• Doctors & departments

Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission.

• Opportunities

Mayo Clinic Press

Check out these best-sellers and special offers on books and newsletters from Mayo Clinic Press .

• Mayo Clinic on Incontinence - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Incontinence
• The Essential Diabetes Book - Mayo Clinic Press The Essential Diabetes Book
• Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic on Hearing and Balance
• FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment - Mayo Clinic Press FREE Mayo Clinic Diet Assessment
• Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book - Mayo Clinic Press Mayo Clinic Health Letter - FREE book

Your gift holds great power – donate today!

Make your tax-deductible gift and be a part of the cutting-edge research and care that's changing medicine.

Essay about eating disorder?

I had a long post written out before, but I decided to delete it because the post was VERY detailed. That said, I was thinking about making my CA essay about my eating disorder and how I turned this weakness (poor self-confidence, basically) into a strength (setting my mind to achieving anything). Thoughts? Also, if you want to read my academic profile to see how it would go along with this topic idea, you can read that here: http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1894117-is-nyu-or-usc-a-dream-or-a-possibility.html#latest

You should not post your essay online, it opens you up to plagiarism risk. You have time to edit.

@intparent this is not my essay AT ALL. I was just elaborating on what my essay would be about. I would not be using any of the text I have posted here.

@intparent are you saying I should still take it down?

In general, I would not write on this. Don’t take the prompts too literally – remember that the college admissions office didn’t make up these prompts, they are from the Common App. You want topics that make them want you on campus. Anything about any kind of mental health disorder is a risk. If you feel a need to write about it, do it in a diary or talk with a therapist (and I genuinely mean that) – but don’t do it in your college essays. There is more to you than your eating disorder – show them that.

This type of question comes up every year. The consensus is the same: why write about something that would give a college a reason to be concerned about admitting you? I’ll grant you that writing about overcoming a problem seems like a strong response. I would not go there.

First off, congratulations on overcoming an eating disorder! They are nasty, nasty things that ruin lives. Never being hospitalized or officially diagnosed doesn’t make it less hard on you. Kudos, for real.

That being said, I don’t see this as a particularly compelling college essay. At least the way you describe it, you overcame your eating disorder by “setting your mind to it”-- while I’m glad you’ve recovered, this description seems to kind of blame a lot of people who continue to suffer with eating disorders. It doesn’t leave a great taste in my mouth, and I can’t imagine it would for the adcom reading either, especially if they had a close family member/friend with an ED. The background about middle school seems important when explaining how it started, but seems really out of place in a college essay-- if the thoughts of high schoolers are rarely organized into interesting thoughts/essays, thoughts of middle schoolers are probably more trivial.

Being vegan could be done if done right; I would leave out how it stemmed from an eating disorder, and avoid any harsh language against the typical diet with meat and dairy. At best, it comes off as “just another one of those preachy vegans…”, which may turn off an adcom. If you can spin it like it’s what you believe in morally and you don’t care if you get flak for it, and then show other examples of how your resistance to following the crowd has helped you in life (again, being careful to avoid “other kids partied, i studied, now i’m valedictorian and they work at mcdonald’s!” shaming language) then I think it could be a cool read.

@intparent Thank you for your honest opinion. I definitely agree with what you’re saying, but my idea was to show how I overcame the eating disorder and how it made me a stronger person mentally, physically, and academically. By overcoming it (with no treatment or therapy, FYI), I also proved to myself that I am capable of anything I set my mind to. Similarly, my “defining characteristic” would be about how I’m now vegan and how that has shaped my world view, too. If you still feel like this is too risky/too personal/doesn’t really showcase all I have, I would love some more advice. I’m really coming at this openly.

It is, bluntly, not a good topic. Pick something completely different.

@novafan1225 thank you for your genuine feedback! I figured I’d be getting some responses like the ones I have been getting, and I truthfully think it’s healthy for me to get this upfront advice. Yeah, I’m strongly leaning towards the vegan topic (and no, I am definitely not a “preachy” vegan, and people I know would tell you that, but I know a few who are haha). I also have never been one to “follow the crowd,” like growing up making YouTube videos despite people making fun of me, so I’m thinking of taking that spin (not necessarily the videos part, but the part about not following the crowd). Thanks again!

