Body Image and Eating Disorders in Young People
Adequate and balanced nutrition is important for completing growth and development, sustaining life, preventing diseases and protecting health.
In today's society, children and young people are the target audience of many consumption-based sectors. Both the food and beauty industries use all their marketing opportunities for these groups. On the one hand, popular fast food chains with plenty of calories cause an imbalance in eating habits, on the other hand, the understanding of mass media that reduces beauty to centimeters constantly puts young people under pressure.
When the adolescent's interest in dealing with his own body is added to these, he is almost hungry. It is easier to understand why diets that can be considered fad have become a part of adolescent culture.
The period in which eating disorders are most common is adolescence. There may be periods when the adolescent misjudges his body image, perceives himself as fat, refuses to eat, and therefore loses excessive weight. Methods such as diet programs that lead to starvation, self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and the use of diuretics and laxatives can be observed frequently.
Eating Disorders
Every day. Many people are affected by eating disorders. Eating disorders, which cause serious physical and psychological consequences, have increased towards the end of the last century, and the risk of death has increased, especially in anorexia nervosa.
In anorexia nervosa; There are voluntary behaviors for weight loss. The individual, who is excessively preoccupied with weight loss, food and weight, has an intense fear of gaining weight. While the absence of menstruation accompanies these problems, it is observed that the body image is distorted.
While the serious medical consequences of the disease are denied, losing weight is considered a great success and self-esteem may depend entirely on it.
Restricting food consumption, not eating any food groups, heavy exercise, constant movement, vomiting, use of bowel movement accelerators and diuretics, excessive preoccupation with food, collecting recipes, family activities Preparing meals for one's meals and hoarding food can be seen.
The meaning of body shape and weight is distorted. They are aware that they are thin, but they may still find some body parts overweight.
Anorexia nervosa, which is more common in women, is more common in industrialized societies where being attractive and beautiful is associated with being thin, after stressful life events, and in individuals whose first-degree relatives have anorexia. It is common.
All-or-nothing thinking style, low motivation to get better, is present in individuals with anorexia.
In Bulimia Nervosa; Binge eating attacks, excessive preoccupation with food and weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and inappropriate behaviors to balance the high calories that can be consumed during binge eating attacks are observed. Weight may be excessive or normal.
Bulimia nervosa begins after successful or unsuccessful dieting.
Weight loss does not reach the level of anorexia nervosa, restricted eating, binge eating. There are eating attacks, abdominal swelling and pain, vomiting, self-induced vomiting, feeling of guilt, depression, use of laxatives and diuretics for weight control.
Fear of not being able to stop eating, recurrent period of strict diet, loss of control and eating following a strict diet. attacks, excessive fluctuation in weight, excessive preoccupation with body image, shape and weight, but not being able to lose as much weight as in anorexia nervosa, psychological and behavioral problems, difficulty in impulse control.
The common basic point in both disorders is that regardless of the consequences. , the irresistible desire to be thin, and the fact that self-worth depends entirely on body perception.
Perfectionism, low self-esteem, and the inability to cope with negative emotions are observed in the psychological structures of individuals with eating disorders.
University students. Disorders in eating attitudes are more common among people.
Early intervention and healthy eating habits are very important for physical and mental health. It is often not easy to convince an individual who tries to prevent the problem from being understood from the outside to seek professional support. Choosing programs that will prevent repetition in the professional support process and having family and friends to support the process. It is very important.
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