Essay on Eating Disorder - Bulimia, the Destruction of Self :: Exploratory Essays Research Papers

binge-eating syndrome - The Destruction of Self              bulimia nervosa, more commonly known simply as binge-eating syndrome or binge and purge disorder, is an eating disorder that affects 1 in 4 college-aged women in America, or 1 in 10,000 Americans. The most common misconception concerning bulimia is that it is simply a physical or mental problem. Many race do not understand that bulimia is a infirmity that affects both(prenominal) the mind and the body, and in its course can destroy both aspects of the diseased individual.              Bulimia affects a variety of different people, but principally the victims exit fall tend to fall into certain categories. Those at highest vulnerability to this disease are young adult females, ages 12 to 18. The disease, however, can start as early as elementary school, or much later in life. Others (such as athletes competing in spor ts such as ballet, gymnastics, ice-skating, diving, etc.) whitethorn also be pressured into starting bulimic habits. Males who perform in athletics such as wrestling and dance are at high risk for growth the disease as well. Victims of bulimia can often be tie in to being victims of verbal, physical, and/or sexual ab accustom, though not all are. Bulimia may also contain ties to diseases such as clinical or manic depression. Bulimics often start out with anorexa (starvation and excessive exercising), or may turn to anorexia after being bulimic.              Bulimia is marked by earthshaking cycles in eating habits. Bulimics will often starve themselves (calorie/ food for thought/fatness intake restriction -- sometimes with the help of diet pills or supplements) for all-embracing periods of time prior to a massive binge, during which they consume ab natural amounts of food in a short period of time. These binges are followed by purging, which generally is constituted by self-induced vomiting. Other methods of purging the body include the use of diuretics, laxatives, and excessive exercising. Bulimics are generally within what is considered to be a normal weight range, but see themselves as being overly fat, or suffer from an intense fear of gaining weight. They often do realize that they hand over a problem, but by that point the cycle has become an obsession. Bulimics normally weigh themselves frequently, even several times daily.