Let me +1 on the “don’t write about xxxxxx mental health problem”. Colleges might fail to admit you because they’re worried about something happening to you because you might fall into relapse. Suppose someone decided to write about overcoming depression. If that student relapses and commits suicide on campus or something (like in a dorm), it won’t look very good on the school.

Don’t pick a topic that can give the impression that you are mentally unstable, preachy, or just plain annoying.

This is very close to home for my family. Our daughter overcame an eating disorder. Her struggle concluded near the end of the tenth grade. Her overall profile as a High School student was extremely strong. The list of schools she was applying to was quite reach heavy. We had the discussion about how risky it was to write her primary essay about her experience with an eating disorder. As her parent I was troubled by the thought of an admissions person thinking less of our wonderful daughter, the thought of her entire High School experience being dismissed because of she being perceived as a risky admit. Our daughter understood the risk, I was so intent on protecting her that I encouraged her to not to write about her eating disorder. She decided to, she felt she had to no matter the consequences. I supported her decision because it was her decision to make. I was very concerned though. It worked out for her. I do believe she was extremely fortunate! Best Wishes for your continued good health, and good luck to you!

GOOD LUCK!!!

POPULAR STATES

Search sat scores, search act scores, search gpa’s, subscribe to our newsletter.

Stay informed with the latest from the CC community, delivered to you, for free.

CONNECT WITH US

© 2023 College Confidential, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

• Manage Account

Kesha Shares Essay About Overcoming an Eating Disorder

Kesha opens up about her struggle.

By Tom Breihan

Tom Breihan

• Share this article on Facebook
• Share this article on Twitter
• Share this article on Flipboard
• Share this article on Pinit
• + additional share options added
• Share this article on Reddit
• Share this article on Linkedin
• Share this article on Whatsapp
• Share this article on Email
• Print this article
• Share this article on Comment
• Share this article on Tumblr

It’s been about two and a half years since Kesha   accused  her former producer and label boss Dr. Luke of sexual and emotional abuse, and her legal battle against the man, and against the contract in which she’s trapped,  seems to be neverending . But Kesha has also been working on herself. And in a new essay for  Teen Vogue , she writes about battling an eating disorder, and about the intense body-image issues that can come from being famous and from seeing your own picture all the time. Here’s a piece of that essay:

J-Hope's 'Hope On the Street, Vol. 1' Bows at No. 2 on Top Album Sales Chart

See latest videos, charts and news

“When I think about the kind of bullying I dealt with as a child and teen, it seems almost quaint compared with what goes on today. The amount of body-shaming and baseless slut-shaming online makes me sick. I know from personal experience how comments can mess up somebody’s self-confidence and sense of self-worth. I have felt so unlovable after reading cruel words written by strangers who don’t know a thing about me.

“It became a vicious cycle: When I compared myself to others, I would read more mean comments, which only fed my anxiety and depression. Seeing paparazzi photos of myself and the accompanying catty commentary fueled my eating disorder. The sick irony was that when I was at some of the lowest points in my life, I kept hearing how much better I looked. I knew I was destroying my body with my eating disorder, but the message I was getting was that I was doing great.”

Trending on Billboard

She also mentions that she’s working on addressing these issues in the new music that she’s making: “I’m currently writing an album that explores how my vulnerabilities are a strength, not a weakness.” You can read the whole piece  here .

This article originally appeared in Stereogum . 

Get weekly rundowns straight to your inbox

Want to know what everyone in the music business is talking about?

Get in the know on.

Billboard is a part of Penske Media Corporation. © 2024 Billboard Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

optional screen reader

Charts expand charts menu.

• Billboard Hot 100™
• Billboard 200™
• Hits Of The World™
• TikTok Billboard Top 50
• Song Breaker
• Year-End Charts
• Decade-End Charts

Music Expand music menu

• R&B/Hip-Hop

Culture Expand culture menu

Media expand media menu, business expand business menu.

• Business News
• Record Labels
• View All Pro

Pro Tools Expand pro-tools menu

• Songwriters & Producers
• Artist Index
• Royalty Calculator
• Market Watch
• Industry Events Calendar

Billboard Español Expand billboard-espanol menu

• Cultura y Entretenimiento

Honda Music Expand honda-music menu

Anorexia as Eating Disorder Essay

Introduction, prevalence of anorexia nervosa disorder, possible causes of anorexia nervosa, danger signs.

