The Losing Battle

In a country where it is the norm to see an abundance of food, it may come as a shock that people are dying from self-induced starvation. It is estimated that 1 out of 100 students in America suffer from anorexia. Anorexia nervosa is a type of eating disorder that usually begins in the teen years that affects both the mind and the body; people afflicted with anorexia have distorted body images, believing they are overweight even when they are extremely underweight.
The United States is not the only country whose citizens affected by anorexia nervosa.Though most people who suffer from anorexia are women, approximately 10 percent of the victims are men. In short, anorexia can affect anyone regardless of demographics.
The exact causes of this eating disorder are uncertain, but there are both genetic and environmental factors. Risk factors include having a perfectionist mindset or being overly focused on rules, being worried about bodyweight and shape, having a negative self-image, or having an anxiety order as a child. These are not the only origins of anorexia, but regardless of where the disease originated, it still holds a detrimental effect on people’s lives.
“People [feel] more insecure about themselves and […] think that the only way to make themselves look better and feel better is to resort to harmful methods like anorexia,” sophomore Ximena Araujo said.
Over time, anorexia takes a terrible toll on the body. People with the illness usually experience poor memory, depression, dry mouth, wasting away of the muscle and bone loss. The potentially life-threatening disorder can create complication—such as osteoporosis, thyroid gland problems, dangerous heart rhythms, decrease in white blood cells and seizures. Left untreated, people with anorexia can die from suicide, complications of malnutrition or simply starve to death.
Despite these repercussions, it is possible to recover from anorexia. Early diagnosis and treatment increase the success of recovery, especially in cases that require hospitalization due to excessive weight loss. Group therapy can help people share their experiences with others, and a nutritionist can also advise the patient about proper eating. Advocacy groups have reduced media stories and pro-anorexia websites that promote and glamorize extreme dieting. With these new cures and preventions, there is hope for the number of anorexia cases to decrease in the future.

By: Staff Writer Diana Li