Eating Disorders

Paper Summary:

This paper explains how eating disorders are mental disorders presented as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating, and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, or EDNOS. The need for action is called upon and statistically proven. This paper argues that communication, therapy, feeding intervention, and support groups are needed to fight this phenomenon. It explains that, in all cultures and races, intervention is the key to improvement and prevention and therefore, includes the family, students, teachers, administrators, and community organizations. It shows how a comprehensive school health plan must be created and implemented to prevent the increase of eating disorders. The promotion of acceptance of all people must be infused in daily curriculum. These character traits must be modeled by the teachers and administrators in order to make a maximum impact.

From the Paper:

"The term eating disorders usually includes anorexia nervosa, bulimia, nervosa, binge eating disorder, and EDNOS (eating disorders not otherwise specified). Although eating disorders deal with food, they are considered a psychological disorder. Siegel, Brisman, and Weindhel (1998) state that" many aspects of eating disorders are not apparent to an outside observer." Healthy People places eating disorders under the category of mental health and disorders. According to Healthy People, "mental disorders are health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof), which are associated with distress and/or impaired functioning" (www.health.gov). These disorders can lead to many health problems including tooth decay, ulcers, loss of menstruation, and death. In addition to the obvious dangers, eating disorders affect people of all "racial and ethnic groups, both genders, and all educational and socioeconomic groups" in the United States (www.health.gov). As educators it is our job to protect the health and future of the children, especially since eating disorders can lead to school failure and lower academic performance. Eating disorders affect children at a young age and "often persist into adulthood and have among the highest death rates of any mental disorder" (www.health.gov). A study done by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (1996) shows that eighty-six percent of Americans report onset of an eating disorder before the age of twenty. Clearly this is within the educators range of responsibility. Eating disorders are a silent epidemic that needs to be stopped."

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