An Assignment On Binge Eating Disorder
Lindsay Chandler
LKC5074@psu.edu
Home Assignment #1—Health Issue: Binge Eating Disorder When one thinks of prevalent eating disorders in the United States, anorexia and bulimia likely first come to mind. A recent study, though, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that binge eating disorder is more prevalent than anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Unlike those with bulimia, people with binge eating disorder consume large quantities of food without purging. Although the negative consequences of purging (like tooth decay and esophagus wearing) are not associated with binge eating, the binge eating disorder is associated with a myriad of other negative health consequences. The consequences include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. Additionally, a significant proportion of obese people have this disorder. In this age, an increasing number of Americans are dying of chronic illnesses due to unhealthy behaviors, one of which is adopting poor diets. It is of extreme importance, therefore to study further what exactly triggers binge eating disorder and what methods of treatment can be used to help people suffering from it. Because the onset of binge eating disorder is generally during young adulthood, the causes of it should also be studied. Are young adults so stressed out that they turn to food for comfort? Is there a genetic component that puts some people at risk for developing the disorder? The potential causes are endless, but if anything more can be learned about binge eating disorder, we could potentially prevent young adults from carrying this negative pattern of eating with them for the rest of their lives. This should, logically, lower their risk of chronic (and somewhat preventable) health conditions, like heart disease. Personally, I have observed many negative eating habits among students in college. This has ranged from just general poor diets to anorexia to disorders like binge eating. I would like to
LKC5074@psu.edu
Home Assignment #1—Health Issue: Binge Eating Disorder When one thinks of prevalent eating disorders in the United States, anorexia and bulimia likely first come to mind. A recent study, though, conducted by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that binge eating disorder is more prevalent than anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Unlike those with bulimia, people with binge eating disorder consume large quantities of food without purging. Although the negative consequences of purging (like tooth decay and esophagus wearing) are not associated with binge eating, the binge eating disorder is associated with a myriad of other negative health consequences. The consequences include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, and diabetes. Additionally, a significant proportion of obese people have this disorder. In this age, an increasing number of Americans are dying of chronic illnesses due to unhealthy behaviors, one of which is adopting poor diets. It is of extreme importance, therefore to study further what exactly triggers binge eating disorder and what methods of treatment can be used to help people suffering from it. Because the onset of binge eating disorder is generally during young adulthood, the causes of it should also be studied. Are young adults so stressed out that they turn to food for comfort? Is there a genetic component that puts some people at risk for developing the disorder? The potential causes are endless, but if anything more can be learned about binge eating disorder, we could potentially prevent young adults from carrying this negative pattern of eating with them for the rest of their lives. This should, logically, lower their risk of chronic (and somewhat preventable) health conditions, like heart disease. Personally, I have observed many negative eating habits among students in college. This has ranged from just general poor diets to anorexia to disorders like binge eating. I would like to