Concetti Chiave
- Anorexia and bulimia are prevalent disorders among adolescents, often driven by societal pressures and media influence.
- Anorexia involves an extreme fear of weight gain, leading to severe food restriction and potential malnutrition.
- Bulimia is characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging to prevent weight gain, often involving self-induced vomiting or laxative use.
- Both disorders share similarities but differ in emotional and behavioral responses, with bulimics often feeling more out of control than anorexics.
- Underlying causes may include media portrayal of ideal body types and a lack of affection or support, contributing to low self-esteem and harmful eating behaviors.
Bad habits in food
The bad habits in food consuming are present in any age, but the affects are seen frequently among young people. We may ask ourselves “How Come”?
Anorexia and bulimia are always on the rise among adolescents.
Anorexia and bulimia appear to be apparently two opposing phenomena. We must analyze it summarily before jumping into conclusions.
Anorexia is refusal to eat, and as a result the lowering of the weight of your body, under a percentage of 85% of expected weight on the basis of its constitutional characteristics.
The anorexic decided to slim down, and show an irrational fear of regaining the lost weight even if their body has undergone an obvious malnutrition.
This phenomenon affects very young girls, who often suffer, as a consequence, amenorrhea, or jump menstruation for periods of at least three months. The Sometimes the anorexic surrenders to the sense of hunger and starts binge eating.
Someone anorexic, paradoxically, might become bulimic.
Bulimia explained
Bulimia is the condition of those who consume food in quantities far above the norm. Often the person that suffers from binge eating is matched to the unpleasant sensation of not being able to stop once he/she has started eating.
Paradoxically the bulimic adopts the same anorexic behaviors to compensate for binge eating and prevent subsequent weight gain: then induces vomiting, abusing laxatives and diuretics, drugs and making long fitness sessions.
However, in addition to the similarities, differences that should be noted are few. For example, the person suffering from nervous bulimia is more instinctive than the person who suffers from anorexia, he/she has less power and, unlike the anorexic, is extremely unhappy about his condition, since even the bulimic want to be skinny. A bulimic girl has in fact often identical ambitions of an anorexic girl, but can't stand the strict discipline required to dramatically reduce food intake.
Causes and media influence
Now that we've analyzed the two phenomena and shown how they can be partly interchangeable with each other, we could ask ourselves what are the causes of such unbalanced attitudes towards food.
Probably the media offer a collection of physical models, with which the adolescent, particularly, compare themselves, losing self-esteem and self-confidence when they have an obvious discrepancy between those models and his own physical appearance. On the contrary, advertising of certain snacks, so-called junk foods, causes disproportionate consumption. In fact, the bulimic binges are often fed by this kind of food.
Lack of affection
It is likely that the root there is still a lack of affection and consideration, that kids are living on their own skin; they assume to find confidence in friends and in adults, and then, unable to react in any other way, express these attitudes with self-inflicted harm.
It is right that a teenager, but not only him, to maintain his appearance and manage his power and, in fact, be autonomously controlled, without being determined by mode or by the collective suggestions, in the knowledge that our Singularity makes the society and humanity in total richer and more varied.
Domande da interrogazione
- What are the main characteristics of anorexia as described in the text?
- How does bulimia differ from anorexia, according to the text?
- What role do media and advertising play in influencing eating disorders?
- What underlying emotional issues might contribute to eating disorders?
- What is suggested as a healthier approach for teenagers regarding their appearance and self-control?
Anorexia is characterized by a refusal to eat, leading to body weight dropping below 85% of the expected weight based on constitutional characteristics. Anorexics have an irrational fear of regaining lost weight, even when malnourished, and this condition often affects young girls, causing amenorrhea.
Bulimia involves consuming excessive amounts of food and an inability to stop eating once started. Unlike anorexics, bulimics may induce vomiting or use laxatives to prevent weight gain. Bulimics are more instinctive and less disciplined than anorexics, and they are often unhappy with their condition.
The media present physical models that adolescents compare themselves to, leading to a loss of self-esteem when they don't match these ideals. Advertising of junk foods contributes to disproportionate consumption, often fueling bulimic binges.
A lack of affection and consideration may lead adolescents to express their distress through self-inflicted harm, such as eating disorders. They may seek confidence in friends and adults but struggle to react healthily, resulting in these harmful behaviors.
Teenagers should maintain their appearance and manage their power autonomously, without being influenced by trends or societal pressures. Embracing individuality enriches society and humanity, promoting a healthier self-image and self-control.
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