Week Nine Post Two

While reading chapter fourteen the section on eating disorders really caught my eye. Between 5-20% of individuals that suffer from anorexia nervosa, whish is a disorder characterized by voluntary starvation, leads to death by organ failure and/or suicide.  If someone’s body mass is below 18, or if a person experiences a 10% loss in weight within one month span they are suspects of anorexia. The disorder is not fully diagnosed until four symptoms appear. The symptoms are refusal to maintain weight that is at least 85 percent of normal BMI, intense fear of weight gain, disturbed body perception and denial of the problem, and the absence of menstruation. Bulimia nervosa is about three times as common as anorexia. Bulimia nervosa is defined as an eating disorder characterized by binge eating and subsequent purging, usually by induced vomiting and/or use of laxatives. It is a disorder present in 1-3% of young women in the U.S. Most people suffering from bulimia are close to normal weight and unlikely to starve. There are three characteristics that diagnose bulimia. The three characteristics are bingeing and purging at least once a week for three months, uncontrollable urges to overeat, and a distorted perception of body size. It is said that eating disorders is a huge problem with adolescents. I found this topic to be interesting because I know a lot of people suffer from these disorders but tend to hide it. I feel as though it’s a topic everyone needs to be informed about because knowing the symptoms and side effects could help save someone’s life.