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Running head: ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 1

The Unspoken Secret

Brittany D. Jackson

Southern University at New Orleans


ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY 2

Abstract

There is an unspoken secret amongst many family and friends, it’s eating disorders. Eating

disorders affect every race, gender, sexual orientation, country, and age group. Nobody is exempt

from this sickness whether you are suffering from it or know someone who is. An eating disorder

is a disorder of food ingestion, regurgitation, or attitude that affect health and wellbeing, such as

anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating. This paper will focus on the most common types of eating

disorders and the signs and symptoms of someone suffering from this disorder in order to

prevent it. It will also touch bases on the causes, prevalence and treatment of those disorders.
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The Unspoken Secret

Growing up we are taught by our parents the importance of our appearance. As we age

we are judged and pressured by our peers to conform to a certain image or body type. With social

media dominance the influence and pressure to be perfect increases dramatically as our number

of likes and followers becomes our daily report card. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa has

become a common disorder taking over our world one victim at a time. This is not a culturally

limited disorder which a common misconception along with the assumption that its limited to the

elite or famous. There are just as many people of various races and social classes suffering from

this disorder. Bulimia nervosa is the regular occurrence of binge eating and repeated unsuitable

actions such as purging or disproportionate exercise to prevent from gaining weight. With

bulimia there is a high level of guilt because of their lack of control when eating so they punish

themselves with more unhealthy acts such as extreme fasting, extreme use of laxatives and

diuretics. Both types of eating disorders are very dangerous and common.

There is no individual source for eating disorders, it’s a mash up of biological and

sociocultural factors. Magazines, social media, movies, and all mass media contribute to the

pressures of being thin. Moreover, social pressures towards thinness may be particularly

powerful in higher economic backgrounds, from which the majority of girls and women with

anorexia nervosa appear to come (McClelland & Crisp, 2001). Thin is perceived to be the ideal

body type and when someone cannot obtain this idealistic thinness it causes negative body

perceptions. Mass media has consistently made the association of thinness with wealth and

health which only increases body dissatisfaction and the odd of having an eating disorder.

Genetics and biology are correspondingly major contributors to this disorder. If someone has
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family member with eating disorders in the past there is a chance they can be genetically

predisposed. That factor can also make them more susceptible to that disorder. Cyber bullying

has been a major environmental factor that contributes to eating disorders. The way a family

values or expresses their values towards body weight and appearance can also contribute to

someone having an eating disorder. Any negative life event, for example losing a family member

or a job can be a cause. Now that you know the causes its best to move on to the symptoms.

The best way to treat eating disorders is to know the signs so you can help prevent them.

With bulimia the symptoms are sometimes hard to identify because people suffering with it do

their best to hide it. The physical signs are very hard to catch because their weight is usually the

same, but in some extreme cases you can see the fluctuation. Odd behavioral patterns such as

going to the bathroom after consuming any type of food is a sign. Signs of anorexia are extreme

weight loss, being underweight, social isolation, compulsive behavior and hyper activity. The

physical signs are much easier to identify with anorexia because of the extreme weigh loss.

Paying attention to the signs within yourself and those around you is imperative. Anorexia is a

very deadly disorder with one of the highest fatality rates of any mental illness.

Knowing the prevalence of eating disorders can only bring more awareness to people

which will help with prevention and lower the numbers. Bulimia is estimated to be a more

prevalent illness because it is a binge eating disorder. Worldwide, and based on the most recent

data, the lifetime prevalence of binge eating disorders is around 2 percent (Kessler et al., 2013).

There has been a decrease in the prevalence of bulimia in prior years, yet a lot of young adults

and adolescents are still suffering from distressed eating habits and distorted self-perceptions.

For example, in a sample of 4,746 middle and high school students, 41.5 percent of girls and
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24.9 percent of boys reported problems with body image (Ackard et al., 2007). The numbers

have decreased but people are still suffering. Questionnaire studies further suggest that up to 19

percent of students report some bulimic symptoms (Hock, 2002). The prevalence and bearing of

eating disorders is consistently being overlooked and underestimated in the world.

Anyone can be diagnosed with an eating disorder, and many will go undiagnosed and

suffer in silence. It is my hope that after reading this paper you have gained some awareness in

order to help yourself and others. There are so many things that can be a trigger to push someone

into negative habits and contribute to them having an eating disorder. We don’t pay attention to

our own actions on the daily basis or even our family history to know the risk. There is no cure

for eating disorders but being knowledgeable and preventing it is the next best thing. Getting

more patients to commit to completing treatment would help make great strides for research

purposes in order to get more clarity and effective treatment procedures. Promoting acceptance

of all body types and positive body visual representation can help prevent someone from

suffering from eating disorders. Even though it is over looked eating disorders are plaguing our

society and it can be stopped.

References

Hooley, J. M., Butcher, J. N., Nock, M. K., & Mineka, S. (2016). Abnormal psychology
(Seventeenth ed.). Place of publication not identified: Prentice Hall.

Carmosino, A. (2017). Bulimia Nervosa Causes. Psych Central. Retrieved on September 25,
2018, from https://psychcentral.com/disorders/eating-disorders/bulimia-nervosa-causes/
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Zodda, J. J. (2003, November). Eating Disorders: More to Them Than Meets The Mouth.
Retrieved September 29, 2018, from
http://www.personalityresearch.org/papers/zodda.html

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