Personality Traits and Eating Disorders in Wasted by...

In my research, I explored the world of eating disorders. I wanted to see if there was anything specifically encouraging eating disorders and if there was a way to stop it. Eating disorders affect the community greatly because often times, they go unchecked or unrecognized. As a recovered anorexic, I feel it’s very important to address this issue. It’s a very big problem that is often not addressed at all, or is seen as normal, like counting calories. I hoped to find a way to improve the way that eating disorders are viewed and explain to people about what defines an eating disorder, because many people will never know if it is not explicitly explained to them. My study’s purpose is to bring light into the dark world of eating disorders†¦show more content†¦Each has it’s own criterion for being diagnosed, but they also have quite a bit in common. First, food is the object of stress. The meaning of food is what becomes precarious to those with eati ng disorders. It is viewed differently depending on the individual’s upbringing and experiences. Some view it as the enemy, some view it as a source of comfort. You don’t have to be thin to have an eating disorder. Anorexia Nervosa is the condition when an individual abstains from food in order to lose weight or prevent more weight gain. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV(DSM-IV) there are four aspects of criteria to be diagnosed with anorexia: a refusal to maintain weight above what is minimally normal for one’s age and height, and extreme fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and (in females) having amenorrhea(missing three or more consecutive menstrual cycles.)(DSM-IV, 2000:589) Anorexia not only affects weight, but also alters bone growth, neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, and electrolytes. Bulimia Nervosa refers to when an individual over-eats excessively and then takes action to purge the body of the intake. The re are five criteria for Bulimia Nervosa in the DSM-IV, which include: recurring episodes of binge eating, recurring actions of purging, the patterns must continue at least twice a week for three months or more, a huge emphasis on body weight in self-evaluation, and the actions must occur apartShow MoreRelatedInfluences in Our Lives674 Words   |  3 Pagesdangerous, life threatening decisions. How far can the media, family, and friends push you? â€Å"Media has had an increasingly negative impact† (Mokeyane 2); media affects the lives of us all negatively at some point. People are being driven to eating disorders and others by copying the behaviors of the lifestyles being projected. Teenagers are surrounded by all types of media; radios, television, magazines, and the internet. All this media will produce images in our teenagers’ brains that they needRead MoreThe And The Modern Education System1749 Words   |  7 Pagesaddition, under increasing amount of pressure to study, students have less freedom to play, resulting in an increase in mental illnesses in children. When schools fail to understand the concept of body-mind unity, they undermine the development of personalities and the mental and physical health of their students. Scott Carlson adds to Dr. Grey’s view. He argues that physical education trains the mind and teaches values that cannot be learned in classrooms. He suggests that: â€Å"Aerobic activity mightRead MoreWhat Structural Elements Of The Mind2941 Words   |  12 Pagesmakes up our psychological characteristivs and behaviors: our genes or our experiences i. Aristotle, Locke believed it came from experience ii. Plato, Descartes believed it is innate iii. Darwin made up the theory of natural selection- most favorable traits in an environment are selected for II. There are many systems within us that show levels of analysis a. Different ways to examine a situation b. Come together as biopsychosocial approach i. Considers the affects of different factors that can be biological