Section 2

Section 2
Eating Disorders Eating Disorders
Objectives
䊳 Identify health risks
associated with anorexia.
Objectives 䊳 Explain the relationship
Before class begins, write the objectives between bulimia and
on the board. Have students copy the dieting.
䊳 List the main health risks Myth Eating disorders affect only females.
objectives into their notebooks at the
start of class. of binge eating disorder.
Fact Eating disorders affect females more
Vocabulary than males, but males do develop eating
disorders. Because of this myth males are
1. Focus •
•
eating disorder
anorexia nervosa
even less likely than females to seek help
for an eating disorder.
• bulimia
• binge eating disorder What factors other than gender
might keep someone from seeking help for an
Warm-Up Myth/Fact eating disorder?

Ask students why they think this

myth about eating disorders exists.
(Media attention has been focused
on eating disorders in females.) Have Anorexia Nervosa
students share their responses to What image comes to mind when you hear the word Thanksgiving?
the writing assignment. List the Do you think of a turkey dinner with all the trimmings? In most cultures,
suggested factors on the board and people celebrate holidays and other important occasions by preparing
refer to the list as you discuss each traditional foods. But for some people food can be a source of anxiety.
eating disorder. An eating disorder is a mental disor-
der that reveals itself through abnormal
Teaching Transparency W13
behaviors related to food. Eating disor-
ders are about more than just food. They
are about emotions, thoughts, and atti-
tudes. A person with anorexia nervosa
2. Teach (an uh REK see uh nur VOH suh) doesn’t
eat enough food to maintain a healthy
body weight. The main symptom is
L3 EL Reading/Note Taking 4-2 extreme weight loss. Other symptoms
include slowed heart and breathing
L2 Adapted Reading/Note Taking 4-2
rates, dry skin, lowered body tempera-
ture, and growth of fine body hair. In
Anorexia Nervosa females, another symptom is loss of
menstrual periods.
L3 Addressing Misconceptions
Anorexia Nervosa Students may think of
FIGURE 7 People with anorexia think
anorexia nervosa as a physical problem. they are fat even when they are thin.
Point out that anorexia involves changes Anorexia affects about one out of
every one hundred teenaged girls.
in brain chemistry that are similar to
those that occur in individuals who 90 Chapter 4
have anxiety disorders. Although many
symptoms of anorexia are physical, the
underlying problem is not.

TEENS Are Asking . . .

Q: How can I tell if my friend Kim has she try to hide her weight loss by wearing
anorexia or is just dieting? bulky clothing? Does she have a specific
goal (for example, losing five pounds) or
A: There are several behaviors you can look
does she not mention a specific goal or
for when trying to distinguish anorexia from
stopping point? These indicators are not
ordinary dieting. Is Kim willing to discuss
foolproof, so it is always wise to talk with a
her diet with close friends or is she secretive
trusted adult if you are worried that a
about her eating habits? Is she excited to
friend may have an eating disorder.
share news about her weight loss or does

90 Chapter 4
 Do the images show a narrow
MEDIA Wise
range of body shapes and sizes?
Body Image and Magazines Body Image and Magazines
Are the females in the images
taller and thinner than typical
Have students bring in magazines
Many teens are not satisfied with the size or shape
of their bodies. This dissatisfaction can sometimes teenage girls? to analyze. Provide additional
lead to an eating disorder. Images in magazines can magazines for students to use.
Are the males in the images
contribute to the problem. Use this checklist to eval- taller and more muscular Allow students to work
uate the messages that teen magazines send about than typical teenage boys? Activity in pairs or small groups
your body and appearance.
Are there stories about people to analyze the images, but have
who are dieting, bulking up, them do the writing assignment
or getting a makeover? by themselves. Allow students to
Does the magazine make you record in their private journals
feel dissatisfied with your body? how looking at the images made
them feel.
Two or more “Yes” answers reveal how magazines
influence readers’ feelings about their own bodies.

