A Report on the Impact of Eating Disorders on Individuals and Society

This report delves into the multifaceted impact of eating disorders, examining their effects on individuals, families, and communities. The report begins by defining eating disorders and highlighting the role of societal pressures, such as the pursuit of an ideal body image, in their development. It then explores the psychological and physical consequences for individuals, including malnutrition, mental health issues, and substance abuse. Furthermore, the report analyzes the impact on families, including emotional distress and financial burdens, and the broader community, such as the need for increased healthcare resources. The report also provides insights into the importance of early intervention and treatment strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of eating disorders. Finally, the report includes relevant references that support the findings and analysis.

Impact of Eating Disorder on the
Individual, their Family and the
Community
Name of the Student:
Name of the University:

Eating Disorder
Psychological disorder, characterized by
disturbed or abnormal eating habit.
Perceptions of beauty from an ideal body
image of slender figure is the major reason of
eating disorder (Rohde, Stice & Marti, 2014).
Girls and women wants to achieve an ideal
body falls into the prey of eating disorder
Examples: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia
Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder.

Impact on individuals
Psychological disorder
Health issues in long run, such as,
Malnutrition, high blood pressure, diabetes, heart
disease, dental issues, heart attack, inflamed
esophagus, weak bones, and sometimes even death
(Blodgett Salafia et al., 2015).
Poor concentration power and academic
performances
Poor productivity
Social isolation
Substance abuse, such as, drug addiction (Yu,
Damhorst & Russell (2011)

Impact on the families
Parents are often excluded from the process
of media influence on the youth.
Change of behavior of the affected person
and unable to help that person in any way.
Emotional toll
Unable to boost up confidence of the
individual (Moessner & Bauer, 2017).
Isolation from the community
Financial burden of long term critical
treatment

Impact on the community
Poor health condition of the youth
Poor productivity
Additional burden of providing critical
treatment amenities (Gale et al., 2014).
Financial consequences

References
Blodgett Salafia, E., Jones, M., Haugen, E., & Schaefer, M. (2015).
Perceptions of the causes of eating disorders: a comparison of individuals
with and without eating disorders. Journal Of Eating Disorders, 3(1).
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s40337-015-0069-8
Gale, C., Gilbert, P., Read, N., & Goss, K. (2014). An evaluation of the
impact of introducing compassion focused therapy to a standard
treatment programme for people with eating disorders. Clinical
psychology & psychotherapy, 21(1), 1-12. DOI: 10.1002/cpp.1806
Moessner, M., & Bauer, S. (2017). Maximizing the public health impact of
eating disorder services: A simulation study. International Journal of
Eating Disorders, 50(12), 1378-1384. DOI: 10.1002/eat.22792
Rohde, P., Stice, E., & Marti, C. (2014). Development and predictive
effects of eating disorder risk factors during adolescence: Implications
for prevention efforts. International Journal Of Eating Disorders, 48(2),
187-198. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eat.22270
Yu, U., Damhorst, M., & Russell, D. (2011). The Impact of Body Image on
Consumers’ Perceptions of Idealized Advertising Images and Brand
Attitudes. Family And Consumer Sciences Research Journal, 40(1), 58-73.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1552-3934.2011.02088.x

Thank You!