A Look Into the World of Psychology

A glance into the World of Psychology: Pop-Culture Assignment

Allison Kovacs

Purdue University

A glance into the World of Psychology: Pop-Culture Assignment

Eating Disorders

This article discusses eating disorders: the warning signs, the consequences, who it affects, and why it happens. This article shines a light on an immensely growing problem in the United States, bringing into focus how the country “prizes thinness” (Haupt, 2014). This article takes a close look into anorexia nervosa, bulimia, purge eating disorder, and what is specific to each of these disorders. This article also discusses how eating disorders affect both men and women, and how no one is immune to an eating disorder.

Eating disorders fall under the category of motivation and emotion in psychology: motivation and emotion work together to influence people’s behaviors and the choices that they make. In class, it was established that eating disorders are psychological disorders: they are typically characterized by a mental distortion of one’s appearance and weight. They are studied in psychology in order to understand the mental processes that go on behind them: why do they happen, what causes them, how can they be treated. Psychologists also study how the effects of social media can play a role in developing an eating disorder. Although no true treatments have been established for eating disorders, psychologists are working hard to better understand them.

Anorexia nervosa is defined in psychology as an eating disorder marked by a person refusing to maintain a normal weight. This article supports this definition, and discusses the side effects anorexia can have. It can cause “heart problems, hair loss, and in severe cases, death” (Haupt, 2014). Anorexia can also cause slowing, or cessation of menstruation. Common warning signs of anorexia include dramatic weight loss, refusal to eat food, withdrawal from daily life, and vigorous exercise routines. Anorexia typically effects young...