Bulimia A Serious and Complex Disorder Essay - 692 Words

Have you ever been afraid of gaining weight and feeling unaccepted by society? If the answer is a definite yes, you must be very careful. The fear of gaining weight and the need to have a perfect body has led many down the self-destructive pathway of bulimia. This is a secretive eating disorder characterized by frequent episodes of excessive eating, followed by self-induced vomiting to rid the body of food. Bulimics also frequently use laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills to reduce their weight. Recently this disorder has been linked to physical conditions, but the real problem lies within the person’s emotional well-being. The purpose of this essay is to discuss the main causes of bulimia which are cultural influence, worthless feelings,†¦show more content†¦With these flawless images appearing so often in daily life a person forgets that this is an unrealistic view of what is acceptable and desirable. They become consumed with what is promoted as the â€Å"ideal fi gure.† This in turn, leads to poor body image and makes a person desperate to fit into this perfect mold that has been created. Out of desperation, a person develops bulimia as a way to fit into society’s â€Å"ideal† image. The second cause of bulimia is worthless feelings. A person with these feelings develops low self-esteem, feelings of inadequacy, and a high need for approval of others. Many times, these feelings are developed due to negative family influences. Dysfunctional families and negative behaviors exhibited by parents can lead to feelings of inadequacy in a person. Critical and detached, as well as, over-involved and controlling parents lead to feelings of helplessness and a loss of control. With this loss of control, a person develops a feeling of being powerless and believe that no matter what they do in life, they will never be able to measure up to what they believe is expected of them. In turn, this causes negative feelings about everything i n their life, including the way they look. Feelings such as these, cause a person to feel worthless, which in turn, leads them to bulimia as a way of coping and gaining some sense of power in their life. The third and final cause ofShow MoreRelatedEating Disorders are a Mental Illness1431 Words   |  6 Pages  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Eating disorders are mental illnesses that involve an obsession with food, extremely unhealthy eating behaviors and a distorted body image. They are complicated, serious disorders. The group that eating disorders affects the most are typically girls through the ages of sixteen and twenty years old. 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