The Drive

The Drive

An eating disorder is a mental illness in which someone obsesses over his or her intake of food as a way of coping and gaining some control in their life. Up to 24 million people of all ages and genders have an eating disorder of any kind in the United States. Unlike other self-destructive lifestyles and behaviors, eating disorders are especially unique. Humans by nature have to eat to survive, but for women and men with eating disorders, it's more than practicing "moderation" and in many cases recovery is literally a matter of life and death. But what causes eating disorders, what drives a person to harm themselves this way? Is it society, parenting styles, sports, or is it much deeper than any of that? Why aren’t men with eating disorders given the same attention as women with eating disorders, why are they turned away from rehabilitation centers? Before I could even begin to focus on the problems that induce eating disorders, I first had to figure out who has eating disorders, and what eating disorders (ED) are out there. I started by researching the different types of EDs.
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight, a distortion of body image and intense fear of gaining weight, a lack of menstruation among girls and women, and extremely disturbed eating behavior. Some people with anorexia lose weight by dieting and exercising excessively; others lose weight by self-induced vomiting, or misusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas. Many people with anorexia see themselves as overweight, even when they are starved or are clearly malnourished. Eating, food and weight control become obsessions. A person with anorexia typically weighs herself or himself repeatedly, portions food carefully, and eats only very small quantities of only certain foods. Some who have anorexia recover with treatment after only one episode. Others get well but have relapses. Still others have a more...