Eating Disorders: Are They Real?

The controversy around eating disorders has been very high and heated for decades now. There have been decades of debate on whether or not eating disorders are even real. The number of people who think not is powerful, but the proof is stronger. Today, we will go over why they may be made up and why they may be real - from emotional to physical factors.
Some people believe that eating disorders are made up and fake. They think that the only time someone has an eating disorder is when they're seeking out attention. It's also said that they are simply looking for pity for their other issues; like unresolved "daddy issues". It's also said that those with eating disorders are selfish and like to make themselves suffer just to hurt other people. The amount of different ideas and reasonings behind why eating disorders are considered fake is vastly widespread. The most common argument is simply that people with eating disorders, be it anorexia, bulimia, or otherwise, are selfish, destructive monsters. As Davis M.J. Aurini says in his article "Why You Should Never Date A Girl With An Eating Disorder", all people with one are "toxic, destructive, - ultimately - pathetic". That is a strong, widespread opinion of many people, not just Davis.
However, psychology and psychologists are saying that eating disorders are bio-psycho-social diseases - which are diseases caused by biological, psychological, and social factors. These causes include, but are not limited to: Low self-esteem, pressure to be thin, a history of sexual abuse, other mental or mood disorders, to name the more common factors. The other mental and mood disorders that have an effect are anxiety, depression, PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, substance abuse disorders, and OCD, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. A person can develop an eating disorders through genetics; either to the disorder itself, depression, or anxiety. It's been shown that growing up in a household where emotions aren't allowed to be expressed or using food as a way to cope with negativity are connected to eating disorders, especially to Binge-Eating Disorder. Dysfunctional families and stressful events or traumas actually have a lot more to do with it than people know. As expected, poor body image, weight-based careers, thinking that fat is bad and skinny is good, and ideals of attractiveness portrayed in media are big causes of an eating disorders as well.
Sometimes, people think that eating disorders don't exist because they don't have symptoms or warning signs. The reality is that they do, but they commonly get overlooked. Most indications will be hidden or deemed as "normal" for a particular age group, but they are some of the most dangerous pointers. A good example of this is frequently checking for physical flaws. It's something that everybody does, teenagers especially, but it can quickly turn into a weight obsession. The party will become obsessed and usually pre-occupied with body shapes and sizes, diets, calories, and with having complete control over the foods they eat. They may cut out certain food groups, such as protein, some food alone, and their favourite foods. Skipping meals, eating smaller portions, withdrawing from friends and family, avoiding activities, refusing to eat in front of others, and paying an unusual amount of attention to other people's bodies are loud signals as well. Honestly, the most noticeable evidence comes when the party develops a continued fixation with food, cooking, and recipes, has extreme mood swings, switches between not eating and over-eating, and starts to regularly use or abuse appetite suppressants, diuretics, or enemas. The word "fat" tends to be dropped often - another sign.
That doesn't sound too bad though, right? A little abnormal behaviours never hurt anyone, right? Wrong. After a while, these behaviours will have a physical impact on the person. Not only will their weight drop, as will their immune system. Illnesses and sicknesses, even a simple cold, will be more difficult to fight off. Stomach cramps, non-specific gastrointestinal complaints, atypical laboratory findings, muscle weakness, and poor wound healing start to become present. Many people with an eating disorder experience consistent dizziness, fainting, sleeping problems, anemia, dental problems, and lanugo - which is when thin and soft hair begins to grow all around the body. Lanugo is actually how the body keeps itself warm as the anemia makes you extremely cold all the time. If you've ever met someone with an eating disorder, you probably noticed that they weren't focused. Concentration difficulties are quite noticeable. To get farther specific, those with Anorexia Nervosa will struggle with dry skin, dry hair, and brittle nails and hair. People who struggle with Compulsive Exercise Disorder are likely to get cold and mottled hands and feet or have their feet swell up. A risk that comes specifically Orthorexia, and sometimes Anorexia Nervosa, is yellow skin. Anorexic bulimics have to deal with cuts and calluses on their fingers, swelling around the salivary glands, and cavities or discolouration of the teeth. For women, irregularities in their menstrual cycle and a loss of libido is also common.
But wait, there's more! On top of all hose risks, there are also a few extreme, life-threatening, long-term effects. The muscle weakness I mentioned before? It can progress into muscle loss - including in the heart. That means you're at high risk for a heart attack; especially if you're anorexic or bulimic. They're also at high risk and have high rates of pancreatitis, early-onset osteoporosis, kidney failure, self-injury, and suicide. Meanwhile, people with Binge-Eating Disorder, typically referred to just as B.E.D, often get stuck with morbid obesity and other obese-related health problems. These include heart disease and high blood pressure. Other issues among the three include diabetes, irreversible bone loss, severe dehydration, and, obviously, death. As a matter of fact, the mortality rate in anorexics is 4.0% and fifty percent of those deaths are suicides.