Significant amount of time has been dedicated by researchers in the study of anorexia, an eating disorder. Nonetheless, extensive data that is so far available has not been fully utilized towards combating this disorder. It is against this background that the number of anorexia patients across the world has continued to raise thereby negating available treatment methods.

Initially, the condition was restricted among western population but the very western standards of beauty have spread to other parts of the world leading to rapid spread of the disorder. This review will explore aspects of anorexia nervosa by tracing its historical background, possible causes, prevalence rate as well as treatment.

Types of eating disorders

As society continues to promote thin body mentality to be the ideal of beauty, Attia and Welsh observe that there is increasing number of people who are developing anorexia as they become more aware of their weight. [1] Most people are concerned about their body weight at some point in life. However, according to the above authors, those who develop eating disorders tend to take their concerns to the extreme.

Abnormal eating habits are a threat to a person’s well being and some extremities can cause death. Research over the past few years, has shown that there has been an increase in the number of people suffering from eating disorders especially anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The above disorders are more prevalent in young women and adolescents. Among the general population, it is estimated that about five million people will show signs of at least one type of the above disorders.

Three major types of eating disorders have been identified. The first and the most common type is anorexia nervosa. Individuals who suffer from this disorder are have a distorted view of their body image. Despite some of them being extremely underweight, they will always have feelings of being overweight. These individuals will refuse to eat but will continue to exercise compulsively with some starving themselves to death.

The second type is bulimia nervosa which until recently has always been confused with anorexia nervosa. These individuals unlike the one suffering from anorexia nervosa will consume large quantity of food although they feel guilty about it. The affected person will perform the above acts because they feel ashamed and disgusted of the binging act. Once they get rid of their stomachs’ contents, tension and negative emotions dissipate. Many scholars have dedicated their time to study anorexia. However, due to limitation in scope, the rest of the chapter will explore anorexia nervosa by tracing the historical background of the condition, reviewing prevalence of the disorder in terms of gender, culture and geographical background as well as the causes and the current treatment methods.

Understanding anorexia nervosa

According to Dare, anorexia has been associated with loss of appetite and does not occur due to physical sickness but mostly triggered by perception of the mind. [2] An individual has a similar appetite with a normal healthy person but they tend to suppress it by either eating very little or avoiding eating for a prolonged period of time. It is against this reason that psychologists view this condition as life threatening if left untreated. [3]

The motivating factor that makes the patient to lose appetite at the sight of food is their obsession to lose weight. Such people are very conscious of their body image, and they always strive to achieve the ideal slim body. The above individuals will deliberately starve themselves to maintain the ideal thin body. In addition, they adopt a strict exercising schedule motivated by their intent fear to become fat.

Historical perspective of anorexia nervosa

Knowledge about the condition came into the lime light in the late 18 th century, when two separate physicians; Charles Lesegue and William Gull researched on anorexia nervosa. The two have been regarded as pioneer researchers in this particular filed. At the initial stages, several names were put forward but, anorexia nervosa came to be widely accepted eventually.

Many other researchers such as Hilde Bruch, Arthur Crisp among other have come forward, and their works have contributed into the research by coming up with treatment plans. Despite the numerous studies into the condition, there is lack of adequate technological innovation as far as treatment is concerned. Hence, it has become a concern among contemporary physician researchers.

The development of anorexia disorder can be traced back to several cultures from ancient times. During this particular time, prolonged fasting was observed but usually it was for religious reasons. The fast was common among the Greek and Egyptian cultures, but, no evidence has been found to show the fasting was as a result of the disorder.

A close resemblance of the disorder in ancient times was that which developed among people who practiced eastern religions. As Steiner documents, some Eastern religious beliefs led to self starvation as people sought spiritual fulfillment. [4] Self starvation is regarded as one of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa today.

Although a slight similarity of ancient times self starvation can be compared with modern day anorexia nervosa, the motivating factors are very different. The ancient people practiced self starvation mainly for religious reasons, but not because they feared getting fat as it evident today.

