Epidemic of Eating Disorders
Another effect from the media is the widespread eating disorder is bulimia. Bulimic people eat food in large portions, but then once finished eating they force themselves to puke up the food the have just consumed (“Eating Disorders” par. 14). By doing this, the person gets to eat and enjoy a meal, but then after enjoying the taste they vomit and do not gain any weight from the food they just consumed. In Carrie Arnold’s Article, “Altered Fashion Magazine Photographs Do Not Cause Eating Disorders” she writes: “Disordered eating is very widespread in our country, especially among women. Dr. McAneny defines disordered eating as a persistent pattern of unhealthy or overly rigid eating behavior—chronic dieting or eliminating essential nutrients such as fat or carbohydrates, and an obsession with organic or 'healthy' eating—coupled with a preoccupation with food, weight, or body shape” (par. 9). In other words, Arnold believes that bulimia is more common in women than men. Bulimic people also exercise more than the normal person would, and often times consume laxatives to avoid gaining weight. To be considered bulimic, the article, “Eating Disorders,” states that “a person must engage in an average of two binge or purge episodes per week for a period of three months, and have an obsessive preoccupation with weight [these people often time consume] laxatives [that will] damage the intestines, while abuse of diuretics, which increase urination, can damage the kidneys” (par. 14-15). Bulimic people usually suffer from heart failure because of the imbalance that results from vomiting, and they lose necessary nutrients like potassium. People with bulimia typically have health problems with the swelling of their throat glands as well as tooth decay because of the stomach acid from puking (“Eating Disorders” par. 15). The increase in bulimia, like the increase in anorexia, is caused by the media’s portrayal of “beautiful” women and the unrealistic beauty standards that are set for men and women.