Eating Disorders Are Serious Mental Illnesses That Are Not...

Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses that are not a choice. Eating disorders can affect people of any age and are characterized by concerns with body weight and irregular eating habits. There are many different kinds of eating disorders, but the cause of them is not completely known. The symptoms of eating disorders include obsession with food, appearance, and weight. There are ways to cope with and treat eating disorders with the help of a therapist that is specially trained in eating disorders. The exact cause of eating disorders is not known. Though it is unknown, â€Å"it is generally believed that a combination of biological, psychological, and/or environmental abnormalities contribute to the development of these illnesses†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦show more content†¦Four out of ten people have experienced an eating disorder or know somebody that has. Someone with an eating disorder commonly also has another condition like depression or an anxiety disorder. Eating disorders can happen to either gender, but â€Å"middle-aged women are the fastest growing segment of the population being diagnosed with eating disorders† (Emily Program Foundation, 2015). In the United States, over 10 million people suffer from an eating disorder. Symptoms of eating disorders include attitudes and emotions when dealing with weight and food issues. One type of eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. This eating disorder is more common in women than men. â€Å"Approximately 90-95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are girls and women† (Anorexia-nervosa, n.d.). Although the amount of women versus men is so high, only about 0.5-1 percent of American women actually suffer from the disorder. Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening eating disorder in which a person starves him or herself and has excessive weight loss. When the body is starved, the body slows down all its processes to conserve energy. When the body is slowed down like that, then serious medical consequences can arise. Serious medical consequences may include fainting, muscle loss, hair loss, abnormally slow heart rate, and low blood pressure. One symptom of anorexia nervosa is â€Å"inadequate food intake