The World is Changing - Liceo Sesto Properzio

Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimiaby Mintare NORKUTĖ (1996), SPG Silute/LithuaniaEveryone feels dissatisfied with their appearancesometimes and then tries to change it. We compareourselves with friends, brothers or sisters, and even getangry, because we are shorter, fuller or maybe not aspretty as they are. However, it’s not bad to be different.Everyone is different – our height and appearancedepends on body composition, genetic and not thequantity of food we consume. Psychologists say thatpeople have created images of how they want to look(influenced by fashion trends and friends) and they tryto get closer to these ideals. They compare themselveswith models on the covers of famous magazines, getdissapointed and start to worry about their overweight – no matter if they have it or not. People with a normalbody weight are very different and models on the covers are just one of the examples of how you can look. Ifyou are worried about your weight and wondering what is the normal weight of your age, you can talk about itwith your doctor, school counselor or a social worker.A normal development of a young person’s body requires healthy food containing all the necessary components:proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. Abstinence from substances that allegedly make youfat (e.g. avoiding food containing carbohydrates or fat) can stop your body from normal development.So, what causes eating disorders?Difficulties in school, bullying, fights withfamily and friends, a need to have a perfect body can cause stress andanxiety. Some people start to eat more just to facilitate those feelings. In fact, eating can make you feel betterfor a while, but after that the worry about your weight kicks in. In this situation it’s easier for a person toobserve how his body is changing rather than to find the problem that caused eating for calming down. That’show eating disorders develop.What are eating disorders?Many people who trie to lose some weight go on diets or exercise a lot. Some of them worry about overweight somuch, that losing weight becomes the most important thing in the world and then turn into an eating disorder.Usually people get eating disorders after longer or shorter diets. The most common eating disorders are AnorexiaNervosa and Bulimia Nervosa.Anorexia NervosaAnorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder when a person weighing much less than needed, still feels thickand wants to lose even more weight. Even a starving person still reduces the amount of food he or she eats.The signs and symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa:A person thinks that he or she is too fat so they avoid eating, though, his weight are normal or even less thannormal;The amount of food is reduced, a person always counts calories and lost kilos, avoids food that “Makes him fat”;The weight is low, a person is lean and starving, but it seems to him that he’s only gaining more weight;He likes to eat alone, prepares food in a special way, eats at the right time and tries to keep up with his made upeating rules;If a person is forced to eat he hides the meal (in his room or clothes);A person looks very active, exercises a lot;For girls – their menstrual period can disappear.A person suffering from Anorexia may be satisfied with the ability to control his bodyweight, doesn’t feelthe hunger, can be very active, agile, be a good student, participate in various societies. However, agradual decrease in body weight cause weakness, affects learning, a person starts to avoid contacts with hisfriends.Bulimia NerviosaBulimia Nervosa — an eating disorder with the constant overeating, followed by induced vomiting or use oflaxative drugs. People afflicted with Bulimia eat a lot and very fast.Bulimia is when:Overeating is followed by starvation and a period of intensive sport;A person after period of overeating sees himself fat and feels guilt and shame;A person tries to cause vomiting or uses laxative drugs to get rid of food eaten (usually because the weight doesnot change and remains as it was) .If a person doesn’t eat for a long time, then he is starving. After starving he feels very hungry. A person withBulimia eats a lot of food in a short time. It can’t be mixed with a little overeating.Some people can have both Anorexia and Bulimia symptoms. Both eating disorders are more common with girls,but boys can have them too.About diet pillsToday, we are often faced with ads that promise us fast underweighting. But it does more harm than good.Intensive diets do not help to reduce weight. After a while the weight is usually reversible and are the sameor even higher;n° 9/2013, page 120