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Some people do not realize how far back eating disorders go. Doctors in England first discovered anorexia in the 1870s. Catherine of Siena only ate herbs, and sometimes she would take a twig and stick it down her throat so that she could vomit. The Ancient Greeks were also bulimics, and they binged and purged more than one time every day (Neill 34). There is no one cause of eating disorders because many things contribute to them. If you have low self-esteem, that can be a big contribution. Some other causes of these disorders could simply be feeling helpless, using it as a way to handle stress and concerns, or just wanting to have control over something in your life. For other people, the main cause might be just being fearful of becoming over weight. But some people do not have much of a choice when it comes to eating disorders, because genetics play a big part. If an eating disorder runs in your family, then that may also be a main cause. In some families, the mother is extremely concerned about her daughter's weight, and that concern can lead to the child becoming over concerned as well, which then can lead to an eating disorder. Also in families, sometimes the father or brothers make comments or suggestions having to do with the daughter's weight, which can then make her want to look as thin as she can so that the rest of her family is satisfied (Hoffman). When talking about being thin and attractive, Barbara, who is a 19-year-old bulimic college, says: "...Because that's what my father thinks and likes. I guess I want to live up to his standard." ' Her quote clearly describes how her father likes people who are thin and attractive, and so because Barbara wants to live up to his expectations, she is a bulimic and was anorexic in junior high school (Hesse-Biber 79). About 46% of nine to eleven year olds are sometimes or often on diets, and so are 82% of their families. Those kids' families may be impacting the kids to also worry about their weight, even at such a young age ("Statistics"). Some people also say that having strict and overprotective parents, family problems, and even fear of sexuality can cause eating disorders ("Eating Disorders"). The most commonly known cause of eating disorders is the social pressure to be thin ("Eating Disorders"). The average American model is 5'11" and weighs only 117 pounds, while the average American women is 5'4" and 140 pounds. That statistic shows that most models are thinner than 98% of American women. Maybe that is why 80% of American women are not happy with what they look like. People have been starting to think that models are having a severe negative impact on eating disorders, and there are even more statistics that may prove that assumption. About 42% of first, second, and third grade girls want to be thinner, 81% of ten year olds are afraid of becoming fat, and 51% of nine and ten year old girls feel better if they are on a diet ("Statistics"). A college sophomore named Donna says, ' " I would see these thin girls in the magazines and say I want to be like that. I would look at myself in the mirror and I didn't like what I saw." ' (Hesse-Biber 31). But in contradiction to this, everyone at an eating disorder clinic in Britain say that they do not blame models for their eating disorders because they believe that it is much more personal (Neill 34). Eating disorders have many symptoms and warning signs. In general, someone with an eating disorder may eat in secret, wear very loose clothes in order to hide their bodies, and try to isolate themselves because of depression (Ciotola). There are many symptoms of Anorexia, some which intertwine with the complications of Anorexia. A person who has anorexia may feel extremely uncomfortable near food, and so they may have trouble eating in front of other people. Their skin may start to turn a pale color, and their hands and feet will start to become very cold. Their energy level might start to decrease, and so they might start to become dizzy more often and have more frequent headaches. Another symptom of Anorexia is becoming short of breath (Thompson). Someone with anorexia will start to grow lanugo, body hair, all over his or her body. Some of the very obvious symptoms would be a decrease in eating, a decrease in eating high carbohydrates and fats, and over exercising. People with anorexia also have an extreme fear of gaining any weight, they usually compare what they eat to what others eat, and you would notice that they have certain patterns of handling food whether it be pushing it around their plate, or cutting food into small pieces. The actual weight loss percentage needed to be Anorexic is 25% or more of weight loss ("Eating Disorders Warning Signs"). Bulimia, just like Anorexia, also has many symptoms. Since bulimics try to get rid of their food after they have eaten, someone with Bulimia may take frequent trips to the bathroom to secretly vomit after they eat. A bulimic may also have extreme concerns about their weight, may be depressed, and have a fear that once they start to eat they would not be able to stop. This person could also have secretive binges, which afterwards they would go and vomit to get rid of the food they just ate. A binge is when a person eats an extremely large amount of food in a short period of time ("Eating Disorders Warning Signs"). A person's weight would start to vary and change very often, usually in the ten to fifteen pound range. They may start to notice that they have broken blood vessels, a sore throat, shortness of breath, stomach pain, chest pains, and bloating. If someone is Bulimic, you may also start to notice that they try to avoid restaurants, planned meals, and social events. The one symptom that fools most people is that Bulimics usually stay at their normal weight (Thompson). Some people underestimate the results of having an eating disorder. The results are so severe that these disorders could lead to permanent damage, or even death.
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