Free Term Paper on Bulimia and Eating Disorders

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My disease is Bulimia. I choose this topic because I was very curious about it. This disease effects the digestive system, which effects the rest of the body systems.


Bulimia is a disease that is a serious eating disorder characterized by alternating binge eating and purging. The Bulimic first eats the food and then gets rid of it by either vomiting or the use of laxatives and diuretics. The disease can vary from some people just eating an ice cream cone and vomiting to those who eat and vomit after every meal.


The overall desire to be thin and accepted appears to be the main cause of Bulimia. The attitudes about diet and appearance expressed by parents can be a factor. Teens may temporarily become slightly overweight and parents who react negatively may cause their children to become fearful or anxious about the way they look. It has been discovered that female teens have a strong desire to please their father and when he is rigid, emotionally distant, demanding and a perfectionist, this my cause a very low self-esteem or self-worth in his teenage daughter. The daughter may discover she has control of only one thing and that is her body and by controlling her weight, no matter how drastic the measure, and being thin means that she is not a failure. Bulimics learn from their families to “look” like they don’t have any problems and in our society, being thin is “looking perfect,” inside and out.


When teens have a low self-esteem and/or self-worth they cannot handle problems with friends and peers. They may not want to, or know how to, talk to their parents or friends about problems or pressures and again, the feeling of being in control of something, like their “thin body” is enough and they will go to any length to get it.


Over time, the body is physically effected by Bulimia. Some of the physical effects are; the onset of diabetes, malnutrition, erosion of tooth enamel causing cavities, gum disease, swelling of the cheeks, digestive problems, intestinal problems, rectal bleeding, rupture of the tube that leads to the stomach called the esophagus, hernias, bleeding and infection of the throat, enlargement of lymph or salivary gland, and potassium depletions causing heart, liver or kidney dysfunction.


The Bulimic is often hard to detect because they are experts at hiding their problems and pressures. The most common symptoms of bulimia are: over-exercising, hoarding food, constant irritability or depression, numerous trips to the bathroom, over-eating when depressed, anxious, or lonely, eating all they want but never seeming to gain weight, shoplifting of laxatives at first and then other items, stealing food from friends or stores, and lying about food and where and when they are eating.


The best treatment and prevention is by talking to your friends or family about your problems. Once someone has been diagnosed with bulimia, they need family counseling, individual counseling, and/or support groups. Hospitalization may be necessary to monitor the seriousness of the disease and the physical condition of the body.
I learned that people need to talk about their problems to their family or friends, not to keep problems and ideas to themselves. If things are bothering you or if you are feeling too much pressure about your grades, your friends, your boyfriends, your family, etc., talk to someone you can trust about it. I also learned how lucky I am that I can talk to my family and my good friends about my ideas, problems, and feelings.

 


Understanding Bulimia - Term Paper Reference Material
By Thomas Morva

When a girl enters puberty, her body changes. It begins to look like a woman’s body, rather than a girl’s. Fat begins to appear. Breasts develop and hips widen as the girl grows. For some young woman, these changes are greeted with excitement. For other young women, these changes may cause sadness and spark self-doubt. A young woman feeling uncomfortable in her body may wish for a girl’s body without curves. She may project her fear onto food. Now, when she eats, she eats too much food. She binges. This may fill her with guilt and shame and vomit up the food. She purges. This is the story of a young woman has bulimia.

Bulimia is not exclusively caused by the changes of puberty, nor is it exclusive to women. Although 90 percent of bulimia cases occur in women, and most of these women begin to eat and vomit in their mid- to late-teens, bulimia nervosa can stem from diverse causes. Some people with bulimia are perfectionists. Some feel their weight reflects their self-worth. Being too heavy is a sign of failure. Some may be depressed, or unable to cope with the world. Vomiting may represent the person’s desire to purge his or her being of the qualities they most despise. A person with bulimia may be unhappy inside and feel lost, and comforted by controlling his or her food intake and weight. But there is no single known cause of bulimia.

The disorder is not limited to teens. Roughly 10 percent of college women are bulimic, four percent of the population is estimated to have bulimia. Most people with bulimia start with a normal weight, but as they attempt to lose weight, they lose adequate nutrition. When people with bulimia binge, they tend to eat comfort foods like potato chips, ice cream, or cookies—foods with little nutritional value. The purging removes any food in the body, nutritionally sound or not. Some people suffering from bulimia abuse diuretics or laxatives instead of (or in addition to) vomiting.

Repeated vomiting often erodes the enamel of a person with bulimia’s teeth and causes cavities. Stomach ulcers, constipation, bloating, and heartburn are other symptoms of bulimia. People with bulimia often go to the bathroom after meals, are preoccupied with weight, and are sensitive to temperature changes. Women with bulimia may have irregular periods from the nutritionally sparse diet.

Bulimia nervosa became an officially diagnosed eating disorder in the 1980s. Ten percent of people with bulimia will die from its complications. Though people with bulimia may deny their eating disorder, they should see a doctor immediately, with support from those who love them. Bulimia is completely treatable.

 

Bulimia Info provides detailed information about the causes, symptoms, and effects of bulimia; bulimia treatment and recovery; the relationship between anorexia and bulimia; and information about the “pro bulimia” viewpoint. Bulimia Info is affiliated with Original Content.

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