1, Farhan Arif Syed

Name: Farhan Arif Syed

Roll no. 2015-11-0182
Course: Writing and Communication SS 100
Intructor: Bushra Butt
Prompt: Anorexia and Bulimia

Since the dawn of the new century, anorexics and bulimics have become increasingly
common within the society. Anorexia and bulimia are the most dominant eating disorders
nowadays. Anorexia is the deliberate starvation of a person where they constantly refuse to
take in food. Bulimia, on the other hand, is the excessive eating and purging by deliberate
vomiting or use of laxatives to dispose of the food. These disorders are plaguing a
considerable number of teenagers most of which are adolescent girls. Both these eating
disorders are generated psychologically within the person and are usually initiated when they
are obsessed with dieting. About half of people with anorexia also have symptoms of
bulimia (MayoClinic.Com). While anorexia and bulimia might share a fair amount of
similarities, they might be poles apart on some grounds.
The most common reason for eating disorders such as these are mostly due to the
over-whelming demand to stay fit and look good in the society. Michael Russell portrays
anorexics and bulimics as being obsessed with the need to have a perfect body (Eating
Disorders). Since physical appearance and looks are vital aspects of ones life nowadays, they
compel themselves to a leaner, fitter body. Basically this image oriented society is of the
perception that good looking and healthy people excel in society. This underlying principle
no matter how far-fetched it may sound is true. As attractive people tend to earn more than

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middle-attractive ones who earn more than unattractive ones (Dobson). Furthermore,
teenagers tend to develop a negative view of their bodies in the struggle to look like their
celebrity role models (New 3). Having said this, their social life becomes increasingly
dormant, especially gatherings which involve celebratory meals and food. The fundamental
problem associated with the diagnosis of these disorders is that patients fail to acknowledge
that they are in any way associated with these disorders. The core to their treatment is their
own realisation of their disorder. Instead of dismissing their ailment completely, they should
pry into their own minds to apprehend and operate. However, what they fail to oversee is that
starvation and purging by self-induced vomiting is actually detrimental to their health.
Moreover, factors affecting a persons mental health are also contributors to eating
disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. These factors include cultural and family pressures,
chemical imbalances, emotional and personality disorders, and genetics (WebMD.Com What
1). After the examination of several families, Am J Psychiatry concluded in their paper that
anorexia and bulimia are familial. Eating disorders in people might also develop in the light
of difficult life experiences which include constant abuse and peer pressure during their
puberty. People such as these become vulnerable due to lack of self confidence and are easily
driven into the misdemeanor of eating disorders. Anxiety and depression are traits that are
known to trigger these disorders. In addition to, people with mental disorders such as
obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) might also be affected by these disorders (New 3).
Tomotake described a common trend in the personalities of people with eating disorders: they
were histrionic, obsessive-compulsive, avoidant, dependent and borderline personality
disorders (90). No matter desolate and depressed beings with low self esteems adopt these
extremities in the attempt to escape from being stereotyped as social recluses.
Other than the myriad of similarities, anorexia and bulimia are two completely
different disorders. Anorexics tend to starve themselves by not eating anything and are

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usually underweight. In addition, the undernourishment may cause hormonal disturbances,

anaemia, heart problems, brittle bones and many other problems, some of which are lifethreatening ("Anorexia Nervosa," 1). On the other hand, bulimics might not portray a starved
or a thinned body structure in contrast to anorexics. The American Psychological Association
states that for any person to be declared bulimic, it is necessary that the following symptoms
are recognized:
Recurrent episodes of binge eating; a feeling of lack of control over eating during
binges; regular use of one or more of the following to prevent weight gain: selfinduced vomiting, use of laxatives or diuretics, strict dieting or fasting, or vigorous
exercise; persistent over-concern with body shape and weight (qtd in Bulimia
Nervosa 3).
On medical fronts, both anorexia and bulimia have different implications. These differ
from physical to mental complications. Anorexics suffer from complications such as
amenorrhea, anaemia, dry skin and hair loss and osteopenia. They are also more vulnerable to
the likes of heart attacks and brain shrinkage (Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa).
Alternatively, bulimics suffer injury to the oesophagus, stomach, intestine and damage to
teeth and skin (Medical Complications of Bulimia Nervosa). Likewise according to Russell,
bulimics tend to have more mood swings in contrast to anorexics (Eating Disorders).
Anorexics prefer to adopt an introvert lifestyle whereas bulimics are more concerned about
what other people think about them. Furthermore, bulimics are less likely to develop
obsessions than their anorexic counterparts who compel themselves to starve incessantly.
Basically anorexia and bulimia are eating disorders of the same genre. The underlying
factors to their arousal are flawless looks and perfect bodies. Moreover, stress, depression and
mental disorders hold a significant contribution in their origination. These disorders have

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been named differently for a reason anorexics starve, whereas bulimics tend to purge. Each
disorder has different complications related to the human mind and body. Lastly these eating
disorders need to be addressed in the society for those affected are rising daily. Only those
accept their misdemeanour will succeed in getting rid of these disorders.

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Work Cited

Dobson, Roger. Beautiful People Earn 12% More Than Ugly Bettys.The Independent
on Sunday. 12 Aug, 2007. Web. 13 Oct, 2011.
<http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/beautiful-people-earn-12-more-thanugly-bettys-461261.html>

Crisp, Arthur. The campaign to increase the understanding of mental health problems and
reduce their [stigma] and discrimination.The Royal College of Psychiatrists. Web. Aug 2006
< http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/default.aspx?page=1428>

American Anorexia Bulimia Association, Inc. (AABA) Web Site. Bulimia Nervosa. 2 Jun.
2001.
American Anorexia Bulimia Association, Inc. (AABA) Web Site. Anorexia Nervosa. 2 Jun.
2001. .
<www.aabaphila.org>

Eating Disorders. 2 Jun. 2001. Web

<www.WebMd.com>

Tomotake M, Ohmori T J Med Invest. 2002;49:87-96

Am J Psychiatry. Controlled Family Study of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa:

Evidence of Shared Liability and Transmission of Partial Syndromes 2000; 157:393401

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Remuda, Ranch. Medical Complications of Anorexia Nervosa. Web. 2009

Remuda, Ranch. Medical Complications of Bulimia Nervosa. Web. 2009
<http://www.remudaranch.com/resources-a-articles/medical-complications-of-anorexia>
<http://www.remudaranch.com/resources-a-articles/medical-complications-of-bulimia>

Eating disorders: Widespread and difficult to treat. 17 Nov. 2000. 2 Jun. 2001. Web
<www.MayoClinic.Com>