Eating Disorders, the obsession that haunts our youth - Dalia Petric

Eating Disorders, the obsession that haunts our youth

Dalia Petric

An eating disorder is defined as ‘any of several psychological disorders (such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia) characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior’ ( Merriam-Webster, 2021). The surge in eating disorders in the past decades has unfortunately targeted adolescents, the 17- to 18-year-old age group had the highest prevalence (3%) (Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 2010). This is due to the hyper-admiration of social media’s influencer’s, through marketing ploys, endorsements and advertisements that result as a form of sponsorship. The single pattern that continues throughout these influencers, is their idolized conventionally attractive features that fit into western norms. Young adolescents already experience ‘developmental challenges’ which include ‘dealing with the physical and psychological changes in puberty; moving toward increased psychological and physical autonomy ’ (Attie, Brooks-Gunn & Petersen 1990; Smolak & Levine 1996). Due to the increased sense of self and independence adolescents should begin to understand their passions and independent aspirations that are not as a result of peer or parental influence. Alongside, as a result of the thriving age of social media, the ‘identity crisis’ in teenagers has increased dramatically, as “Social media creates an environment where disordered thoughts and behaviors really thrive, ” The Dove Self-Esteem Project says. This identity crisis relying primarily on body image today, when reflecting on Erikson’s stages of psychosocial development, stage 5 ‘Identity vs. Role confusion’ , teenagers are so enamoured today in what their ‘role’ is meant to be from even more accessible influencing on social media by ‘influencers’ .

Due to these delicate stages during puberty, it is vital for adolescents to be nourished with optimal nutritional needs, as the body begins to form into the final structure that it sustains throughout adulthood. Both physically, emotionally and socially. As most importantly your body needs the gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) to be released from the hypothalamus that happens at the primary stage of puberty and adolescence. Teenagers who become deficient in GnRhH and do not complete puberty results in a lack of sexual development and infertility.

Firstly, anorexia nervosa is an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat, defined by Oxford Languages. The ‘glorification of thinness’ by ‘ fear of fat that leads to dieting is a primary risk factor for eating disorders, which are the third most chronic illness among American adolescent females (Fisher, Golden & Katzman 1995). The most prominent disorder is anorexia nervosa, which includes restricting calorie count and reducing body weight to adhere to the 'glorification of thinness’ . The dangers of anorexia, bulimia and

other malnutrition causing disorders is that they damage the: Cardiovascular system, Gastrointestinal system, Neurological system, Endocrine system and potentially result in fatalities. When the body consumes fewer calories than needed, your body proceeds to break down its own tissue to use for energy. Muscles are the first organs to break down, most dangerously breaking down the cardiac muscle of the heart. This is why blood pressure begins to drop as the heart has less energy to contract strongly with to pump blood around the body, as well as fewer mitochondrial muscle cells to sustain a strong pumping heartbeat. As a cause of this, people with malnutrition disorders are at a higher risk of heart failure and strokes due to blood pressure levels decrease. Their heart becomes malnourished first, consequently by the blood being the primary supplier of energy by oxygen, the rest of the person’s organs and organ systems begin to deteriorate as well due to the lack of energy (fuel).

Patients with bulimia,

‘an emotional disorder characterized by a distorted body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight, in which bouts of extreme overeating are followed by fasting or self-induced vomiting or purging’ , defined by Oxford Languages, suffer from electrolyte loss as well. Due to purging, the electrolyte potassium is depleted, its role is to help the heartbeat and muscles to contract, however without it, the heart begins to lose its strength and ability to pump blood around the body. Excessive electrolyte imbalance can lead to arrhythmia, heart failure and death.

Secondly, the gastrointestinal system goes into a state of heavily slowed down digestion known as gastroparesis. This is due to the lack of food and vomiting that harms the stomach’s ability to excrete food through the stomach and falter the digestive system’s ability to absorb nutrients. This diagnosis usually leads to, large amounts of stomach pain and bloating, nausea and vomiting due to the inability to keep food down as it is foreign to the body, weakened intestine muscles that prevent the ability to propel digested food out of the body. In extreme cases, laxative abuse can create a dependency, so that the body needs them to create bowel movements. Another risk is the development of pancreatitis, inflammation of the pancreas, which causes nausea and vomiting. Overall, plenty of other infections and diseases can result as a cause of damaging the gastrointestinal system, many being fatal if left untreated.

The neurological system, being one of the most essential body systems, is severely defected by malnutrition as well. Your brain’s neurons need electrolytes, (potassium, chloride, calcium, sodium) to send electrical and chemical signals to the brain and body. Severe dehydration and an electrolyte imbalance can lead to seizures and muscle cramping. Meaning if the brain and blood vessels can’t push enough blood to the brain, it causes dizziness and fainting. Additionally, the brain consumes one-fifth of the body ’s calories, self-starvation and erratic eating results in the brain not getting enough energy, causing it to obsess over food and developing an inability to concentrate. This also can develop into everybody dysmorphia and insomnia, where the body cannot fall asleep due to being extremely hungry and always thinking about food.

Finally the endocrine system, due to the decrease in fat and healthy cholesterol the body needs, levels of hormones fall. Especially dangerous in adolescents as in females, lowered sex hormones means menstruation begins to decrease, become irregular or fail completely

causing amenorrhea. Not only does this cause potential non-reversible infertility, but also osteoporosis, increasing the likelihood of fractures and stressed bones.

For males infertility can also occur as a result of lowered testosterone levels, preventing the maturity of the reproductive system. In both sexes, the thyroid hormones also fall, reducing your metabolic rate by your body trying to reserve energy. This can completely disrupt your body ’s rate of reaction and become cemented into a stagnant state of being unable to provide energy to your whole body, as it is consistently trying to reserve it. This deteriorates the body ’s function and results in extreme fatigue and inability to cope with daily life activities.

Overall, we must raise awareness for our youth to engage in consistent activities of self-love. We cannot allow adolescents to spiral into a fatal cycle of obsession with body image, by the influence of social media and its highly unrealistic standards of beauty. As young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers (Smirk et al. 2012). Adolescents in society will be at the forefront of the working force eventually, they must comprise of strong emotionally and physically capable soldiers to adhere to the world’s ever changing combats and needs of brighter minds and innovative ideas.