Eating Disorders in Adolescents - 1468 Words

Eating is a basic survival behavior. To many people eating is a way of life, brining families together, creating relationships and bonds between people and is an expression of feelings and emotions. But there are negative aspects to food as well, such as obesity and other eating disorders. Eating disorders are very dehabilitating and misunderstood disorders that affect an unbelievable amount of the population; they not only put strain on the body, but also on the mind, and often the families of those with an eating disorder. There is a wider range of eating disorders in childhood and adolescence than is commonly realized, and these are frequently either not recognized or misdiagnosed. With children as early as age seven showing†¦show more content†¦Also a simple wish to be popular can turn an innocent healthy diet into a full fledged eating disorder, all to impress a group of young adults. The body has many areas responsible for eating behaviors and has the ability to use neurotransmitters and secrete certain hormones to regulate eating, digestion, and metabolism, one of these being serotonin. The hormone serotonin causes the binging behaviors associated with eating disorders (Marieb E, 2010). Amenorrhea is the suppression or absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles and occurs in individuals with anorexia (American Psychiatric Association, 2000), this can be affected by the loss of fat stores in the body (Marieb, E. 2010). It is a physiological dysfunction found most commonly in those with Anorexia Nervosa and can be due to abnormally low levels of estrogen, which then decreases the follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone secreted from the pituitary glands (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). In prepubertal females with an eating disorder, menarche (a female’s first period) may be delayed, due to the illness (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). This could potentially cause serious damage on a female’ s body in the future when she grows up. There is a significant risk for individuals developing an eating disorder throughout families and a tendency towardShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders in Adolescents1223 Words   |  5 PagesEating Disorders in Adolescents Eating Disorders in Adolescents Introduction Eating disorder in adolescents is a source of grave alarm. An effective definition of eating disorders, as they are evident in school surroundings, describes victim of eating disorder as being extensively anxious and conscious about food, weight, and body shape. This results in being engaged in strange eating behaviors (Gowers Bryant-Waugh, 2004). This paper seeks to investigate the effects of eating disorders on adolescentsRead More Adolescent Eating Disorders Essay1670 Words   |  7 Pages Adolescent Eating Disorders With children as early as age 7 showing dissatisfaction with their body, and as young as 9 starting dieting, eating disorders are a serious issue in our society. Taking a look at perceptions, behaviors, and medical issues associated with the disorders of anorexia and bulimia, scholars have tried to categorize and find answers to the problems which certain adolescents suffer. In this paper I focused on the two major eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  InRead MoreEssay Eating Disorders in Adolescents1302 Words   |  6 PagesEating Disorders in Adolescents The eating disorders anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are complex psychosomatic illnesses. Underlying biological diatheses related to the regulation of mood, hunger, satiety, weight control, and metabolism, combined with psychological and sociocultural vulnerabilities, place an individual at risk for developing an eating disorder (Kaplan and Garfinkel, 1993). The American Anorexia Nervosa Association defines anorexia as a ‘serious illness ofRead MoreEating Disorders Among Teens And Adolescents1566 Words   |  7 PagesEating Disorders in Teens In this generation teenagers fight the everyday struggle of wanting to be perfect. Perfection sells in modern society, with perfection being plastered everywhere, people feel the pressure of having to change their appearance. When looking at television and movies women and men see the ideal model of what the world believes they should look like. This long term process of seeing what you are expected to look like can cause emotional and physical problems such as eating disordersRead MoreThe Effects Of Eating Disorders Among Adolescents1215 Words   |  5 PagesChildhood experiences are very influential in molding the perspectives regarding body image among individuals. Emotional invalidation coming from ones parents has been shown to be positively correlated with an increased rate of eating disorders among male and female adolescents. Research conducted by Shisslak et al. (1995) showed that among a sample of university students 91% of the women reported attempting to control their weight through a variety of dieting strategies. There are many factors thatRead MoreThe Risks And The Management Of Adolescents With Eating Disorders1218 Words   |  5 Pagesmanagement of adolescents with eating disorders. The funding provided was supplied by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Dentistry. The ultimate goal of this research was to educate dental professionals on anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and how to identify the predisposing factors. To begin, Hicks and Roberts start off by start off by telling us that statistically speaking anorexia and bulimia are serious medical conditions that most commonly effect adolescents and youngRead MoreEffects Of Eating Disorders On Children And Adolescents2521 Words   |  11 PagesOverview of Issue Many children and adolescents not only express dissatisfaction with their figure, shape and weight, but also exhibit disordered eating behavior, such as binge eating (eating a large amount of food with a sense of lack of control), food restriction, laxative abuse and vomiting. For children and adolescents, eating disorders can overlap in many instances. As an example, some children alternate between periods of anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders typically develop during adolescenceRead MoreThe Effects Of Eating Disorders Among Adolescents1847 Words   |  8 Pagesthe past two decades, the percentage of adolescents who are overweight has almost tripled, from 5 to 14 % (Neumark-Sztainer, Story, Hannan, Stat, Rex, 2003). For many, this is an alarming statistic. Studies concerning eating disorders are showing more and more frequency in younger age groups and especially in those who are athletes, diabetics, and obese adolescents (Martin Golden, 2014). Many studies have shed some light on the issue of eating disorders by conducting surveys and developing newRead MoreDepression And Eating Disorders Among Adolescents1819 Words   |  8 PagesDepression and Eating Disorders in Adolescents There are a lot of resources to get food if it is needed by an adolescent such as the school lunch programs, but when they are depressed, eating is a new challenge and adolescent nutritional status is affected by their mental health and depression. Parents and peers are not always aware of what is going on to the adolescent and the depressed adolescent rate can decrease starting with them. When I was a senior in high school, I had fallen in a deep depressionRead MoreEating Disorders Are Affecting Adolescents With Increasing Frequency967 Words   |  4 PagesEating disorders are complex illnesses that are affecting adolescents with increasing frequency [1]. They rank as the third most common chronic illness in adolescent females, with an incidence of up to 5% 1, 2 and 3. Three major subgroups are recognized: a restrictive form in which food intake is severely limited (anorexia nervosa); a bulimic form in which binge-eating episodes are followed by attempts to minimize the effects of overeating via vomiting, catharsis, exercise, or fasting (bulimia nervosa);