Eating Disorders

Meg Hunter-Kilmer, Christine Schuresko, Jeremy Chao, Kevin Draper

  • Name
  • Symptoms
  • Causes
  • Effects on Body Systems
  • Treatment
  • Accommodations
  • Bibliography
  • Additional Links

    Name

    Eating disorders are disabling conditions that reduce strength and self-confidence and often result in death. The eating disorders that we are focusing on are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. This essay, written by a woman who was suffering from anorexia, shows the desperation that victims of the disease can feel. This picture, of the same grown woman, shows her at her "ideal weight" of 85 pounds. These essays and poems show what it's like to suffer from these crippling disorders and explain that, for those who suffer from eating disorders, there is still hope.

    Symptoms

    There are many symptoms of anorexia and bulimia that you should be aware of. First is weight fluctuation. If you notice someone quickly losing a lot of weight or simply gaining and losing weight rapidly, that person may be either an anorexic or a bulimic. Remember, bulimics can still be average weight, but are far less healthy than they may seem on the outside.

    Another thing to watch for is an extremely grueling exercise schedule (for anorexics). If a person tends to over-exercise to the extremity, inducing loss of sleep or other necessary things, he or she may be in the stage of anorexia where he or she has put weight above everything else.

    There are also some mental signs. If a person tends to be depressed about many things, especially weight, he or she may have anorexia or bulimia. If the person has attempted to lose weight numerous times or thinks he or she is overweight at 100 pounds, he or she may be anorexic or bulimic. Remember, not all signs are present in any case of anorexia or bulimia. These signs may not indicate anorexia or bulimia in all individuals. Be sure to contact a doctor if you have any doubts.

    Causes

    Anorexia and bulimia are thought to have a gene responsible for the disorder, as heredity seems to have an effect. Other causes may include:

    1. Cultural emphasis on being thin (especially in younger females),
    2. Obsession with one's own weight,
    3. Frequent attempts to go on diets,
    4. Distorted personal image,
    5. Guilt after binges (bulimia only),
    6. Feeling of need for control in one's life,
    7. Another illness (e.g. strep throat).
    Infections may trigger anorexia. Diabetes can cause eating disorders, due to a preoccupation with food because of the diabetes.

    Effects on Body Systems


    Some causes of anorexia and bulimia may also be results, or may simply be worsened with the onset of the disorders. Anorexia, because of lack of food, is a very serious disease. It causes malnutrition due to not receiving the necessary vitamins and nutrients. This malnutrition causes the brain to slow down to conserve the energy it has, which makes body temperatures low, causes a cessation or abnormality of the menstrual cycle, and causes hair loss, brittle nails and a feeling of cold. Also, because of the lack of nutrients, anorexics have low serum potassium, and hence an irregular heart beat. In addition, the immune system is lowered (Biological Science page 415).

    The bulimic will have most of those symptoms, but to a lesser extent. Bulimics binge, so some nutrients are stored, but not many. However, with bulimia, there are still many things to be wary of. The act of purging can severely damage the digestive system. It lowers potassium levels (because the potassium is being forced out of the body), and it can cause kidney disease. If the purging method is induced vomiting, the bulimic can have a slightly digested esophagus and mouth from the presence of hydrochloric acid. That same acid will begin to erode the linings of the teeth. In addition, bulimia causes muscle loss, paralysis and, in some cases, death (Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia ).

    Ten of the most common effects of bulimia and anorexia are

    1. Loss of up to 50% of normal body weight (The Merick Manual p. 1152),
    2. Distorted personal image,
    3. Damage of the digestive system and tooth enamel from purging,
    4. Amenorrhea (loss of the menstrual cycle),
    5. Depression ,
    6. Guilt,
    7. Loss of interest in opposite sex,
    8. Lowered immune system,
    9. Malfunction of any organ, especially cardiac muscles (The Merick Manual p. 1152),
    10. Sudden death.

    Treatment

    Until recently, counseling was the only treatment available to anorexics and bulimics. Here is a list of what is currently available, as well as some of the research that is currently being done:

    1. Antibiotics for infection induced symptoms, especially the strep virus and the Epstein-Barr virus (Infections may Trigger or Worsen Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa, Evidence Suggests).
    2. Prozac has recently been cleared by the FDA for treatment of bulimia (http://hightech.cplaza.or.jp/1997/19970127/19970129/emain.htm).
    3. Counseling -- There are many support groups available for anorexics and bulimics. Counseling is also available from friends, family members, or professionals. If someone you know suffers from an eating disorder, visit this site for more information. This site gives a list of things to do to help someone you know who suffers from an eating disorder. If your spouse has an eating disorder, this list of dos and don'ts could help you help your spouse. These help centers offer help to all those who have eating disorders. Help can also be found on the web at the Concerned Counseling website. To talk to someone now, go to this chatroom.
    4. Gene therapy -- A recent study shows that anorexia and bulimia are probably at least partially caused by genetic factors. Research is being done to locate the specific gene (Anorexia Genes-the Search Is On).

    There are also a few alternative treatments that are currently being tested. If you've tried some conventional treatments to no avail, you might want to try one of these two.

    Accommodations

    Because eating disorders are not widely regarded as disabilities, few to no accommodations are made for anorexics and bulimics.

    Bibliography

  • "Anorexia Genes-- the Search Is On." January, 1998 http://www.thriveonline.com/health/news/RB/1998Jan20/770.html.

  • Anorexia Nervosa & Bulimia. July, 1997 http://www.healthcare-today.com/july1997/anorexia.html.

  • Berkow, Robert. The Merick Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy, 15th Edition. Woodbridge, NJ: Merck Sharp & Dohme Research
  • C., J. A. "Infections may Trigger or Worsen Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa, Evidence Suggests." September, 1997
  • http://hightech.cplaza.or.jp/1997/19970127/19970129/emain.htm.

  • National Institute of Mental Health. Eating Disorders. Washington: GPO, 1993.

  • Winternitz, Katherine, et al. Biological Science: A Molecular Approach. Lexington, Massachusetts: D.C. Heath and Company, 1996.

    Additional Links