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Youth Program Central* Search for Eating Disorders Programs
EATING DISORDERS THROUGHOUT HISTORY Eating disorders have not just recently surfaced in response to the ever powerful societal pressure to be thin. (1) Eating disorders have been present for centuries, for a variety of reasons, and are not solely manifested by self-starvation. Categories of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating. (2) This essay will focus on anorexia and bulimia. ANOREXIA Anorexia, as defined by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary is "a serious disorder in eating behavior primarily of young women in their teens and early twenties that is characterized especially by a pathological fear of weight gain leading to faulty eating patterns, malnutrition, and usually excessive weight loss." (3) The earliest recorded death from anorexia occurred in Rome in 383 A.D. This death was from starvation attributed to following after the leadership of a St. Jerome. St. Jerome taught that the body was an evil, worldly thing to be denied. Three reported instances of anorexia occurred during the Dark Ages. Two cases were attributed to apparent Satanic possession. The third was an effort by a young princess to make herself repulsive enough to escape an upcoming marriage arranged by her father. (4) In the thirteenth century, anorexia was seen among religious women. They lived in a culture that valued spiritual strength and fasting was seen as a means to achieve it. Some of these religious based anorexics were canonized for their "holy" practices. (2) The first recorded description of anorexia from a physician occurred in 1649 in England. In 1870, also by a physician in England, this eating disorder was described again. This was done so by a Sir William Gull who named the disease, anorexia nervosa, which means "nervous loss of appetite." (5) BULIMIA Bulimia, as defined by Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary is "a serious eating disorder that occurs chiefly in females, is characterized by compulsive overeating usually followed by self-induced vomiting or laxative or diuretic abuse, and is often accompanied by guilt and depression." (6) Ancient Egyptians participated in frequent purges in an attempt to maintain physical health. And who could forget about the Romans who purged after a meal in order to return to the "dinner table" and start all over again. Ancient Grecians were also recorded to participate in bulimic practices. Eighteenth century records from France use the word "La Boulimie" to describe the bulimic pattern of over-eating. Dr. Gerald Russell, of England, was the first to name this binging and purging disorder "bulimia nervosa." Prior to the 1970's, bulimia was linked to anorexia and thought to occur in the late stages of anorexia. In the mid 1970's, bulimia was placed in its own category and recognized as a different disorder. (5) EATING DISORDERS TODAY 0.5% - 3.7% of females suffer from Anorexia Nervosa in their lifetime 1.1% - 4.2% of females suffer from Bulimia Nervosa in their lifetime 10%-25% of all those battling anorexia will die as a direct result of the eating disorder Up to 19% of college aged women in America are bulimic (7) Whether it's anorexia or bulimia, eating disorders are not a new phenomenon. If you are suffering from an eating disorder and are looking for help, check out Youth Program Central. We offer a comprehensive listing of available eating disorder treatment centers. You may find just what you've been looking for. REFERENCES 1. Mental-Health-Matters.com. "A Brief History of Eating Disorders." 2001-2003. (11 Nov. 2003). 2. Kuehnel Deborah J. "History. Are Eating Disorders New?" 1998. (11 Nov. 2003). 3. Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary." 2003. (11 Nov. 2003). 4. "History of Eating Disorders." Breaking Free From Eating Disorders. 2002. (11 Nov. 2003). 5. Support, Concern, and Resources for Eating Disorders (S.C.a.R.E.D.) "History of Eating Disorders." 2000-2001. (11 Nov. 2003). 6. Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary." 2003. (11 Nov. 2003). 7. What You Need to Know About. "General Eating Disorder Statistics." 2003. (11 Nov. 2003)
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