Activity Look at a magazine that is aimed at teens. L2 Building Vocabulary

Use the checklist to evaluate the images in the maga- Explain that the word anorexia literally
zine. Then write a paragraph summarizing what you
means “lack of appetite.” Ask: Why is
learned. Also describe how looking at the images
affected you.
this an inaccurate description of
anorexia nervosa? (Individuals with
anorexia nervosa have a normal
appetite and do experience hunger.)
Health Risks Even when they are extremely thin, people with
L3 Building Health Skills
anorexia see themselves as fat and work hard to lose more weight. They
may use exercise or diet pills to help lose weight. A person with anorexia Advocacy Ask students to make a
can starve to death. In some cases, a lack of essential minerals causes pamphlet or poster that describes the
the heart to stop suddenly, leading to death. possible causes, symptoms, treatments,
and health risks of anorexia nervosa.
Possible Causes The lack of a chemical that regulates mood is one Encourage students to use powerful
possible cause of anorexia. Other possible causes are low self-esteem and words and images to capture teens’
a strong desire to please others. A person with anorexia may have a his- attention. Arrange for students to
tory of troubled relationships. By controlling what they eat, or more display their completed posters or
accurately what they don’t eat, people with anorexia may be attempting pamphlets throughout the school.
to take control of their lives. Instead, the disorder begins to control them.

Treatment People with anorexia usually deny that there is a problem. Connect to Sample answer: Students may
They need to be encouraged to get help. Because of their extreme weight YOUR LIFE refer to media images, peer
loss, they are often first treated in a hospital. Doctors, nurses, and dieti- pressure, or the inability to participate
tians work together to stop the weight loss and change a person’s eating in activities.
habits. At the same time, mental health experts work with the patient and
family members to address the underlying emotional problems.

Connect to What factors might influence a person’s decision

YOUR LIFE to gain or lose weight?

Mental Disorders and Suicide 91

L2 Less Proficient Readers

Have students work in three groups. Each group has presented its information, ask
group should use the text to learn about students to preview the Section 2 Review
one of the eating disorders described in questions on page 93. If students cannot
this section. Ask the students in each group answer the questions, have them review
to find a creative way to share their infor- the information in the text to find the
mation with the other groups. After each answers.

Mental Disorders and Suicide 91

Chapter 4, Section 2
Bulimia
Bulimia Another eating disorder that is seen mainly in young women is bulimia.
People who have bulimia (byoo LIM ee uh) go on uncontrolled eating
L3 Online Activity binges followed by purging, or removing, the food from their bodies.
PHSchool.com
They purge the food by making themselves vomit or by using laxatives.
Use the Web Code to For: More on eating
access an online activity about eating disorders Health Risks Most people with bulimia maintain a weight within
disorders. Have students complete the Visit: PHSchool.com
Web Code: ctd-2042 their normal range. However, the cycle of bingeing and purging has a neg-
Web activity. ative effect on their health. They may suffer from dehydration, kidney
damage, and a lack of necessary vitamins and minerals. The stomach acid
L1 Visual Learning: Figure 8
in vomit irritates the throat and erodes the enamel from teeth. People
Ask students why it can be harder to with bulimia often become depressed and may even think about suicide.
recognize that a person has bulimia
as compared to anorexia. (There isn’t Possible Causes Many of the causes listed for anorexia also apply
usually an obvious weight loss with to bulimia. In addition, people who binge may use food as a way to feel
bulimia.) Emphasize the health risks better emotionally. Then they purge because they are concerned about
associated with bulimia. gaining weight. Bulimia may begin in connection with a diet, but the
person soon becomes unable to stop the cycle of bingeing and purging.
L2 Active Learning
Have students use a Venn diagram to Treatment People who have bulimia are aware of what they are
compare and contrast bulimia and doing, but they are unable to control their behavior. They often are too
ashamed of their behavior to seek help. If you know someone with the
anorexia nervosa. Ask students to
signs listed in Figure 8, offer your support in private. Then gently encour-
include information about the possible
age the person to seek the help of a mental-health professional. There are
causes, treatments, symptoms, and
many effective treatments for bulimia.
health risks of each disorder. After
FIGURE 8 Some athletes are at risk
students complete their diagrams, for an eating disorder because their Connect to If you suspected that a friend was bingeing and
have them make a large Venn diagram sport has rules about weight. For
YOUR LIFE purging, what would you say to your friend?
on the board or on an overhead example, a wrestler must be within
a set weight range to qualify for a
with information from their individual given weight class.
diagrams.

