Anorexia & Bulimia

1. Anorexia & Bulimia Antonella Magnelli

2. Distinguishing The Differences • Bulimia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by a cycle of bingeing and compensatory behaviors such as self-induced vomiting designed to undo or compensate for the effects of binge eating. • Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.

3. Distinguishing The DifferencesAnorexia • Anorexia “results in weight loss below 85 percent of normal.” • Refusal to eat even if hungry or craving food • Causes “serious, often irrevrsible, physical damage, including reduction in bone density that enhances the risk of fractures.” • “It is estimated that as many as 6 percent of those suffering sever anorexia eventually die of starvation, biochemical imbalances, or suicide, their risk of death is twelve times higher than for other young women” • How anorexia evolves within oneself is still unknown but an involvement of either “genetic predispositions, biochemical imbalances, social influences, and/or psychological characteristics” most likely have something to do with it.

4. Distinguishing The DifferencesBulimia • “desire to be slender” • Consequences include: “dehydration, nutritional problems, and intestinal damage…dental problems from the acids associated with vomiting” and damage to the throat from inserting objects frequently down the throat to vomit. • Bulimia “appears to be caused by perfectionism, low self-esteem, over concern with thinness and attractiveness, and depression.” • Not life threatening like Anorexia is, but still causes many problems in the future which are listed above

5. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • What emotions do you feel before, during, or after the fact? • “Before: extreme guilt, feeling in adequate about everything. During: that I was compensating for what I did, and it would be okay after. After: why did I do that? But now I won’t have to worry about eating too much because I can take care of it.”

6. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • What is it psychologically that makes you desire the “process”? • “’Once past your lips forever on your hips.’ So when I do eat too much that’s the only way I feel I can remove it quickly before turning into fat, if no exercise followed. Eating a little or just healthy food, the guilt still triggered.”

7. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • What do you wish are the outcomes? What do you want the outcomes to be? What do you think, in your mind, the outcomes will be when persuading yourself to do the act? • “I wish it wasn’t harmful; it could be useful to make you feel better, not as full. Solution to not worry about the intake so I could taste and not keep it in me. Loosing weight was number one reason.”

8. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • Are you never satisfied? What is the inner voice saying that makes you continue? • “Yes, I never felt like I was getting anywhere…continued every time I ate. Satisfied once I got rid of it, never thought I looked better, gained nothing, looked the same.”

9. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • Is it ever satisfying? Are you ever happy? How long does the “happiness” last after it is done? 5 seconds or 5 days? • “Fine until I eat again because guilt strikes again. Continuous process. No reaching an end point.”

10. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • Is it worth it? While being in that mental state, why do you see it as being worth the risk of your life? • “Not worth risking your life, but when in mental state, didn’t seem as extremely bad as doing other harmful things. Way to handle in fast, easy, not guilt-full sort of way.”

11. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • Does body image have anything to do with it? If so, how much? • “EVERYTHING!!! You see everybody everywhere that looks ‘perfect’ and don’t have to ‘do anything’ no problems with body image…difference is metabolism but it’s NOT fair!”

12. Questions and Answers(from anorexic/bulimic point of view) • Does the media play a role? If so, how much? • “Yes, a HUGE role with everybody wanting to look like a star with great bodies. It’s that striving towards perfection.”

13. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Arms not defined, hips to big, chest too big and not perky, cheeks too fat, forehead too big.”

14. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Broad shoulders, fat hips, chubby jaw line, and a big fore head.”

15. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Pudgy stomach, legs are plump, and hips are wide.”

16. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Thighs are chubby and not tight, arms jiggle, and fore head is too big.”

17. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Stomach is pudgy and not defined, thighs are too big, arms are fat, and the hips are fat and ‘jiggle’.”

18. Image Distortions • Do you see anything “wrong” with this image? • “Besides the ‘second chin’ her legs are very toned, her arms are defined and her belly is flat and tight.”

19. Image Distortions • The “perfect image” we all strive to reach is different for each and every one of us. Our strive is also diverse. As we have seen, some individuals will do anything to reach their “perfect image” and others will be satisfied without going to the extreme. • The strive towards perfection is around us all and you can never be certain which individual has their heart set on being perfect or which individual is content at where they are presently.

20. Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women (American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Between 0.5-1% of American women suffer from anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women (Hsu, 1996). Between 5-20% of individuals struggling with anorexia nervosa will die. The probabilities of death increases within that range depending on the length of the condition (Zerbe, 1995). Anorexia nervosa has one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition. Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early to mid-adolescence. Statistics; Anorexia

21. Bulimia nervosa affects 1-2% of adolescent and young adult women. Approximately 80% of bulimia nervosa patients are female (Gidwani, 1997). People struggling with bulimia nervosa will often appear to be of average body weight. Many people struggling with bulimia nervosa recognize that their behaviors are unusual and perhaps dangerous to their health. Bulimia nervosa is frequently associated with symptoms of depression and changes in social adjustment Statistics; Bulimia

22. Not only science, but how far do WE go to reach perfection?

23. References • Spring 2006 by Alberta Ferretti. Advertisement. Style Online Spring 2006. 29 October 2005 http://style. COM • Spring 2006 by Alexander McQeen. Advertisement. Style Online Spring 2006. 29 October 2005 http://style. COM • Spring 2006 by Kenzo. Advertisement. Style Online Spring 2006. 29 October 2005 http://style. COM • Spring 2006 by Ralph Lauren. Advertisement. Style Online Spring 2006. 29 October 2005 http://style. COM • The National Eating Disorders Associations. 2002. 29 October 2005 http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org. • Womens Apparel and Cardio by Nike. Advirtisement. 2005. 29 October 2005 http://niketown.nike.com • Bernstein, Douglas A., and Peggy W. Nash. 3rd ed. Boston, New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2005. 190.