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1t
is this environ–
men
t
that many
anorectics rebel
against. They feel
that they can no
longer comply with
and accommodate
othe r s' demands
upon their lives.
Society is another
key factor in determin–
ing the cause of anorex–
ia. The "in thing" in
today's Western world is to
be th in. A brief glance
through any fashion magazine
will tell that story. Protruding
cheek and hip bones are presented
as essential to what goes toward
having the ideal female shape.
One study of anorexia showed
that magazine centerfolds as well as
beau ty pageant contestants have
decreased in size over the past 20
years. Miss America winners, for
example, have been an average 1O
percent thinner than other contes–
tants in the last severa) years.
Peer pressure also takes its toll.
Females, especially those in the
younger age bracket, fe.el compelled
to look like the fashion models with–
out regard to the state of their health
or difference in structure.
Bulimia, Too
But anorexia is not the only eating
disorder that is becoming more
common. Colleges are now plagued
with its counterpart , bulimia
(binge-purge syndrome). l t is esti–
mated that nearly half of the vic–
tims of anorexia also develop
bulimia. Sorne studies estímate that
one out of five college women
engages in bulimic activity- a
practice of consuming huge quanti–
ties of food and then getting rid of
it by vomiting or excessive use of
laxatives or diuretics.
The origin of bulimia certainly
extends back to ancient Rome.
Accepted as common practice, the
participants would gorge them-
May 1984
selves, force themselves to vomit
and then return to the tables to
continue overeating.
Causes of bulimia are also close–
ly linked with societal influences.
General Milis'
Contemporary Nu–
trition
bulletin put the problem in
these words: "As society has placed
greater emphasis on the desirability
of thinness in women, it is likely
that this emphasis has caused more
and more individuals to vomit in
order to control thei.J; weight."
This practice obviously wreaks
havoc on a healthy body. Sorne of
the complications include: heart
abnormalities; irritation of the
esophagus; tooth decay; kidney
problems; dangerously low levels of
potassium; extreme weakness;
stomach rupture; and hormonal
imbalance.
Exercise
Not only does the anorectic starve
herself, she also exercises with
obsession. She feels that
any
calories
she consumes must be used immedi–
ately. Running is often the form of
exercise the anorectic uses.
Whole magazines are published
that focus entirely on the body. Our
society has become transfixed witb
the idea of the perfect body.
Athletes often experience trouble
with eating disorders through trying
to keep them-
selves in shape for
their events. Ballet
dancers and gymnasts are
especially susceptible. Anorectic or
~
bul imic activity is the one way they
li
feel they can maintain their weight
~
at an acceptable leve!.
Men who suffer from anorexia or
bulimia are often obsessed with
exercise. Studies compared the
characteristics of these compulsive
male joggers with those of female
anorectics. According to the
New
England Journa/ of Medicine,
"The typical anorexic woman
... [has] many comparable charac–
teristics, aJthough ber goal is physi–
cal attractiveness rather than physi–
cal effectiveness."
Male anorectics differ from
women in other ways. Men "are
more often underachievers, work–
ing hard but often in a chaotic and
haphazard way, unlike the obses–
sively ordered work rituals that
female anorexics typically devel–
op," reports
Psychology Today.
Symptoms
Excessive, compulsive exercise is
not the only symptom, however.
(Continued on page 44)
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