Lack of a direct link between ancient and modern day disorder has made development of deep research in this disorder to be limited in scope. [5] The disorder has always been viewed from a social perspective, and earlier researchers have ignored the medial aspect of it.

Initially, anorexia was viewed as a social condition, that affected young women and girls from the high-class circles, and it was viewed as their fashion trend. For this reason, scholars saw the disorder as a pass time activity, which did not have any medical effects. It was not until later when the disorder was given attention by the medial experts when serious medial implications started to be discovered.

The prevalence of the disorder affects people of both gender types. It can affect individuals of any age. However, women are more predisposed to the disorder as compared to men. Statistics have identified the ratio to be one out of ten men. Scholars say the incidences of the disorder are increasing day by day, and we might have new statistical out look in the future.

The numerous studies conducted show the disorder is more prevalent among the population from the industrialized nations. Despite the industrialized nations having abundant-food supply, the population especially the females shy away from eating to maintain the slim image, which is considered to be attractive.

The disorder has been found to be common in the western countries such as United Kingdom, USA, Canada and other highly industrialized nations. Studies in the US show that 0.5 to 1 % of females in the US are likely to develop the disorder. In United Kingdom, an estimated 0.7 % to 1.2% females are at high risk of developing anorexia.

However, research of the spread of the disorders in African countries is very limited; hence it may not be easy to hypothesize prevalence rate in those areas due to limited research conducted in the past.

The results of such studies are hard to generalize across African and other minority cultures. The results of the above studies showed very minimal cases of the anorexia nervosa. Indeed, Rumney expounds that the low level of prevalence rate is a clear indication that cultural factors contribute in the development of anorexia nervosa.

Previous studies have also indicated that the disorder is common among post -puberty adults. However, in recent years, isolated cases have been identified among children as young as 7 years. [6] In addition, more recent studies have noted that the disorder is gaining momentum among pre-puberty individuals.

This information has led scholars today to agree that the disorder begins in mid and late adolescence. When the disorder develops at this age, prognosis is always better as compared to those who develop it past the age of 40 years. The disorder at rare times can affect order adults as life stresses catches up with them.

Individuals who develop the disorder do so when they start perceiving in their mind that they are overweight. When such a person begins to diet, he/she does not notice when the weight falls. They will thus continue to diet and exercise intensively, and the habit turns into an obsession.

Such people will do anything to lose weight, and the reason they undertake self starvation measures is because they see weight gain as a sign that they have failed. Eventually, if left untreated the disorder can lead to fatality as the individuals continue to lose weight beyond the required healthy weight for their age and height. Anorexia disorder prognosis is good when diagnosed at early stages.

Researchers have been interested to know what causes the anorexia nervosa disorder. Further, they have been interested to know the contributing factors that lead to the development of the disorder. However, it is difficult to determine the specific causes of the disorder, and most of the causes put forward are hypothetical. Scholars believe that anorexia nervosa can be attributed to a combination of factors, ranging from environmental, cultural, biological and psychological.

Biological causes

Researchers of anorexia disorder through numerous experiments have come across evidence, that some people could be genetically predisposed than others to develop the disorder. The probability of a person whose close family member suffered from an eating disorder, to get anorexia nervosa is higher than for a person whose family has not history of eating disorder.

Statistics has shown that the probability is 10 times higher, and more than 50 % of anorexia nervosa cases can be linked to the hereditary factor. [7] Although numerous experiments have been conducted, the researchers have failed to provide a clear explanation of how biological factors are directly related to the eating disorder.

However, research has been success as researchers have discovered specific chromosomes, which are directly linked to the disorder. The specific chromosomes identified are known to increase susceptibility to the eating disorders; anorexia nervosa and others.

Another biological factor that can be linked with the increased risk to the disorder has to do with the brain abnormal biochemical make up. The abnormal biochemical make up is related with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) which regulates a person mood, stress and appetite.

The gland releases certain neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine, which are responsible for mood regulation. When the release of the above neurotransmitters is reduced, such a person is likely to develop the disorder. The above evidence shows that abnormal biochemical make up which is biological factor can be attributed to the eating disorder.

Cultural factors

Cultural beliefs and attitude factors can also be linked to the development of anorexia nervosa disorder, and other eating disorders. The rates of the disorders vary from one race or ethnic group to the other, and the dimension or extent changes with time as cultures evolve. So many studies have concentrated their researches among people within the western culture. [8] However, extensive research needs to be done all over the world to demonstrate the spread of the disorder across all cultures.