Another reason people think eating disorders aren't real is because it "wasn't a problem back in the day". This, too, is false. In truth, Anorexia Nervosa has been around since 1100 when women would starve themselves to express love for God. It wasn't until 1689 that the symptoms got expressed. English physician Richard Morton described these symptoms in a condition he titled "Wasting Disease". If it weren't for Sir William Gull in 1873, it never would have changed to Anorexia Nervosa. It was also around this time that anorexia stopped being so folklore and theologically based. Things kind of took off in the 1900's - starting with parents being separated from their children with disordered eating. It was called "Parentectomy". Bulimia didn't get noticed until 1903 when Doctor Pierre Janet caught his patients showing symptoms. Thankfully, in the 1940's, psychoanalysis influenced the way professionals thought about eating disorders. Said professionals saw a link between Anorexia Nervosa and sexual abuse and started taking more patients who showed signs of eating disorders. Though it wasn't classified as it's own disorder, Binge-Eating Disorder was first described in 1959. Doctor Albert Stunkard did this and related it back to night-eating. Unfortunately, in 1973, Anorexia and Bulimia rose in coincidence with the highly influential book "Eating Disorders: Obesity, Anorexia Nervosa, and The Person Within". Following this in the '70s and '80s, Bulimia itself rose rapidly in the U.S, France, and Germany. It was in 1979 when someone - Gerard Russell - noted the differences between Anorexia Nervosa and Anorexia Bulimia. This included the differences in health risks and symptoms. The article was titled "Bulimia Nervosa: An Ominous Variant of Anorexia Nervosa". After this, in 1980, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders added an eating disorder section. It was also this time that celebrities started to come out about their struggled. Due to the upsetting death of American signer Karen Carpenter in 1983, awareness to the public eye increased. She passed away from heart failure, which might be linked to anorexia. It was in 1987 that Bulimia was listed as a separate disorder for the first time and binge-eating was listed as a feature. A few years alter, 1994, The American Psychiatric Association mentioned binge-eating again as a feature of EDNOS (Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified). It was in 2013 that Binge-Eating Disorder was recognised as it's own disorder. Treatment for it opened up and it is covered by insurance. Now, in the 2000's, treatment for eating disorder is made up of different approaches. Almost everyone can get help now. Recovery centers offer advice and treatment through a patient's family to gain extra help and support.
Why else would one think eating disorders aren't real? Well, another common thought about it is that they are "easy to avoid". Really, they're easier to catch than anything else. They are the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. A lot think that death isn't as serious in eating disorders as people make it out to be. In all honesty, the death rate is twelve times higher than all other causes of death. Twenty percent of people with an untreated eating disorder will pass on. Only thirty-five percent of people will seek out treatment, which is only one in ten. Meanwhile, every one in twenty people will struggle with an disorder. To put it in better perspective, that's twenty million women and ten million men, thirty million people total, who struggle with these illnesses - and that's only in the United States. The estimated mortality rate is around ten percent. Approximately, fifty percent, every one in five, of these deaths is a suicide. For those between fifteen and twenty-four with anorexia, the risk of dying is then times higher than compared to those in the same age groups. Bulimia has a 3.9% death rate and EDNOS has one of 5.2%. As already mentioned, Anorexia's death rate is 4.0%. Fifty percent of all people in the U.S. will know a person with a eating disorder or will develop one themselves. They are much more common and serious than typically spoken of.
No matter how much people argue over the reality of eating disorders, it will never change the inevitable truth of their existence. The pain, the suffering, and the commonalty are more present than most people know. The actuality is far beyond normal knowledge and people don't think to look into it. Thus, eating disorders are deemed fictional or an overreactment to natural things. Mental illnesses are vastly spread beyond depression and anxiety. There is so much out there to know. The truth and the strength of these disorders are just one of the many things that needs to be more spoken and learned of.

SOURCES:
The National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) - nationaleatingdisorders.org
The National Institute of Mental Health - nimh.nih.gov
Mental Health America - mentalhealthamerica.net
Eating Recovery Center - eatingrecoverycenter.com
U.S. News - health.usnews.com
The Emily Program - emilyprogram.com
Burke - myburke.org
The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt - eatingdisorder.org
Eating Disorder Hope - eatingdisorderhope.com
Everyday Health - everydayhealth.com
Stares at the World - staresattheworld.com