Connect to Allow students to answer

YOUR LIFE this question in their
private journals. Possible Signs of Bulimia
• Unable to control eating binges
• Eating too much food too quickly
• Eating in private
• Cycles of weight gain and loss
• Bathroom visits right after eating
• Hoarding or storing food

92

and Health
L3 Public Service Announcement
Have students write a brief announcement Challenge students to consider other aspects
about bulimia that is aimed at parents. of an announcement designed to appear on
The announcement should describe the television. For example, would they use a
eating disorder, explain the health risks, spokesperson or a voice over? What kind
and provide some possible warning signs. of images or music would they use?

92 Chapter 4
 Binge Eating Disorder
Binge Eating Disorder Visual Learning: Figure 9
Have you ever eaten so much at a holiday dinner that you couldn’t eat
dessert? Or perhaps you ate all of your Halloween candy in a single
Caption Answer Sample answer: Based
evening. Everyone overeats once in awhile. But some people cannot con- on the size and number of containers, if
trol their compulsion to overeat. People with binge eating disorder all this food were consumed by a single
regularly have an uncontrollable urge to eat large amounts of food. They person, it would qualify as a binge.
usually do not purge after a binge. People with binge eating disorder
L3 Building Health Skills
cannot stop eating even when they are full. They may intend to eat two
slices of bread and end up eating the entire loaf. Advocacy Have students discuss the
physical risks of binge eating, anorexia,
Health Risks Someone with binge eating disorder isn’t going to starve and bulimia. Ask students to describe
to death or suffer the consequences of repeated purging. But there are health strategies they would use to advocate
risks with binge eating. The main physical risks of binge eating disorder for a friend who has an eating disorder.
are excess weight gain and unhealthy dieting. When people gain an
unhealthy amount of weight, they are at greater risk for illnesses such as
diabetes, and physical disorders such as high blood pressure. To deal with
the weight gain from binges, some people try extreme diets that promise FIGURE 9 Someone with a binge
3. Assess
eating disorder eats a large amount
rapid weight loss. The hunger caused by such diets can trigger more binges, of food in a short amount of time.
which can trigger more dieting—a yo-yo effect. Evaluating Based on the Evaluate
containers, do you think the These assignments can help you assess
Possible Causes Some people use binge eating to avoid dealing with amount of food eaten qualifies
as a binge? Explain. students’ mastery of the section content.
difficult emotions, such as anger, or with stressful situations. The food
may provide some temporary relief, but it can lead to other difficult emo- Section 2 Review
tions, such as guilt or depression. Answers appear below.

Treatment People with binge eating disorder need help in learning Teaching Resources
how to control their eating. They may need to eat more slowly and deliber- • Practice 4-2
ately. They often need to address underlying emotional problems. • Section 4-2 Quiz

L2 Reteach
Health at School For each eating disorder described in
Section 2 Review the section, ask students to complete
Eating Disorders and Athletes Interview a the following sentence: I would suspect
coach or trainer about the role athletics may play
Key Ideas and Vocabulary that a friend had anorexia (bulimia,
in some eating disorders. Ask in which sports
1. What is an eating disorder? eating disorders are most often seen. Ask what a binge eating disorder) if I observed the
2. What health risks are associated with anorexia? coach or trainer can do to help prevent eating following three symptoms: . . .
Why are people with anorexia unlikely to ask disorders. Write a paragraph summarizing what
for help? you find out. L4 Enrich
3. What is bulimia? Explain the connection between Teaching Resources
bulimia and dieting.
• Enrich 4-2
4. What health risks are possible for someone with 6. Evaluating When Brittany visits her aunt, her aunt
binge eating disorder? insists that she take second helpings at dinner. To

Critical Thinking
please her aunt, Brittany eats beyond the point
that she feels full. Is this a sign that Brittany has an
Health at School
5. Comparing and Contrasting How are bulimia eating disorder? Explain your answer.
and anorexia alike? How are they different? Eating Disorders and Athletics Ask
students to prepare their interview
questions in advance. After students
Mental Disorders and Suicide 93 complete the activity, have a class
discussion about what students
learned from their interviews.

Section 2 Review
1. mental disorder that reveals itself through 4. excess weight gain and unhealthy dieting
abnormal behaviors related to food 5. Both mental disorders include abnormal
2. Risks include starvation and cardiac arrest. behaviors related to food. With anorexia,
They usually deny there is a problem. a person avoids eating; with bulimia, a
3. Bulimia is characterized by uncontrolled person binges and purges.
eating followed by purging. Purging is 6. Sample answer: No, because Brittany does
used to lose or maintain weight. not overeat on a regular basis

Mental Disorders and Suicide 93