A cultural factor that has contributed to the development of the disorder originates from the western culture, where a thin body is viewed as the ideal. This idealization, which receives much attention through the numerous mass media, has been listed as a significant cultural factor that leads to the development of the disorder.

The media are powerful tool when it comes to influencing peoples’ attitudes towards a particular topic. The media are to blame for the widespread anorexia disorder as they portray slim body as the measure of attractiveness.

Although eating disorders can be traced back in history, the massive shift to the view that slim is ideal has emerged recently as promotions of slim body increases. The evidence that today men and women are not satisfied with a big body is evident from the numerous diet articles, diet medication and the like.

A further elaboration on the aspect of culture is that which explains the role of changing cultures to the change of development of anorexia nervosa, as well as the changing prevalence.

Several proposals have been put forward to classify anorexia as cultural-change syndrome rather than a cultural specific syndrome as many tend to believe. [9] This proposal cites studies done among the immigrants which show that though the disorder is rare, it is gaining momentum, as the immigrants culture change because of interaction with the host culture.

In addition, rare cases of the disorder are being reported in less developed world since the process of industrialization brings with it changes in culture. As the world become a global village, the interaction and transfer of cultural values is inevitable; hence anorexia will be a cultural-changing syndrome in the future.

The reason why anorexia disorder is being transferred from the western to other world cultures is because the western culture has always been viewed as ideal. The media have played a great role in communication the values of the western culture to other parts of the world and hence eroding traditional values especially among the young people.

Apart from the idealization of slim body among the western culture, another cultural force which has caused the widespread occurrence of the disorder is identified. [10] In the recent decades, the role of women in society has taken a great shift.

Several feminist theorists have associated the rapid development of eating disorder with the changing roles of women in society especially in western cultures. [11] Feminists theorists have hypothesized that the pressures placed on today’s woman will increase their vulnerability to eating disorders. A historical perceptive of eating disorders to support the hypothesis, is that which shows that eating disorders among women develop, when they are presented with many opportunities.

However, the available opportunity has to be combined with absolute freedom for such a woman to develop anorexia nervosa. Lack of freedom is what makes wealthy women in Muslim cultures to shy away from self starvation since they live restricted lifestyles.

Today woman is pushed to be a high achiever; at the same time, society expects her to maintain her femininity and attractiveness. The anorexia disorders among females come about as they try to balance the demand by society to be both successful and attractive.

Psychological causes

Studies to link the development of anorexia disorder and psychological factors received much attention in the 20 th century. The early theorists focused their attention on studying how person unconscious sexuality conflicts contributed to the development of the disorder.

They also wanted to find out the link between adolescent rebellion and regression to the oral stage of development to the anorexia nervosa. Similarly, earlier psychologists also associated the disorder with the advent of object relations theory. [12] The above theory focuses on how a parent relation with an infant affects the personality development of an individual.

The modern-day psychologists have developed a theory which shows anorexia disorder to be caused by emotional disturbances. The variables of emotional, logical and stimuli come into play in an attempt to classify anorexia as an emotional disorder. According to the anorexia nervosa theory, anorexia, which resides on the emotional side of the human brain, can occur whenever the emotional elements are disturbed.

The disorder is said to develop during mental growth where one of the key points is affected. The theory postulates that the adolescence stage of growth is the most likely point, when the disorder will develop. This is because during adolescence an individual is developing a sense of self, and most of the times adolescents are not able to handle any form of criticism positively. [13]

During this search of identity stage, criticism carries a lot of weight and the person will try to distance themselves from it by manipulating the external environment to avoid further criticism. This escapism behavior suppresses the internal being and the person expresses though unconsciously the preferred emotional image.

When prolonged, exposure of the internal self to suppression will eventually lead to mental segregation presented as anorexia nervosa. Dare expounds that it is a form of mental illness that originates from emotional. Hence, an individual is always concerned with peoples perception of his/her image. [14]

Family therapists have also contributed to debate on how psychological factors associated with family relations, lead to the development of anorexia nervosa disorder. [15] The said therapists have tried to demonstrate the relationship between dysfunctional family relationships and broken down family interaction bonds, with the development of anorexia nervosa.

