Eating Disorders are a Mental Illness - 1431 Words

Eating disorders are mental illnesses that involve an obsession with food, extremely unhealthy eating behaviors and a distorted body image. They are complicated, serious disorders. The group that eating disorders affects the most are typically girls through the ages of sixteen and twenty years old. Although teenage eating disorders are typically believed to be caused by depression or genetic factors, social media has worsened the problem by the huge increase in peer pressure girls endure due to the widespread use of sites such as Twitter and Instagram. Eating disorders are real, complex and devastating conditions that can have serious consequences for health, productivity and relationships. The two most common†¦show more content†¦When social media and the internet became a big thing, all different online weight groups began to develop. Some of these groups became known as Pro-Ana, Pro-Mia and Pro-ED, which are short for Pro-Anorexia, Pro-Bulimia and Pro-Eating Disorders (W anchisn 1). These terms are used to describe online websites where eating disorder behaviors and attitudes are encouraged greatly. On these sites, users are encouraged to lose weight to be part of that exclusive online community. Some initially appear friendly and happy. However, they can pose a serious threat to some individuals, not simply because they promote eating disorder behaviors, but because they build a community that is unhealthy and unstable. They persuade young girls that the Pro-Ana community is providing caring and nurturing advice, however it is really creating an unhealthy environment (Wanchisn 3). Now Pro-Ana content appears in more places and in more formats, such as blogs and social networking websites. It’s also increasingly more difficult to detect Pro-Ana sites. Many are disguised as positive websites where people motivate each other lose weight together and the anorexic theme is hidden behind nice comments. They come together behind the theme of â€Å"thinspiration,† giving out their own tips and tricks to lose excessive weight. In June 2010, researchers from Johns Hopkins studied the content of 180 sites they discoveredShow MoreRelatedMental Illness, Schizophrenia, And Eating Disorders1380 Words   |  6 PagesLike physical illnesses, mental illness is on a scale of severity. Although more than roughly 60 million Americans have some form of a mental illness a small amount actually seek or are given treatment. The statistic most often quoted is that one in four adults and one in five children will have a mental health disorder at some point in their lives. (What is Mental Illness? n.d.). The overall stigma that comes along with a mental disorder is still one of the biggest barriers that prevents thoseRead MoreParental Mental Illness And Eating Disorders Essay946 Words   |  4 PagesParental Mental Illness and Eating Disorder in Offspring, Bould and other researchers (2015) presented a study which investigated the causal relationship between parental mental illness of specific types and eating disorders in their offspring (p. 383). In addition to the data from a longitudinal record-linkage study of children resided in Stockholm County in Sweden from 2001 to 2007, Bould et al. (2015) used the eating disorder status of the children and their parental mental illness informationRead MoreThe Importance Of Eating Disorders A Mental Illness773 Words   |  4 PagesWhen looking at Mental Illness and diagnoses, I think that much of the general public do not consider eating disorders a mental illness. People today see both Bulimia and Anorexia as physical conditions and choices. Being in the field and working closely with individuals with both diseases, I see first-hand that those diagnosed with the illnesses suffer just as greatly as anyone else with a mental illness. After watching â€Å"Dying to be Thin†, I am able to make several connections to not only my personalRead MoreEating Disor ders: A Life Threatening Mental Illness Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pagesaffected by eating disorders; of those 14 million Americans in the United States 200,000 live in Minnesota. According to the United States Census Bureau there are 5.4 million people living in Minnesota. Eating disorders are a big problem considering that 4 out of 100 people have an eating disorder, just in Minnesota. There are three main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Although doctors still don’t fully understand what causes eating disorders, the disorder can affectRead MoreMental Health And Social Work. Mental Health Social Workers1659 Words   |  7 PagesMental Health and Social Work Mental health social workers provide prevention, remedies, and healing of many mental illnesses, by working with the client as well as their family. This type of social work has been on the rise due to an increase in mental illnesses. Three examples of a mental illness are as follows: schizophrenia, eating disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Those are just a few examples out of many, but with mental illness, you can be sure that a social worker is not farRead MoreMental Illness is not an Adjective to Describe People821 Words   |  3 PagesMental illness is the largest health problem that is generally viewed as least important or least impacting. My generation has a bad habit of using mental illnesses as adjectives; she’s so bipolar or that’s retarded. What people dont understand is that mental illness is one of the largest leading health problem in America. Mental illness is an ever growing problem that affects all types of people all across the world. In order to make others understand the gravity of mental illness we mustRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa: Nursing Interventions1326 Words   |  5 Pagesmortality rate than any other psychological illness. Its primary clinical feature is extreme emaciation as a result of the patients refusal to maintain a healthy body weight. Weight loss may be achieved through caloric restriction or a combination of caloric restriction and purging behaviors (vomiting, laxatives, and exercise) (Understanding eating disorders, 2013, Australia Psychological Society). Besides self-starvation, other physical signs of the disorder include intolerance of the cold, fatigueRead MorePersonal Theory Of Psychopathology And Progression Of Pathology Essay1682 Words   |  7 Pagesof mental illness, mental distress or the manifestation of behaviors and experiences, which may be indicators to mental illness, or psychological impairment (Psychopathology, n.d.) Within clinical counseling, the use tends to be in the treatm ent of mental disorders, the origins or the development of mental disorder. Technologies are being used, as well as have been, developed that require an accurate model, which is always being advanced within the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental HealthRead MoreMental Illness And Theodicy Arguments1063 Words   |  5 PagesMental Illness and Theodicy Arguments Millions of Americans are affected with mental illness each year. Mental illness is very serious disorder and can get worse if left untreated. It can make it difficult for people to cope with everyday life and it can interfere with sleep and eating habits. Mental illness can affect anyone whether it ranges from mood disorders or even anxiety. The cause of mental illness is unknown but chemical imbalances in the body can trigger stress and even trauma, it canRead MoreThe Effects Of Social Media On Young People1304 Words   |  6 PagesIs Social media responsible for the increase in Mental Health issues in young people? The rates of mental health issues in teenagers and young people is increasing, with 20% of the young people in the United States suffering from a mental disorder in their lifetime (Traci Pederson, 2010, Psych Central). This increase must have stemmed from something recent and modern, which many psychologists believe may be the large increase in use of social media, for example Facebook, which has around 1.2 billion