Lose Control

Although different in definition, anorexia and bulimia, as thinning eating disorders, share similar causes. A teenage girl may turn to anorexia, which can lead to bulimia. The same situation applies to bulimia leading to anorexia. Both disorders are about control, control over eating habits and body weight and appearance. The loss or lack of control in one’s life due to social problems and major life transitions may lead to the need for control, which results in the development of an eating disorder to attain that control.

Before addressing the cause or leading causes, we must first focus on statistics and trends of anorexia and bulimia. These eating disorders prevail among the youth of America. Teenage girls feel more pressured in their daily lives to be social “superstars,” while accepting changes in their lives such as high school and puberty. One hundred percent of teenage girls must experience changes while socially and physiologically developing. According to Web-4-Health, “One study reported that more than 10 % of all young women have some kind of eating disorder, even if it does not always fit into any of the standard categories of anorexia and bulimia.” (Palme, 2005) One in one hundred girls suffers from some kind of eating disorder. Assuming most of us know or have known at least one girl with either bulimia or anorexia, have you considered why?

A large percentage of these young women claim that the cause of their disorder relates to control. The girls feel that they cannot control certain things in their lives. What causes this lack of control? Although many factors may be involved, major focus is on social problems and the relation to major transitions in life. So many teenage girls enter high school and even college, faced with many new experiences as expectations of new friends rise. At the same time, these girls face puberty and changes to their bodies that they cannot control. Girls need to learn to cope with changes and meet new people around the dorm, in classes, and at parties. A major transitional difficulty may be finding friends that help to secure and support you. Without friends, new experiences may wreak havoc on self-esteem, which is also affected by the loss of a boyfriend. Girls are known for blaming themselves when a relationship is lost. They internalize their feelings and fabricate bad things to feel about themselves. The girls may experience low self-esteem from lack of friends or from loss of romantic relationships. The ability to find someone as a friend or more cannot be controlled. Everyone hopes to achieve a friendship or any other meaningful relationship, however some things do not turn out as planned or hoped. Since they cannot control these losses, they find something to blame and control it. In many cases, these girls blame their weight, no matter what it may be, and attempt to control it.

Girls and young women in this situation attempt to find control somewhere and believe controlling their weight is helpful. Losing control of social relationships or even your own body can be very scary. Hitting the time in your life when you go through puberty can be a lonely time. Many of these girls, considered as control freaks, may become lost in their daily lives if something is out of order in the slightest bit. They then feel they need to fix something else. Weight is easily controllable and has been used for control for years. Through starving themselves and purging, girls are able to control their body image and appearance, which makes them feel as if they have accomplished something great.

Appearance and food intake being one thing that is easy to control, many girls turn to anorexia or bulimia. When these girls stop eating or purge, they can see a difference in their body and can directly praise themselves for accomplishing that difference. They believe that they have complete control and decide what goes in and what comes out. Whether they choose anorexia or bulimia, they look thinner and feel better about themselves. In a survey completed by therapists it was found that, “The most common reason therapists hear from people about why they began self-starvation, bingeing, or purging is that they felt terribly out of control – whether because of something they were feeling inside themselves or something that was happening to them from their outside environment.” (Johnson, 2005)

Anorexia and bulimia may be so widespread through this cause because so many role models control their weight. Renee Zellweger’s body ever changes with each role she plays. She had to gain weight for “Bridget Jones,” and slim down for “Chicago,” then gain weight again for the “Bridget Jones” sequel. This weight fluctuation, unhealthy as it is, has been followed and admired by many. Not only do actresses influence admirers changing shape for roles, but they are also turning to eating disorders to be the skinniest on the red carpet. Mary-Kate Olsen, a prime example, has been in the spotlight her entire life. Girls her age have looked up to her and admire her for all that she has done. Recently, however, she has been to rehabilitation for anorexia. Young girls, impressed upon by her, believed she had a good life. The money and stardom practically arrived in truckloads. She obviously had her life under control. In reality, this Olsen twin went through the worse times of her life. Girls would trick themselves into believing the fantasy and then became anorexic themselves. If she had so much control over her own life, then maybe that was their chance to gain control.

In reality, eating disorders do not actually let any woman feel in control. They may feel that they can control themselves, but the eating disorder takes over. One woman tells of her experience with an eating disorder. “I began to starve myself in the spring of 1983, at age 17. There were entire weeks during which I subsisted solely on hard candy, coffee, and a bit of cottage cheese. I am five feet ten inches tall. At my lowest point, I weighed 114 pounds. I became a ghost observing my own existence” (DePree, 2005). She continues to tell of her lack of treatment or help. Years passed before she could find suitable psychiatric, medical, and therapeutic help. This woman lost control of her eating disorder. Eventually, many patients start to notice the negative affects of eating disorders. They become overcome by their disorder and have no control. Not eating or purging becomes a routine part of their daily lives. A circle of control becomes eminent. They begin to lose control of themselves again. These girls then learn that they must seek help.

Anorexia and bulimia can be detrimental to the health of patients. As we have seen in the case of Terri Schiavo, the affects can be fatal. According to Anorexia Nervosa, and Related Eating Disorders, Inc., “Without treatment, up to twenty percent of people with serious eating disorders die.” (ANRED, 2004) Using eating, or, in this case, not eating, to gain control of something is not the correct choice. Instead, start somewhere small. If you feel that you need to control something, make schedules and “control” what you do in your spare time. Write in a journal to vent. Be sure to seek help and possibly see a therapist. Talk to family and friends. To understand better what you are going through, we need your help.