The Prevalence Of Eating Disorders - 1051 Words

Though eating disorders are inextricably linked to genetics, the environment also largely determines them. Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and most recently Binge eating are three central types of eating disorders cited in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Eating Disorders (DSM-5, 2015). The prevalence of eating disorders is fundamentally a result of Western cultures construction of thinness as an ideal form of beauty. Eating disorders are often discounted as a myth of white privilege. Those in developing countries suffer from malnourishment; so the notion that people willingly restrict their diet is inconceivable to them. However, developing an eating disorder is simply one way of dealing with an issue (actually avoiding) that may†¦show more content†¦With the right support and guidance, each of us encompasses the power to restore positive self-schemas. Although a small percentage of the population are cited as having had an eating disorder, majority of the population has been perplexed with their body image. Our aspiration to be perfect is exploited to sell products and reap profits in the commercial industry. For example, infomercials on cosmetic surgery encourage men and women at a high price to engage in dangerous weight loss practices to receive immediate results. These include liposuction, tummy tucks, or extreme muscle enhancements advertisements. Here, marketers seek to exploit your insecurities and provide you with solutions (at a steep price). The cost is not only financial, but a deathly one. For instance, clients with Anorexia Nervosa starve themselves until they are skin and bones and those with Bulimia Nervosa purge and vomit to compensate. If binge eating behaviours are common among adolescents, how do psychologists distinguish between a person who indulges and one with a clinical disorder? For instance, those who engage in four to seven episodes of inappropriate compensatory behaviours perk week would be diagnosed with a moderate form of binge eating disorder (3, 2015). I consider myself someone who binge eats a few times a month, but I don’t believe I fit into the mild quota either. I typically binge eat when I am feeling