Individuals whose mothers are intrusive, overprotective and exhibit perfectionists’ characteristics are likely to develop anorexia disorder. In addition, if ones’ father is passive, withdraw, moody or ineffective the probability for such an individual to develop anorexia nervosa is increased.

Personality traits have also been linked with the development of the anorexia nervosa disorder. The individuals have been cited to have low self esteem, extreme fear of becoming fat and feeling of helplessness in life. [16] The individuals are usually people who are high performers in whatever sector they are in life, but their tendency of perfectionism is what compels them to develop the disorder.

Such people are always concerned with peoples’ opinion about them, and always strive to portray a perfect picture. [17] The see the tendency to control their weight as advantageous in gaining peoples approval. It is very hard to know that individuals have a problem as they tend to keep their feelings to themselves, and rarely show rebellious behavior.

Individuals who are developing anorexia nervosa disorder are likely to use weight reduction drugs during the initial stages of the obsession. Other behavioral signs have been identified by researchers. The individuals will start by cutting back on the portion of food they are used to take previously. The individuals will also exhibit an obsessive interest in exercises, and will spend every opportunity exercising.

Those with the bulimia nervosa disorder will be seen going to the bathroom right after they take any meals. [18] Those who suffer from anorexia nervosa will also avoid gathering where food is likely to be served as they do not want to be forced to eat under the circumstances. The above behaviors affect the body negatively and the patients start showing signs of poor health. The most initial symptom associated with anorexia nervosa is gradual but constant weight loss.

Initially, the weight loss is not harmful to the body especially if the patient was overweight. [19] At the later stage as the patient increases weigh losing exercises, the individual will start complaining about stomach problems accompanied by constipation diarrhea. As days goes by, the patient becomes weaker and weaker as the energy reserves are dangerously utilized by the body.

Dizziness may also be a common complaint, and at times, the patient may experience fainting episodes. If left untreated, the symptoms continue to appear which might lead to death. [20]

Eating disorders are very common problem among the population. Anorexia nervosa, which is one type of eating disorders, has become so common and if not watched more health problems are likely to arrive in the future. Researchers should put more effort to innovate on preventive and treatment measures of the condition.

Attia Evelyn, Walsh B. Timothy, 2007. “ Anorexia Nervosa”. American Journal Psychiatry 164(2007): 1805-1810.

Bell, Rudolph M. Holy anorexia . Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1987. Dare Chris, Isler Ivan, Russel Gerald, Treasure Janet & Dodge Liz .“Psychological

Therapies for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa.” British Journal of Psychiatry, 178 (2001): 216-221.

DeAngelis Tori, 2002. “ A Genetic Link to Anorexia”. Monitor on Psychology 33(2002), 34-37.

Halmi, Katherine A. “ The Multimodal Treatment of Eating Disorders”. World Psychiatry 4(2005): 69-73.

Kaye Walter H., Bulik Cynthia M., Thornton Laura, Barbarich Nicole, Masters Kim and the Price Foundation Collaborative Group. “Co-morbidity of Anxiety Disorders with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa ”. American Journal of Psychiatry 161 (2004): 2215-2221.

Mehler, Philip S. “Diagnosis and Care of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa in Primary Care Settings.” Annals of Internal Medicine 134(2001):1048-1059.

Naqvi, Syed. “Review of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.” Focus 2 (2004):529-540. Palmer, B. “Come the Revolution. Revisiting the Management of Anorexia Nervosa.” Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 12 (2006):5-12.

• Papadopoulos Fotios C, Ekbom Aders, Eselius Lisa & Brandt Lena. “ Excess Mortality, Causes of Death and Prognostic Factors in Anorexia Nervosa.” British Journal of Psychiatry 194 (2009): 10-17.
• Ramsay Rosalind, Ward Anne, Treasure Janet & Russel Gerald F. M. “ Compulsary Treatment in Anorexia Nervosa. Short Term Benefits and Long Term Mortality.” British Journal of Psychiatry 175 (1999): 147-153.

Rumney, Avis. Dying to please: anorexia, treatment and recovery . Jefferson, N.C. : McFarland, 2009.

