Anorexia | Teen Ink

Anorexia

May 7, 2010
By Franklin3 BRONZE, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
Franklin3 BRONZE, Cannon Falls, Minnesota
2 articles 0 photos 0 comments

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Imagine waking up feeling completely in control of your life, emotions but most importantly your body. A day in the life of an anorexic person seems easy but there is so much more to it-they are struggling to eat less, exercise more and make the number on the scale fall down. This disorder needs attention and it needs a lot of attention now. Many people don’t know what it is exactly and who really needs to be watched with this disorder. When effected the outcome is well if treated, but if not, the end is near.

Anorexia is not only a eating disorder, which that is the first thing people think about when they hear anorexia, But it’s also mainly a physiological disorder. Not eating and watching their calorie intake helps someone who is having a hard time feel in control of their lives. When an anorexic watches the scale numbers drop they feel an achievement and feel rewarded which becomes an obsession.

The mind set of someone suffering this disorder can be to exercise as much as humanly possible. Also they use dieting pills, laxatives, and anything else to make them thinner and feel more of a king over their life and body. Anorexics have some food rituals and they also will be looking for calories. At the table they will be playing with their food to make it look as if they are eating so no one notices the actual pain they’re feeling inside.

According to Understand, Prevent and Resolve Life’s Challenges, an anorexic group, the effects can be different for each person with this eating disorder. When anorexics are in the mid crisis of this disorder they suffer an excessive amount of emotional pain. Anorexics are somewhat depressed and feel as if they are worthless. They also feel very isolated and alone in their world of losing pounds and over exercising. The one very noticeable pain they suffer from is physical appearance. On the surface they are skinny, but they tell themselves that they’re fat whenever they see themselves in the mirror.

Knowing about anorexia nervosa is one thing, knowing who is affected by it is another. It scares people to think about their friends having this disorder, or worse yet- their parents or kids. The most people affected by anorexia are teens or younger aged, says Medicine Net. They feel they need to be skinner because of reality shows, magazines and TV shows. Many people think this is the only reason young adults are effected by this disorder but it is not. Children that were abused as a child or had very rough childhood seem to suffer from this disease also. Sixty-two percent of young girls are diagnosed with anorexia every year and twenty eight boys are also. When children are young and suffer from this it damages their bodies’ growth and can be very detrimental in the long run. As a child, you need nutritious meals that will keep you healthy. One out of one hundred girls in the United States suffer from this disorder.

Scientists have been researching and they think anorexia could be a genetic related disorder, the Mayo Clinic of Rochester Minnesota also agrees. They have found a mutation that they believe effects the mind to feel the need to have control over their body and this makes them have this eating disorder. They say if a child had breast feeding problems as an infant, they are more likely to suffer from anorexia. Also, under eating and depressive symptoms occur before anorexia nervosa starts. If someone seems to be a perfectionist they may feel the need to control their eating and exercise to the point when they become anorexic. If a girl has a sister that suffered from this disorder they are ten to twenty times more likely to get diagnosed with anorexia. Being well informed of this serious disorder is a good way to help someone you love get cured and recover.

The outcome of anorexia is sometimes very serious. There are treatments that can help someone get over this killing disorder that is affecting everyone around the world. Individual therapy helps someone know how to cope with stress and emotions in a healthier way. “Family based therapy is also an option,” Dr. Blee of Fairview Hospital says, “This is necessary to see if the family has anything to do with the eating disorder.” Also in family therapy the patient is sometimes not present because he or she denies having an eating disorder. Another type of therapy that is very efficient is group therapy. This is for all anorexics that get together and discuss their emotions and help their feeling of being isolated vanish. It’s good because each person knows what they’re going through, making it that much easier for people to express what they’re feeling and thinking.

When treatments or therapy does not help a person suffering, they do end up killing themselves from starvation. Their whole body starts to shut down when there is no nutrition in their body. One out of ten people with this disorder die according to Rachel Kubersky, the author of Everything You Need To Know About Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia. You can help change this number to less.

Helping someone with anorexia nervosa is not the easiest thing to do. First, people helping always need to be a good role model for the loved one going through this hurtful time. Secondly making someone fix their problem by overeating around them is only making it worse. Also being the food police is another downfall in helping.

The world needs to open their eyes to the facts and people at risk for this physiological disorder and help a loved one! Stop letting kids feel isolated. Love them.

Anorexia is an eating disorder and also a physiological disorder that needs attention right now. The people at risk are lost and feel alone here on earth. Help someone today; there is no time to wait. Eight million people currently suffer from anorexia; one out of ten will end their lives because of feeling in control. A day in the life of an anorexic is a lot more complex than it seems. Its not easy watching calories and it is so hard being lonely. Do you want to have a loved one be the one out of the ten who die too young? Do you want to be that one? Stop throwing your outstanding body away, start eating healthy.



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This article has 1 comment.


omgshoes said...
on May. 24 2010 at 1:50 pm
You're a good writer, but it sounds like you wrote this on Ritalin.