Timed Writing - Cause and Effect Essay

Eating disorders occur more commonly than you may think. Why? Because stick-thin women or buff men are portrayed constantly in the media. Teens are not the only ones who are affected by these images; eating disorders are happening more and more in 11 and 12 year olds as well, possibly because of the certain television shows that they watch. It seems almost impossible to turn on the television or browse the internet without seeing advertisements, commercials, or pop-ups boxes that talk about losing weight. Teens are being exposed to these body images that actually may not be healthy, and they feel the need to look like the people in the movies and magazines. To do so, teens often turn to eating disorders. Some eating disorders include anorexia, bulimia, and purging. Anorexia is the refusal to eat on a regular basis. Some people with anorexia will go days upon days without eating hardly anything. Bulimia is when one eats, and immediately forces themself to throw up so that they do not gain any weight. Purging is a combination of anorexia and bulimia. A person will go days without eating, and then eat an excessive amount. After "stuffing their faces", they will force themself to throw up. What many people do not know about eating disorders is that they really aren't an effective way to lose weight. By depriving yourself of proper nutrients, your metabolism slows down so that when you DO eat something, your body saves all of calories and carbs since it doesn't know when it will be fed again. In turn, you will actually GAIN weight from anorexia. With bulimia, even if you make yourself throw up right after you ingest food, not all of the food will be regurgitated. Some of the nutrients and fat and calories will be absorbed into your blood, or will have already gotten down into your stomache. Eating disorders may seem like the easy, quick way to lose weight, but in the long run, it causes more severe problems than a few extra pounds.