Eating Disorders

[msbrunnettemickey]

In my school there is a group called "The world of difference" for sophomores, who go to the middle school, and talk to the 8th graders about health life (family life). When i was a sophomore, i was asked to write a guide about eating disorders to show them what they should do if they know someone who has it, and to learn about the types of eating disorders and it went like this...:

What are Eating Disorders?

In the United States, we ofter see messages that seem to say being thin is very important. Many of the dancers, actors and models we see on television, in movies and in advertising are thin, and many people think they want to look like them.
Trying too hard to be thin can lead to eating disorders, or problems around eating. Some dancers, actora and models have eating disorders. So do jockeys and flight attendants. More women than men have eating disorders, but men are affected, too. Many young people have eating disorders.
Often people with eating disorders have low self-esteem. They may thing: If i am thin, i will be happy, popular, successful and self-confident.
The most common eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia means "a lack of appetite for food." People with anorexia nervosa feel fat even if they are very thin. They are very concerned about body size. They spend a lot of time thinking about eating, food, weight and body image.
They cit down the amount of food they eat and exercise a lot to lose weight. They may hide food or throw it away. Sometimes, peoplewith anorexia nervosa don't believe they have a problem with food or eating.
Sometimes, they have to be put in the hospital to keep them from starving to death. Some people with this eating disorder die.
People with anorexia nervosa need help. They might need to talk to a counselor or a doctor. If you think someone you know has this problem, you should talk to an adult you trust about it.
Warning signs of anorexia nervosa
-losing 25% of her or his body weight for no known reason
-eating less and less food
-not feeling hungry
-worrying a lot about foods that have fat and not eating them
-exercising for a long time, even when feeling very tired and weak
-feeling very afraid of gaining weight
-handling food in strange ways
Bulimia is an eating disorder that involves bingeing or purging. Bingeing means eating a lot of food in a short time. Purging means trying to get rid of the food by vomiting or using laxatives or diuretics (water pills).
People with bulimia may feel they are out of control when they are bingeing. They ofter buy food that is sweet and high in calories, such as ice cream, to eat during binge. They try to keep the bingeing a secret.
A binge usually ends when the eater's stomach starts to hurt. After a binge, people with bulimia may make themselves vomit to get rid of the food. They may also use laxatives or diuretics to try to keep their weight down. They may feel very depressed after a binge.
Most people with bulimia weight close to a normal weights. But they are very worried aboutt their body shape and wieght. They may try many other ways to keep their weight down. They may go on strict diets or do lots of exercise.
Vomiting can harm teeth (=O). It can cause chemical imbalances in the body. It can also cause people to be dehydrated (sp?), or to lack water in the body. These problems can even cause death. ='(
Warning sings of bulimia (as already said above)
-worrying about weight
-using vomiting, laxatives or diurectics to lose weight
-bingeing or fasting
-being secretive about binges and vomiting
-eating a lot of food that's high in calories
-feeling depressed

This is just to start things off... I will have more information later.

P.s. Please discuss XD