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Obesity & it's relationship to Anoraxia, Bulimia and other eating disorders.
Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million
people in the United States, and women are especially affected. Over one-third
of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being
African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and
less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily
increased since the 1960’s.
But what is obesity? Many people think
obesity means that a person is overweight, but that’s not exactly true. An
overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone,
fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health
professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and
a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more
body fat than men, so that why there’s a difference in percentage.
It is
difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but
estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool
called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different
points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can
also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your
body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to
determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A
person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is
considered to be severely obese. It’s important to remember though that BMI
could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals.
With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure,
Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In
addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression
or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10
to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of
developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are
discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse.
A
number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and
certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. The following
information seeks to educate about obesity and the methods used to treat it. It
does not take the place of a physician.
Obesity and its Relationship to:
Anorexia, Bulimia, and Other Special Eating Disorders
Obesity itself is
not an eating disorder, but people who are obese or who fear becoming obese may
develop one. Let’s take a look at obesity and its relationship to special
eating disorders.
Binge Eating Disorder - The most common eating disorder
is binge eating disorder. Approximately 4 million Americans have this disorder.
Binge eating disorder is more than just occasionally overeating. It is
characterized by eating uncontrollably, quickly eating an unusually large amount
of food at one sitting, even when the person
is not hungry, and eating in secret because the person is
embarrassed about the amount of food he/she eats.
More women than men
have binge eating disorder, and most of the people who have it are overweight or
obese. Binge eaters eat mostly sugar and fat, and as a result, they may be
lacking certain vitamins and nutrients. Many of them are also depressed.
Treatments for this disorder include therapy and medications such as
antidepressants.
Bulimia Nervosa - Binge eating is also present in
another eating disorder, bulimia nervosa. It is estimated that 1.1 to 4.2
percent of females will have bulimia nervosa in their lifetime. Bulimics are
caught in a binge/purge cycle. They binge eat, usually in secret, then purge to
get rid of the calories just eaten. Purging may involve either self-induced
vomiting after eating or using laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. People with
bulimia may also exercise intensely for long periods of time in attempt to burn
off the extra calories taken in during binge eating, or they may go for long
periods of time without eating. Many bulimics do a combination or all of these
things.
Bulimia affects more women than men and more young women in
their teens and twenties than older women. These women are usually obsessed with
their weight and truly believe that they are overweight even though most have a
normal body weight. It can cause a number of serious health effects, including
anemia, dehydration, heart problems, ruptured esophagus, stomach ulcers, and
even death. Like binge eating disorder, bulimia is treated with therapy and
medications.
Anorexia Nervosa - on the opposite side of binge eating is
anorexia nervosa. It affects around 1 to 2 percent of the female population.
Anorexia is characterized by self-starvation and obsession with food, weight,
and appearance, weight loss of 15% or more below the normal body weight, and an
intense fear of being fat. Many of them look emaciated, but they’re convinced
they are fat.
Because anorexics literally starve themselves, their
bodies are severely depleted of nutrients. As a result, they develop muscular
atrophy, dehydration, low blood pressure, and brain and organ damage to name a
few. As many as 10 percent of anorexics die. Most anorexics deny they have a
problem until the problem gets so bad that they have to be hospitalized. Because
anorexia is so life-threatening, the first stage of treatment is getting body
weight back to normal. once this is on track, therapy and medications are
used.
Eating disorders are serious disorders and should not be taken
lightly. If you suspect you have one or think someone you love does, please
seek help. It could be a matter of life and death.
About the Author
Mahesh Bhat is Web Master of http://info-diet.com a Wellness
Community
site that provides information on
Diet Pills Visit the site to learn all about obesity & free weight
loss tips!
This article may be freely distrinuted electronically or in
print as long as the Author bio is unchanged.
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