Women and their eating disorders Free Essay Example, 2500 words

Eating disorders are known to affect both women and men, but are more common among women and less common among men (Keel et al. , 2007). A variety of studies, including Keel et al. (2007) have reported that the development of eating disorders is triggered by the cultural ideals socialised within society, about the ideal shape and size of the body of women, which is considerably below the weight of an average woman. The social model communicated by the media and the society triggers the feelings of dissatisfaction, which are complemented by the attention offered to weight changes among women, leading to depression. This paper will explore the eating disorders of women, contrasting incidence levels with those of men, where it can shed more light on the depth of the problem. DISCUSSION The eating disorders of women Disordered eating and eating disorders are complex problems affecting both women and men, but which are more common among women. The development of eating disorders is triggered by a variety of factors: familial, cultural, social, biological and psychological. Contrary to the thinking of many people, eating disorders are not entirely related to weight issues and food (Becker et al. , 1999). We will write a custom essay sample on Women and their eating disorders or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/pageorder now Instead, weight and food issues are the indicators of the intrinsic problem underlying the symptoms. In order to understand disordered eating and eating disorders more deeply, it is important to examine these problems and the people affected by them, as well as the many factors that contribute to the development of the problems (Becker et al. , 1999). Many women suffer from the difficulties caused by disordered eating, but only the behaviours of a few progress into full-blown disorders, including bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder (Becker et al. , 1999). Anorexia nervosa This disorder refers to self-imposed starvation, which is caused by the fear of becoming fat or gaining weight. In many cases, the victims are underweight, at below 15 percent the weight of a healthy person of their height and stature. The disorder is characterised by the distortion of the body image of the victim; she will hold the opinion that she is fat, irrespective of being underweight (Becker et al. , 1999). Among women, this eating disorder triggers amenorrhea, which is the loss of three consecutive menstrual cycles. Bulimia nervosa This disorder refers to the recurrence of purging and binge eating, for at least twice a week. During the incidence of a binge, the person will consume foods that contribute uncontrollably large calorie counts of between 1500 and 3000 in a span of less than one hour (Becker et al. , 1999).