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Bulimia and Anorexia

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Compare/Contrast Essay

Bulimia and Anorexia in Physical Education

How many times have you stepped on the scale thinking to yourself that you weigh too much? More than half of the population that thinks they are overweight, in fact, are not. One of the most common answers for always feeling “fat” is the development of an eating disorder. This usually happens in women from the ages of 12-25. It is important to understand the significance of serious eating disorders, such as anorexia and bulimia, as well as their similarities and differences when going into physical education in order to better spot and stop them.

One of the hardest aspects of these disorders is figuring out who could possibly be suffering from them. Some of the easiest ways to detect an eating disorder is if they are complaining of constipation or stomach aches, mood swings, social withdrawal, excessive exercise, and concern about weight. Those can both be associated with both anorexia and bulimia. But they also hold their own set of symptoms particular to themselves. For example, people suffering from anorexia may complain about being fat, have dramatic weight loss, and are usually extremely underweight. Whereas bulimics eat secretively, loose and gain a lot of weight, and have yellowed teeth.

The causes for anorexia and bulimia have not officially been found. Researchers have done numerous studies and can pin point certain factors. For Anorexia they believe that it is caused by biological, psychological and social factors. It could also have to deal with family problems, standards, rules, or disturbed communication. Bulimia, because it is usually found in young people in their early 20’s, researchers have pinned that the most likely cause is from stress at school or leaving home. Bulimia, like anorexia as well, has a lot to do with psychological factors too.

As any disease, only professionals should handle treatment. One of the most successful treatments

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