Identifying and Conquering Bulimia Essay -- Health, Eating Disorders

Before 1995, the island of Fiji had no reported cases of eating disorders. In three years of obtaining American and British television programming, more than two-thirds of the Fijian girls developed eating disorders and three quarters of the girls felt fat (Hall 1-2). Girls and guys are feeling more insecure about their bodies and are trying to cope with smothering feelings that come with being insecure. Some people aren’t well-educated on this topic, and because of that, they don’t see its seriousness. One example, bulimia, has been around for thirty years, and people are still not very familiar with the harm it can do physically and emotionally. Bulimia is when people choose to vomit their food up because they’re unsatisfied with their body. Bulimia nervosa can destroy not only a person's life but others around him/her, and it can be stopped with support and counseling. Bulimia exists for numerous reasons. It is normal for a person’s body to get bigger when it is growing. Most people handle that badly though, so they will do anything to get rid of that newly added weight. A handful of young people use bulimia to postpone growing up. This way of thinking may explain why college students are prime candidates for becoming bulimic (Hall 1-2). It is a way of expressing thoughts that cannot be put into words. It provides instant relief from the pain being caused from life. The throwing up replaces other actions, thoughts, and feelings. When the binge/purge episode is over, the bulimic gains control, but only for a moment. A sense of calm is felt. Nevertheless, the negative feelings soon return, and the cycle begins again. Another reason bulimia occurs is because of life changes or stressful events. If a close friend or family mem... ...d life. It takes time to work, but knowing that it’s going to work can make a bulimic person feel like he/she is taking the necessary action to get better. Bulimia is a serious eating disorder that needs to be addressed. It affects not only the bulimic, but also the bulimics friends and family. There are many solutions to this problem, but they go unnoticed because people chose to ignore bulimia and its seriousness. We need to spread the word. We need to make people aware of things they choose to ignore just because it isn’t affecting them. We need to make resources such as books, movies, and Prozac more accessible. A person with bulimia should not be scared or embarrassed to reach out to a friend or family member. He/she would want to help in any way they can. No one wants to sit back and watch a loved one suffer, especially if something can be done about it.