Compare And Contrast Anorexia And Bulimia

Am I fat? This question is frequently asked by teens and adults. In today 's society beauty is measured by physical appearance. Being overweight is a big failure to beauty. People are willing to go through extreme dieting and exercises to be accepted by our society. Sadly, there are people who build up a long desire to look slim causes them to develop eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa is a complex eating disorder in which the person obsess about her or his weight and what they eat. In contrast, bulimia is an eating disorder in which people practice binging, followed by methods to avoid gain weight. It is important to understand similarities and differences of anorexia and bulimia which include their symptoms, causes, health consequences, and

About fifty percent of patients that suffer from anorexia develop symptoms of bulimia while less percentage of bulimics develop anorexia symptoms later on (J. Parks, 26). Some symptoms of anorexia are excessive exercise, amenorrhea, anemia, depression, and also fear of gaining weight (Moe, 13). Bulimics also suffer from those same symptoms as well (Moe, 18). Although there are similarities, each disorder has a different major symptom. When a person suffers from anorexia nervosa, her relationship with food is harmfully change. The anorexic person sees food as the enemy. People with anorexia moderate their diets and starve themselves to slim, or lose more weight (usually 15% below ideal body weight) (ANAD). Refusing to eat around other people, cutting food in small pieces and repositioning it on the plate in an effort to avoid ingesting it. Bulimics, however, eat massive amounts of food in a small amount of time, and purging afterward, causing themselves to vomit, in attempt to maintain the same weight (Moe,

Some of the physical effects of bulimia are rupture of the esophagus, dental problems, heart failure, and vitamin deficiency (Eating Disorders). The esophagus is damaged by acids due to the purging a bulimic does to get rid of the food he or she just consumed. The vomit can also cause the teeth to decay because of the digestive acids. On the contrary, anorexia physical effects include heart problems, anaemia, kidney failure, low blood pressure, and in some cases death ( Eating Disorders). The vital organs do not receive the nutrients they need to function properly. Anorexics lose weight much more rapidly than bulimics, and they refuse to maintain a healthy body weight. However, unlike anorexics, bulimics can maintain a normal weight. Both eating disorders, however, must be treated as soon as possible before it is too