Obesity

Obesity

Over the last 25 years eating disorders have become an epidemic in America. Dr. Eric Stice, an assistant professor  of psychology and eating disorders researcher at University of Texas at Austin, says currently 30 percent of Americans are obese, with only 4 percent who meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge-eating disorder, but obesity receives the least amount of attention.

I personally found this article to be as fascinating but disturbing. Seeing people who had experience with an eating disorder you can imagine the suffering from obesity. My opinion is that obesity is a psychiatric disorder, or eating disorder. I say this because food as any other type of substance abuse, is a coping mechanism. Someone who is addicted to food uses food as a way to feel better about a situation , other than to nourish the body.

Although obesity is one of the second most preventable cause of death in the United

States it does not draw as much attention from the media. Individuals that die from anorexia, bulimia or other eating disorder are typically young, famous personalities and make a much more rememberable story.An article by HealthSquare.com states, the past few years, the media has been filled with the tragic stories of famous people whose abnormal eating disorder led them to a serious health problem or led them to death. For the most part, these women who suffered anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. These eating disorders affect approximately 8.5 million Americans mostly young women and teenage girls. The opposite, excessive overweight which is obesity, rarely deadly in itself, increases your risk of life threatening medical conditions that can bring on a heart disease.

In human service you maybe be brought on a case where you have to deal with a family with teenager dealing with an eating disorder . You have to be able to direct the teenager to a center where they can be offered help....