Has Society the Right to Call Itself Ane in Relation with Reference to Its Role in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

Has Society the Right to Call Itself Ane in Relation with Reference to Its Role in Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa

  • Submitted By: cole29
  • Date Submitted: 05/18/2010 7:15 AM
  • Category: Social Issues
  • Words: 2354
  • Page: 10
  • Views: 1

In the United States alone as many as 10 million females and 1 million males are putting their life’s at risk because of an eating disorder such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa (National eating disorder association, 2005). In addition many individuals struggle with body satisfaction and sub-clinical disordered eating attitudes and behaviours, with 80% of American women dissatisfied with their appearance (National eating disorder association, 2005). This is a staggering percentage of a female population and demands us to delve into the increasingly conversed debate on the prevalence of anorexia and bulimia nervosa in modern society. The eating disorders of anorexia nervosa and bulimia are serious public health problems in the United States as we have noted and also in other industrialized societies. Once considered extremely rare, anorexia nervosa and bulimia in the last 40 years have been recognized as both increasing in incidence and as serious disorders. In a 2003 review of the literature, Hoek and van Hoeken as cited by the National eating disorder association statistics: Eating disorders and their precursors, (2005) there has been a rise in the incidence of anorexia in young women aged 15-19 in each decade since 1930.The incidence of bulimia in 10-39 year old women tripled between 1988 and 1993 (National eating disorder association, 2005). It is now clear that both disorders are associated with serious medical, psychological, and social consequences (Mitchell & Eckert, 1987). For females between 15 to 24 years old who suffer from anorexia nervosa, the mortality rate associated with the illness is twelve times higher than the death rate of all other causes of death (National eating disorder association, 2005). Furthermore anorexia nervosa has the highest premature fatality rate of any mental illness (National eating disorder association, 2005). Therefore we must ask the all important question, why has anorexia and bulimia nervosa seen a massive increase? How do...

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