Body Fat and Eating Disorders

Body Fat and Eating Disorders
Deywalla Street
SCI/241
August 2, 2012
Shelba Levins
Body Fat and Eating Disorders Individuals with excess body fat or obesity put themselves at risk of developing a number of serious diseases, which range from digestive problems to heart attacks. According to Heyward and Wagner (2004), obesity is not only about an increase in body fat, but also contributes to changes in body composition, namely water, mineral, and protein content. The researchers added that it is not only the body fat that triggers health problems but also the regional distribution of fat that causes chronic disease. For example, individuals with abdominal obesity or upper-body obesity have a higher risk of developing chronic diseases compared to individuals whose excess fat is deposited in lower body. The factors that influence the obesity epidemic are mostly of social and economic nature. From economic perspective, people with average or below-average income are not always able to afford buying healthy food. Moreover, the popularity and affordability of fast food contributes to obesity epidemic as well. Since early childhood years, children consume unhealthy food that tastes good and yet adds fat to body. In addition, the level of physical activity is steadily decrease as active games outdoors are replaced with passive spending of spare time, such as playing video games or surfing the internet. In addition to obesity, thousands of people are affected with diverse easting disorders, which endanger the health of individuals. For example, anorexia nervosa may cause hypotension, irregular heart rate, bloating, constipation, fatigue, cold intolerance, osteoporosis, stress fracture, and muscle wasting (Summerfield, 2011). Bulimia nervosa may contribute to such diseases as cardiac myopathy, erosion of tooth enamel, dental caries, g-1 bleeding, and menstrual irregularity (Summerfield, 2001). Finally, binge-eating disorder may cause the development of hypertension and high blood lipids, gum diseases, and type 2 diabetes mellitus (Summerfield, 2001). These health risks are too serious to be ignored. Therefore, it is of critical importance for individuals who are at risk of developing eating disorders to get immediate medical and psychological help. It would unreasonable to blame teenagers and adults for the development of eating disorders. In particular, it is a well-know fact that body image is strongly affected by social tendencies in general and the body image promoted to members of society through media. For example, Hill (2001) noted that from psychoanalytical theoretical perspective, anorexia is a refusal of an adult person to accept responsibilities of an adult life, while cognitive theory explains eating disorders from the standpoint of unrealistic ideals or perceptions of body shape. Special attention should be paid to the learning theory, according to which “social praise or respect from a society that places a high value on slim female appearance may reward weight loss or control” (Hill, 2001, p. 91). In other words, there are numerous ways to explain the motivation of individuals to eat excessively or to stop eating or to develop unhealthy eating habits. In essence, even a minor stressful event may put individuals at risks of eating disorders, including obesity. In conclusion, obesity should a serious social and medical concern. Obesity and eating disorders should be viewed from social perspective because social factors are frequently the key factors responsible for eating disorders. Obesity should be viewed as a medical concern because it poses numerous risks for health. Moreover, obesity affects not only adults but also children, implying the need for society to find a viable solution to eating disorders.

References
Heyward, V. & Wagner, D. (2004). Applied Body Composition Assessment. Champaign: Human Kinetics.
Hill, G. (2001). As Level Psychology Through Diagrams. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Summerfield, L. (2011).Nutrition, Exercise, and Behavior: An Integrated Approach to Weight Management. New York: Cengage Learning.

References: Heyward, V. & Wagner, D. (2004). Applied Body Composition Assessment. Champaign: Human Kinetics. Hill, G. (2001). As Level Psychology Through Diagrams. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Summerfield, L. (2011).Nutrition, Exercise, and Behavior: An Integrated Approach to Weight Management. New York: Cengage Learning.