Is anorexia and or bulemia a DISEASE... or abject STUPIDITY?

Question

I mean... just THINK about it. All the person needs to do is get a life and eat normally, while giving no thought to it. And do lots of other things in life that are fun, so as to keep their minds off of it. Right?

To "Steven R" So your way of bolstering your weak ego is to act like a "big man," criticizing a very legitimate question. It's pretty evident that you can't respond to it. Reminds me of an old saying: "It's better to keep silent when you know nothing about a subject, than to speak up and remove all doubt."

To "abfabmom" -- Having seen some of my other posts/questions, you apparently know that I'm a strong opponent of bigotry. But that topic is apples-and-oranges to THIS one. I am genuinely curious about this apparent pathology, since I see no reason why... once a person knows he/she is anorexic... wouldn't simply EAT, and thus get over it, toot-sweet. I'm getting some good answers here. And hope to gain a better understanding of the actual nature of it. And would have welcomed one such from you.

To "matador89" -- Thanks for your good and informative answer, and the link. (And to many others in here who have helped me to gain a better understanding of this.)

To "selfemployed" -- You clearly didn't understand that my question was framed from the standpoint of the way that countless millions of Americans PERCEIVE this disorder. Using that as a starting point, I then proceeded to ask what the reality is -- the perception of so many millions, as stated... or something quite different.

Many people's responses, unlike yours, have been helpful and enlightening.

To "Steven R" and "abfabmom" -- THANKS to your further details. Very informative (including the links) and much appreciated!

To "selfemployed" -- You STILL don't get it.

Answer 1

I thought you were all about eliminating bigotry?

Really, you should open your mind to the fact that all humans are different, and just because you don't understand someone else's problems, that doesn't mean that they're not real problems.

++++++++++++++++++++

I'm glad to know you're open minded to learning about this, Roadrat. Just so you know, the way your question is worded, you sound extremely bigoted on this subject. Although I will say that most bigotry is based in ignorance, so I will give you credit for trying to correct your lack of knowledge.

It's not as easy as "just getting a life"...It is a disease. If it weren't, they'd just call it starving yourself...the doctors wouldn't have given it a name, especially one that is considered by professionals to be a 'disorder'. Just like you don't just get over being bi-polar, you don't just get over being anorexic or bulimic.

In an effort to help eliminate your lack of knowledge, I have attached a few links. Hope the reading materials can help out!

Answer 2

There are many similarities in both illnesses Anorexia and Bulimia, the most common being the cause. There seems to be a common occurrence of sexual and/or physical and emotional abuse in direct relation to eating disorders (though not all people living with Eating Disorders are survivors of abuse). There also seems to be a direct connection in some people to clinical Depression. The eating disorder sometimes causes the depression or the depression can lead to the eating disorder. All in all, eating disorders are very complex emotional issues -- Though they may seem to be nothing more than a dangerously obsessive weight concern on the surface, for most men and women suffering with an eating disorder there are deeper emotional conflicts to be resolved.
I add a link with details of these illnesses

http://www.avalonhills.org/
info/bulimia-anorexia-
difference.html

Hope this helps
matador 89

Answer 3

Anorexia and Bulimia are both eating disorderds, they are not disease but it IS an illness. When People go bulimic or Anorexic they usually have underlying problems at home. school or work as well as thinking that theyre fat and over weight when in realitiy they are usually either the right weight for their size and age or underweight. To recover form anorexia or bulimia a person usually beeded to to se a dietician to be re-educated about healthy eating and phcologist to sort out any other underlying problems that may have triggered the anorexia or bulimia

Answer 4

Wrong. It's a mental illness that manifests physically. Can a severely depressed person just think positively and not try to shoot himself? No. It's not that easy.

An anorexic or bulemic sees something different when they look into a mirror. Even if they are 85 pounds, they still see a person who is obese standing before them, like a funhouse mirror. Control is also a common theme. When everything in their lives seem so out of control, they try to control the one thing they can - their weight and what they eat or do not eat.

It often takes years of therapy to recover. Some never do. It's a serious problem that's not as simple as black and white.

Answer 5

It involves more than just eating. It's a disease because these people really have deeper issues that go beyond the easy act of putting food in their mouths. It's not about the food, actually. It's not even about their weight. That's why they're encouraged to get psychological help because it runs deeper than food and weight. Eating is the one thing they can control, so they use it instead of facing the real issues they have to deal with; just like drug addicts and alcoholics.

Answer 6

properly honestly you're the two ideal and incorrect. further and extra all of us is choosing to "have" those ailments for interest or only to lose 5-10lbs. even nevertheless i in my opinion exchange into bulimic for an prolonged time. i exchange into obese and desperately wanted to shed pounds. in the previous each and every thing I did it because of the fact it exchange right into a speedy answer then after 2 weeks i observed it grew to become addictive and that i mandatory to do it. If i did no longer I spent the completed day stressing and freaking out thinking i exchange into going to benefit particularly some weight. After a at the same time as i observed I had a difficulty and alter into uninterested in treating myself that way so slowly I pushed myself back to consume in many situations. So each and every now and then it quite is a affliction. yet maximum persons only abuse the term to get interest, regrettably.

Answer 7

I don't think it's either. If one, it is more a disease, but it is a major psychological issue which takes over the sufferers life. It is not that easy to just eat again, even though to an outsider's perspective, it seems like such a simple solution.

Answer 8

it's a disease and it could affect someone suffering with it more emotionally than physically. you could say that someone just needs to eat or just not care what other people think but sometimes peoples' minds get so clouded and misunderstanding that they forget what what is best for themselves. i speak from experience, i was anorexic for about two years and i went into a deep depression and became suicidal. i wanted so badly to eat and to just be normal but i couldn't. it took over my life and i hated. this IS a disease of the mind, no if, ands, or buts.

Answer 9

it is a mental illness.

People don't know what they are doing when they do this and are not in their right minds and feeling very confused t the time

When i suffered from bulimia, I wanted to stop doing what i was doing because i knew i was harming my body, but the next time i ate, i had to be sick as i felt disgusting and fat.

It is something you never truly overcome but you have to deal with it throughout life.

Answer 10

bulimia*
Eating disorders are EXTREMELY hard to overcome.
you cant just wake up and say "oh i think i will eat normally today".
It is a disease. You cannot keep your minds off of it. It CONSUMES you.
Our lives are deciding what to eat, how to purge, how many hours to work out.
It is not caused by stupidity.
It isnt something people decide to be.
you really cannot understand until you have dealt with it yourself or have someone close to you dealing with it.