Mentally, Yours

Eating disorders are complex mental health conditions that involve excessive or little intake of food by the individual. These unhealthy eating habits are fuelled by body image issues, body weight or interest in food. They are of two major types: Anorexia Nervosa which involves individuals viewing themselves as 'overweight' when in reality, they are underweight. This unhealthy viewing of themselves make them monitor their weight by controlling what they eat as well as 'counting calories' and thus, eating lesser than required. Bulimia Nervosa is the second type, which involves eating large amounts of food at a specific period of time, and later, purging it out through induced vomiting or other means. Binging (uncontrollable eating) can also be counted under this disorder. Though this affects individuals of all ages and genders, it is usually women and adolescents who undergo the same. About 13% of the youth suffer at least one eating disorder by the time they reach the a...

By Ganga Santhosh, 1830236 The cognitive approach assumes that our thought process affects the way we behave. A cognitive approach to eating disorders analyses the same. The two major eating disorders are Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia is when one feels they are overweight, when they are actually underweight and doesn’t eat. Bulimia Nervosa is a disorder caused by binge-eating or overeating. Eating disorders are complex in nature because a variety of factors underlie it and has the highest mortality rate among other disorders.   People with eating disorders are found to hav e significant neurological and brain activity differences, proved by neuroimaging experiments. Their self-regulation is weakened which makes them eat more or less, shown  by  brain scans. Cognitive theory of eating disorders says that dysfunctional attitudes about physical appearance give rise to eating disorders. These attitudes lead to development of faulty schemas during the development of o...

  EAT IT.  SOCIETY, CULTURE AND OUR DINING TABLES.  ANJALI MUKHERJEE, 1830228 On May, of year 2018, I first noticed Jameela Jamil and her thunderous tweets coupled with powerful writing against the Kardarshians. She thundered them down, quite literally, over radio waves on a podcast. Her criticism was bold and sharp; she wasn’t shying away from stating the problem the Kardarshains were perpetuating- and this wasn’t their own selves, but the ideas they were selling. As Jamil said- “You’re selling us self-consciousness. The same poison that made you clearly develop some sort of body dysmorphic or facial dysmorphic, you are now pouring back into the world." The next year Jamil moved even more swiftly, and significantly in her fight. She started a campaign, and raised voices. The entertainment industry, otherwise quite vocal, was mostly, deafeningly mum about the core perpetrators of the ideology. Jamil’s campaign was garnering not just eyeballs but generating interest. ...

  According to the biological model, disorders have a biochemical or physiological basis. There is an investigation into the functioning and structure of the nervous system, brain, production of hormones and neurotransmitters as well as inheritance of genetic material. Reasons Research into the biological factors that dispose and maintain eating disorders (ED) is currently at its infancy stage however the data mined is of great magnitude as this partly answers the question as to why both anorexic and bulimic patients relapse quite easily during recovery.  A high to moderate inherited predisposition towards eating disorders has been proven to exist among patients. Genetic and familial history contribute approximately 56 percent of the risk in developing an eating disorder. Researchers have also found genetic links to physical activity, the metabolism of glucose and how the body uses fat thus supporting the view genetic factors help in the perpetuation of anorexia nervosa (...

  Suzanne Elsa Saji, 1830275  She lays there on the bathroom floor for a while, contemplating how she even got there in the first place. “Why can’t I just be normal?” she thought to herself. Food was supposed to be something that brought comfort but why is that not in her case? As her tired and restless mind tries to make sense of it all, she hears that oh so familiar voice from the back of her head, telling, urging, coercing her to do what she came to do. She makes relentless efforts to fight back, but she was exhausted with the shouting and screaming, so without another thought, she gives in to the bullying voice and does what she does best, she sticks her finger down her throat and forces it out.   Bulimia nervosa (binge eating which is later followed by purging), is a minuscule part of the broad spectrum of eating disorders we see in the world today. An eating disorder does not only have negative effects on the body and health but it is also emotionally and menta...

by Faith L. Pakhuongte, 1830234, 5CEP B The Behaviorist Approach is different from the other approaches, which means when individuals exposed to external stimuli affect their observable behavior, that is, how they respond and behave towards that stimuli. Individuals exposed to external stimuli such as social media as an example, they see other individuals their age, who present different body types that lead to a lot of insecurities and comparing themselves to the others if they are not satisfied with how they look. According to research, teenage girls are more exposed to these situations in which they feel unsatisfied with the way their bodies look and focus too much on their weight, body shape, and food, and this leads to dangerous eating behaviors. Eating disorders can harm the heart, digestive system, bones, teeth, and will also lead to other diseases. Diagnosis Eating disorders are usually diagnosed based on signs, symptoms, and eating habits of an individual. If an individual is ...