• Steiner Hans, Mazer Cliff & Litt Iris F. “Compliance and Outcome in Anorexia Nervosa”. West J Med 153 (1990): 133-139.
• Swain, Pamela I., Scaglius, Fernanda Baeza., Balfour, Louise., and Hany Bissada. Anorexia Nervosa And Bulimia Nervosa: New Research . New York: Nova Biomedical Books, 2006.

Wade Tracey D., Bulik Cynthia M., Neale Michael, and Kendler Keneth S. “Anorexia Nervosa and Major Depression: Shared Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors” . Am J Psychiatry 157 (2000):469-471.

• Attia Evelyn, Walsh B. Timothy. “ Anorexia Nervosa”. American Journal of Psychiatry 164 (2007), 1805-1810.
• Dare Chris, Isler Ivan, Russel Gerald, Treasure Janet & Dodge Liz. “PsychologicalTherapies for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa.” British Journal of Psychiatry 178 (2001): 216-221.
• DeAngelis, Tori. “ A Genetic Link to Anorexia.” Monitor on Psychology 33 (2002), 34-37.
• Wade Tracey D., Bulik Cynthia M., Neale Michael, and Kendler Keneth S. “Anorexia Nervosa and Major Depression: Shared Genetic and Environmental Risk Factors” . Am J Psychiatry 157 (2000), 469-471.
• Mehler, Philip S. “Diagnosis and Care of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa in Primary Care Settings’. Annals of Internal Medicine 134(2001):1048-1059.
• Mehler, Philip S., 2001. “Diagnosis and Care of Patients with Anorexia Nervosa in Primary Care Settings.” Annals of Internal Medicine 134(2001):1048-1059.
• Rumney, Avis. Dying to please: anorexia, treatment and recovery . Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland, 2009.
• Palmer, B. “Come the Revolution. Revisiting the Management of Anorexia Nervosa.” Advances in Psychiatric Treatment 12 (2006):5-12.
• Bell, Rudolph M. Holy anorexia . Chicago, Illinois: University of Chicago Press, 1987.
• Naqvi, Syed. “Review of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.” Focus 2 (2004):529-540.
• Halmi Katherine A. 2005. “ The Multimodal Treatment of Eating Disorders”. World Psychiatry 4, no. 2 (2005): 69-73.
• Dare Chris, Isler Ivan, Russel Gerald, Treasure Janet & Dodge Liz . “Psychological Therapies for Adults with Anorexia Nervosa.” British Journal of Psychiatry 178 (2001): 216-221.
• Attia Evelyn, Walsh B. Timothy, 2007. “ Anorexia Nervosa”. American Journal Psychiatry 164 (2007): 1805-1810.
• Kaye Walter H., Bulik Cynthia M., Thornton Laura, Barbarich Nicole, Masters Kim and the Price Foundation Collaborative Group. “Comorbidity of Anxiety Disorders with Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa ”. American Journal of Psychiatry 161 (2004): 2215-2221.
• Chicago (A-D)
• Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2023, December 22). Anorexia as Eating Disorder. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-anorexia/

"Anorexia as Eating Disorder." IvyPanda , 22 Dec. 2023, ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-anorexia/.

IvyPanda . (2023) 'Anorexia as Eating Disorder'. 22 December.

IvyPanda . 2023. "Anorexia as Eating Disorder." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-anorexia/.

1. IvyPanda . "Anorexia as Eating Disorder." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-anorexia/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Anorexia as Eating Disorder." December 22, 2023. https://ivypanda.com/essays/exploring-anorexia/.

• Psychological Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa vs. Anorexia Nervosa
• The Eating Disorder - Anorexia Nervosa
• Anorexia Nervosa in Psychological Point of View
• Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Effects and Therapies
• Psychological Factors Underlying Anorexia Nervosa
• Anorexia Nervosa: Medical Issues
• Treatments of Anorexia Nervosa
• The Portrayal of Women With Anorexia
• Controlling the Problem and the Treatment Anorexia Nervosa
• Differential Diagnosis in a Patient: Anorexia Nervosa
• Physical Health and Its Relations to Schizophrenia
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
• Everything You Need to Know About ADHD
• The Obsessive-Compulsive Psychological Disorder
• Bipolar II Disorder: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment