The Sickness of Beauty :: Wessex Scene Online

The Sickness of Beauty

21st March 2002
Sarah Cooper

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Everybody needs food to survive. But for some people, food can become an overwhelming and destructive force that can completely dominate their thoughts, feelings and actions. People can be said to have an eating disorders when their life revolves around food and they take extreme measures to control what they eat.

We are constantly bombarded with conflicting messages regarding image and diet. In the past few years, eating disorders have been placed in the spotlight, as the media have concurred that being “stick thin” is both dangerous and presents a damaging role model for young people. Hypocritically however, the weight of models does not appear to have changed.

This “thin is beautiful” image may be a contributing factor to the number of people with eating disorders. The waif-like ideal promoted through the media can put pressure on women of all ages to diet, sometimes to excess. Numerous other triggers of eating disorders may include upsetting events, such as divorce, difficult family relationships, stress, overwork, anxiety, depression, severe pain, digestive disorders such as gastritis, liver disease, kidney failure or cancer. Some prescription drugs can also effect eating habits, such as opiates and those used to treat high blood pressure and heart failure. As well as these environmental and biological explanations, it is thought that some psychological factors may influence patients, such as an unwillingness to grow up, as they appear to be trying to retain their childhood shape. Some people simply suffer from a fatness phobia, and some people have a lack of self-esteem, and find that they have power over what they eat. Anorexia and bulimia are two common eating disorders, which affect women in particular.

Anorexia is simply a loss of appetite from any cause, whereas anorexia nervosa is characterised by deeper psychological problems, such as an intense fear of g aining weight or becoming obese. Other symptoms of anorexia nervosa include a distorted body image, leading to a restricted diet and sometimes, excessive exercise. Patients also tend to believe themselves to be fat, even when a significant weight loss has occurred.
Bulimia is characterised by extreme over-eating, especially of fatty and sweet foods. It is more difficult to notice however, because there is not a significant weight loss. Patients with bulimia often ‘binge’ and then get rid of the intake by vomiting or using laxatives.

The main health problems associated with anorexia is the discontinuance of the menstrual cycle, dry skin, the thinning of the hair, difficulty in sleeping and concentrating, depression, constantly feeling cold, brittle bones and weakened muscles.
Health problems related to bulimia may be harder to detect because the weight will probably remain consistent. However, one may observe a puffy face, swollen fingers, muscle weakness, stomach pains, long-term constipation and tooth decay, caused by the stomach acid brought up when vomiting, which attacks the tooth enamel.

Many people throughout the UK, and the world suffer from eating disorders, however they can be overcome with sufficient medical and psychological attention. If you are worried about any of the issues discussed, you can find out more by contacting:
Internet: www.bupa.com
Telephone: NHS Direct on 0845 4647

some other helpful websites are:

Eating Disorders Association www.edauk.com

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders www.anad.org

Somerset & Wessex Eating Disorders Association http://www.swedauk.org

www.bbc.co.uk/health

www.ability.org.uk