The Similarities Between Obesity And Anorexia Nervosa

Nearly 35% of white Americans are considered to be obese (“Overweight,” 2017). On the opposite end of the spectrum, around one percent of the male and female population suffers from anorexia nervosa (“Eating Disorder Statistics,” n.d.). These numbers continue to grow rapidly as society changes. Obesity and anorexia are both dangerous eating disorders. These disorders have many similarities in their causes and effects, yet they are very different. Obesity has become increasingly prevalent in recent years. Obesity is determined by one’s body mass index, or BMI. When a person has a BMI equal to or above a 30, he or she is considered to be obese. According to Alving et al. (2004), obesity is now considered to be an epidemic because of how rapidly

There are multiple things that could be the cause of anorexia. Most often, anorexia starts as an emotional response to a situation, such as divorce, rejection from peers, disappointing grades, or other dramatic changes. Often times the situations make the person feel as if he or she has little or no control. Being able to control food intake allows him to deal with his emotions (“Eating Disorders,” n.d.). Another cause of anorexia could possibly be based on one’s personality traits. For instance, someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder is at a higher risk for developing anorexia due to a need for control. Also, something as simple as wanting to be thinner and obsessing over body image can lead to contracting the disease; however, anorexics never feel content with how thin they are. The eating habits of people with anorexia are dangerous. People with anorexia will often greatly restrict their food intake and will obsess over the calorie count. Often times they even purge themselves of food by using pills or vomiting. Anorexia causes people to become dangerously skinny because they are not getting the proper

For instance, obesity is when a person overeats and is greatly overweight; anorexia causes a person to be grossly underweight. People who suffer from both of these diseases also have very different eating habits. Obese people tend to over consume food. People who have anorexia do not consume even close to enough food, and they exercise more. People who struggle with obesity struggle with control; people with anorexia want more control. They also have some different causes. With anorexia, specific life events or poor self-esteem tend to cause it. On the other hand, obesity is often caused by genetics or poor