Cause and Effect Essay on Eating Disorders

The distinctions between eating disorders can be complex. While anorexia and bulimia may have some issues in common, other factors make them distinct. For parents, trying to understand the differences can be crucial. Early detection and proper treatment significantly improve the chances for a child to recover. Bulimia and anorexia are both very dangerous, and can be life threatening. Both are very common among teens and young adults. Eating disorders are becoming more familiar for this generation to feel accepted and in this society. Anorexia Nervosa is a prolonged disorder of eating due to loss of appetite. This disorder affects many women and a few men, some of whom go undiagnosed for years. Early diagnosis and treatment can improve the odds of recovery by a large percentage. Sometimes knowing the facts about anorexia will help family, friends and providers to recognize the signs and symptoms. Anorexia nervosa appears more in the Caucasian and Hispanic female as opposed to the African American or Asian female. It is more prevalent in the age group of the 15 year-old to 23 year- old female, although throughout the last couple of years, a younger age group is appearing at an alarming rate. It is estimated that 1 percent of females in their teens and early twenties develop this eating disorder. Studies have shown that 10% to 15% will die of complications arising from anorexia nervosa. A sufferer will sometimes have a soft downy hair growth on their arms and other body parts, which develops from lack of essential vitamins and minerals lacking in their diet. An anorexic patient will weigh 15% or more under the norm for their height and weight. Women with anorexia nervosa will have lack of or an abnormal menstrual flow. After a very small meal an anorexic will feel bloated due to extreme shrinkage of their stomach. Studies have shown that 50% of all anorexics will suffer from bone thinning or otherwise known as osteoporosis. It is estimated that