starving for beauty
...exia and bulimia may affect people of all ages, Amy P. Hene, journalists, writes in Body Jam, “the disorders usually develop in the late teens and early twenties, and is relatively uncommon in males.” Hene goes on to say that “as many as ten percent (and possibly a greater percentage) of these women continue to suffer throughout their lifetime.” Though these two diseases are more widely prevalent among young females, the treatment and recovery goals are often elusive. The diseases continue through early adulthood and sometimes throughout a person’s lifetime. While those who are suffering from the diseases only see what they believe are positive effects of losing weight, which range from dropping dress sizes, temporarily performing better in sports or gaining attention from the opposite sex. Christi Kelliher, a nutritionist of anorexia and bulimic patients of six years finds that the “majority of patients idealize models and actresses. Wanting to look like them and be them, driving young adults to a life of obsessing food, and depriving themselves of it.” Those who are anorexic or bulimic often don’t know the unpleasant side effects, such as kidney dysfunction, urinary tract infections, damage to the colon, dehydration, constipation or diarrhea, seizures, muscle spasms or cramps (resulting from chemical imbalances), chronic indigestion, loss of menstruation or irregular periods for females strain on most of the body's organs, erosion to dental enamel from vomiting, swollen salivary glands, the possibility of a ruptured stomach, or chronic sore throat. As for the side effects of anorexia and bulimia, Kelliher also says “ many of patients either don’t know the severe damage they are causing to their young developing bodies or plainly don’t care about the effects.” Many family members and friends would drop everything to help a friend in need. But if they are unable to recognize the signs of anorexia and bulimia, treatment may be too late when the illness is finally discovered. Recognizing the signs of anorexia and bulimia is not difficult. Catherine Nixey writes in The Independent, “ the key signs of anorexia are poor or inadequate weight-gain in relation to their growth, intense fear of gaining weight or even within the normal weight range according to height, distorted perception of body shape or weight, changes in personality and mood swings, denial of the existence of a problem, rituals attached to eating, such as cutting food into tiny pieces, restlessness, hyperactivity, secrecy, and the wearing of baggy clothes”. Unfortunately with bulimia the signs are a bit harder to recognize because says Paul Donohue, of the The Grand Rapids Press “unlike anorexia, bulimia does not make its victims skeletally thin. Bulimia patients generally appear healthy and of normal weight.” Most often, bulimia is a disease that the victim covets and holds close as a result of the fear of loosening a grip on a crutch that has gotten them through life and hard times. By purging meals the patient feels in control of his or her life. Bulimia rarely shows up in the doctor's office or in lab tests for blood and urine. Rachel Christensen, former victim of bulimia agrees with Donohue on how difficu...