Anorexia, Bulimia, and Body Image Disorders (Part 1)

**Anorexia and bulimia**

**Image Perception Diseases**

New diseases in modern women

**New Woman**

Today, we simply want to remind young women living in modern times that while they are fighting for women's rights, they are also being quietly invaded by anorexia and bulimia.

1960 was a turning point in history. In the United States, the center of human commercial culture, the public's sentiment had quietly shifted. People were breaking away from tradition, and traditional female roles and physical images underwent significant changes. Marilyn Monroe was fortunate to be born 10 years earlier and achieve fame in the 1950s. However, a 1962 film revealed her "obesity," leading to her tragic death in 1962, thus ending the era of the "round and plump" female idol.

**Anorexia and Bulimia**

Due to differences in cultural background, level of industrialization, social structure, level of knowledge dissemination, ethnicity, and survey time, the distribution varies. In fact, even the diagnostic criteria for DSM-III and DSM-IIIR differ. The authors compiled the results from their community research into the two tables below. The UK and Japan also have their own diagnostic criteria, which is the direction the authors are striving towards in their home countries.

To achieve early diagnosis, the National Institute of Nutrition in the United States proposed a set of early symptoms for anorexia and bulimia in 1989. Although dieting and weight loss are very common among young people, further evaluation is necessary when dieting leads to complaints about body shape and feelings of social isolation; if weight loss causes menstruation to stop, further examination is even more necessary.

Other similar but not the same diseases

The diagnosis of anorexia and bulimia can be confused with some emotional and physical disorders. When a young person is depressed, they may experience weight loss, but this does not necessarily occur with anorexia or loss of appetite. Unlike anorexia and bulimia, there is no distorted sense of body image, an extreme pursuit of thinness, or a fear of obesity.

Additionally, a patient with schizophrenia may avoid food, suspect it is poisonous, or experience abnormal bodily sensations; unlike anorexia, these characteristics in schizophrenia are often accompanied by a wide range of bizarre thoughts and no motivation to lose weight. Some patients with suffocation phobia and psychogenic vomiting may experience vomiting or food avoidance after a specific traumatic event, but these patients are genuinely distressed by their inability to eat and do not wish to lose weight; in patients with psychogenic vomiting, vomiting is not a method of controlling weight or body image.

Diagnosis of anorexia (at least one of the following items)

A. Someone said I've recently lost weight. In this age group, my current weight is less than 15% below the ideal weight.

B. My family and friends say I'm too thin, but I still feel overweight. I diet or eat vegetarian food to prevent weight gain. To lose weight, I do very intense exercise. I'm terrified of gaining weight, even though others think I'm too light. If I gain even a little weight, I worry that I'll continue to gain weight.

C. I feel I'm too fat. I believe my thighs are too thick. My waist is too thick. I'm satisfied with my figure. I feel my hips are too big. I pay close attention to my weight and figure. I only want to be as thin as possible.

D. Have you missed your period for more than three consecutive months (pregnancy is not considered)?

Diagnostic criteria for bulimia (at least one of each criterion)

A. I will eat like crazy, until my stomach feels uncomfortable. I will eat until I feel like throwing up. I will "binge eat" in one meal. I will binge eat until someone else comes in. Binge eating here refers to eating a very large amount of food quickly and without chewing it properly in a short period of time by yourself.

B. I tend to eat a lot at once and feel like I can't stop. After overeating, I experience extreme guilt, anxiety, or a sense of loss of control.

C. I diet or go on a vegetarian diet to prevent weight gain. I use laxatives, diuretics, or diet pills to expel food I eat. To lose weight, I do very intense exercise. I try to vomit or defecate to reduce my weight.

D. For the past three months, I've been binge eating at least twice a week on average.

E. I am terrified of gaining weight, even though everyone thinks I'm too underweight. I'm very conscious of my weight and figure. I only want to be as thin as possible. If I gain even a little weight, I worry that it will continue to increase.

Early symptoms of bulimia and anorexia

1. Desired weight has changed

2. Still complaining about your body shape while dieting.

3. Social isolation caused by weight loss

4. No menstruation

5. Hiding food, vomiting, and misuse of laxatives, diuretics, and weight-loss pills.

Excessive focus on autonomous identity and separation

Modern women are more independent, receiving the same educational opportunities as men from a young age, facing the same challenges in exams, and competing in society and their professions. Their interpersonal skills can no longer withstand discriminatory criticism, yet they have paid an excessive price for autonomy. Furthermore, regarding identity, women demand to be complete individuals, not taking their husbands' surnames, nor wanting to be called "Mrs. X," but rather "Miss X." This is a concern about identity, while separation is becoming increasingly common in our society.

My colleagues in Germany often move out of school during high school, and modern couples often share a room but sleep in separate rooms. This is an example of excessive concern and separation. The movie "My Way" is a typical case of anorexia in an upper-class American family. Due to the pursuit of perfection, there is pressure to lose weight and a lot of attention is paid to weight. In the end, the pressure to achieve results overrides everything else. At work, subordinates are under control, and family members are also under control. This feeling extends to controlling even one's own weight.