Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders

Eating Disorders–A Perplexing Eating Behavior

Seeking food is a profound inherent drive found in all living organisms to ensure proper functioning of their biological systems. Adequate coexistence of hunger and satiety brings health and wellbeing and inadequacy in food intake can threaten the health and survival. Eating behavior is a complex phenomenon compounded by interplay of central nervous system, endocrine and gastrointestinal systems linked with numerous neural pathways [1]. To put anything in mouth is a discernible human behavior and governed by hunger, hormones, emotions, and desires. Numerous life events may claw the normal eating behavior leading to aberrant eating pattern, if prolonged can result in Eating Disorders (ED). Anorexia nervosa, bulimia or binge eating are common eating disorders which affects millions of people of all ages, men, women particularly teenage girls. Major causes of ED were associated with physical and emotional destructions due to psychological and socio-cultural factors. New researches are indicating its link with genetic and neurochemical pursuits. In most cases of anorexia, the victims have high self-image and want to protect oneself from body shaming. ED victims are often entrapped in fancy images of their bodies in social and media circles and are either unaware or refuse to accept their problem and its adverse consequences. ED is a manifestation of anxiety and trauma of self-image stirring to the extent of hospitalization and fatal stage.

Author(s):

Anjana Agarwal

Abstract | Full-Text | PDF

Share this