Eating disorder in South Korea
Introduction: Eating Disorder in over 70’s
Eating disorders are primarily concerned with the actions and thoughts related to food intake, and include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Much of the information on eating disorders in Korea confirms expectations. According to a study done by the Health Insurance Review Agency, female patients of eating disorders
(ED) outnumber males 9 times. For specific details on the gender makeup, females comprised 77% to 81.1% of patients, while men accounted for 18.9% to 23%. In a social environment that emphasizes appearance and the comodification of “healthy living,” there has been a resulting increase in EDs. From 2008 to 2012, the total number of patients increased from 10,940 to 13,002 people. The average annual growth rate was 4.5%.
A surprising trend, however, can be seen when filtering cases by age. Interestingly, in 2012, 17.4% of all ED patients were aged 70 years and up. This actually makes elderly patients the second largest group out of all ED patients. This goes against the idea of who most people believe are the only people affected by EDs- i.e., young women at an impressionable age. Still, we cannot assume that EDs begin and evolve the same way for both younger and older patients The causes of EDs are related to genetics, but often times lie outside of biological factors, attributed more often to social and psychological factors such as stress and the marketing of cheap high-caloric foods. Cases of ED in the elderly present their patients with a unique set of concerns, due to their age.
An important fact to remember is that as the population ages, their citizens requires a greater share of public service.
As developed and post-industrial nations have seen the decline of the extended family, care of the elderly has moved from being a family responsibility, to a social responsibility. The nuclear family, consisting of one couple and their children, can often only afford to care
Eating disorders are primarily concerned with the actions and thoughts related to food intake, and include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Much of the information on eating disorders in Korea confirms expectations. According to a study done by the Health Insurance Review Agency, female patients of eating disorders
(ED) outnumber males 9 times. For specific details on the gender makeup, females comprised 77% to 81.1% of patients, while men accounted for 18.9% to 23%. In a social environment that emphasizes appearance and the comodification of “healthy living,” there has been a resulting increase in EDs. From 2008 to 2012, the total number of patients increased from 10,940 to 13,002 people. The average annual growth rate was 4.5%.
A surprising trend, however, can be seen when filtering cases by age. Interestingly, in 2012, 17.4% of all ED patients were aged 70 years and up. This actually makes elderly patients the second largest group out of all ED patients. This goes against the idea of who most people believe are the only people affected by EDs- i.e., young women at an impressionable age. Still, we cannot assume that EDs begin and evolve the same way for both younger and older patients The causes of EDs are related to genetics, but often times lie outside of biological factors, attributed more often to social and psychological factors such as stress and the marketing of cheap high-caloric foods. Cases of ED in the elderly present their patients with a unique set of concerns, due to their age.
An important fact to remember is that as the population ages, their citizens requires a greater share of public service.
As developed and post-industrial nations have seen the decline of the extended family, care of the elderly has moved from being a family responsibility, to a social responsibility. The nuclear family, consisting of one couple and their children, can often only afford to care
References: Marshall H. Becker, Lois A. Maiman, John P. Kirscht, Don P. Haefner and Robert H. Drachman, (1977), The Health Belief Model and Prediction of Dietary Compliance: A Field Experiment, American Sociological Association. (2005), Predicting TheChoSunIlBo. (2013, July 23). Eating Disorders Spread Among People Over 40.