college essay about an eating disorder

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Eating Disorders, Essay Example

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Introduction

Eating disorders affect men and women of all ages, although adolescents tend to be the age group that is more susceptible. This is because, as their bodies are changing, they may feel more pressure by society as well as peer groups to look attractive and fit in (Segal et al). Types of eating disorders include Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating, which can also be related to the first two. The reasons behind Eating Disorder usually stem from a reaction to low self-esteem and a negative means of coping with life and stress (Something Fishy). Eating disorders are also often associated with an underlying psychological disorder, which may be the reason behind the eating disorder or which may develop from the Eating Disorder itself. Mental health disorders that are often associated with Eating Disorder include Anxiety, Depression, Multiple Personality Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, BiPolar, BiPolar II, Borderline Personality Disorder, Panic Disorder and Dissociative Disorder. The longer a person suffers from ED, the more probable that they will be dealing with another mental illness, most likely Anxiety or Depression (Something Fishy). The eventual outcome of Eating Disorder can be deadly. “Some eating disorders are associated with a 10-15% mortality rate and a 20-25% suicide rate. Sometimes, anorexia, bulimia and compulsive eating may be perceived as slow suicide (Carruthers).” In order to prevent the deadly consequences of Eating Disorder and to prevent it from becoming more pervasive in society, it is necessary to recognize the correct treatment method for this disease. Traditional treatments have focused on providing risk information to raise awareness of the consequences of Eating Disorder (Lobera et al 263). However, since Eating Disorder is a mental illness, a more effective treatment is one that offers psychological evaluation, counseling and treatment. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is emerging as a more robust and effective method that can be used not only to treat Eating Disorder but the associated mental illnesses that may accompany it.

The Problem

Eating disorder is pervasive in society and can have deadly consequences on those that suffer from it. Many time Eating Disorder goes undetected by family members and friends because those suffering will go to great lengths to hide their problem. However, there are some signs and symptoms that can be clues that a person is suffering from some sort of eating disorder. According to Segal, these signs can include:

Restricting Food or Dieting: A change in eating habits that includes restricting food or excessive dieting. The person my frequently miss meals or not eat, complaining of an upset stomach or that they are not hungry. A use of diet pills or illegal drugs may also be noticed.
Bingeing: Sufferers may binge eat in secret, which can be hard to detect since they will usually do it late at night or in a private place. Signs of potential bingeing are empty food packages and wrappers and hidden stashes of high calorie junk food or desserts.
Purging: Those who suffer from bulimia will force themselves to throw up after meals to rid their body of added calories. A sign that this is occurring is when a person makes a trip to the bathroom right after eating on a regular basis, possible running water or a fan to hide the sound of their vomiting. They may also use perfume, mouthwash or breath mints regularly to disguise the smell. In addition to vomiting, laxatives or diuretics may also be used to flush unwanted calories from the body.
Distorted body image and altered appearance: People suffering from Eating Disorder often have a very distorted image of their own body. While they may appear thin to others, they may view themselves as fat and attempt to hide their body under loose clothing. They will also have an obsessive preoccupation with their weight, and complain of being fat even when it is obvious to others that this is not the case.

There are several possible side effects from Eating Disorders, both physical and psychological. Physical damage can be temporary or permanent, depending on the severity of the eating disorder and the length of time the person has been suffering from it. Psychological consequences can be the development of a mental illness, especially depression and anxiety. Some sufferers of Eating Disorder will also develop a coping mechanism such as harming themselves, through cutting, self-mutilation or self-inflicted violence, or SIV (Something Fishy).

Physical consequences of Eating Disorders depend on the type of eating disorder that the person has. Anorexia nervosa can lead to a slow heart rate and low blood pressure, putting the sufferer at risk for heart failure and permanent heart damage. Malnutrition can lead to osteoporosis and dry, brittle bones. Other common complications include kidney damage due to dehydration, overall weakness, hair loss and dry skin. Bulimia nervosa, where the person constantly purges through vomiting, can have similar consequences as Anorexia but with added complications and damage to the esophagus and gastric cavity due to the frequent vomiting. In addition, tooth decay can occur because of damage caused by gastric juices. If the person also uses laxatives to purge, irregular bowel movements and constipation can occur. Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis can also common negative heath effects (National Eating Disorders Association). If the Eating Disorder goes on for a prolonged time period, death is also a possible affect, which is why it is important to seek treatment for the individual as soon as it is determined that they are suffering from an Eating Disorder.

Once it is recognized that a loved one may be suffering from an Eating Disorder, the next step is coming up with an effective intervention in time to prevent any lasting physical damage or death. The most effective treatment to date is Cognitive-behavioral therapy, an active form of counseling that can be done in either a group or private setting (Curtis). Cognitive-behavioral therapy is used to help correct poor eating habits and prevent relapse as well as change the way the individual thinks about food, eating and their body image (Curtis).

Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered to be one of the most effective treatments for eating disorders, but of course this depends on both the counselor administrating the therapy and the attitude of the person receiving it. According to Fairburn (3), while patients with eating disorders “have a reputation for being difficult to treat, the great majority can be helped and many, if not most, can make a full and lasting recovery.” In the study conducted by Lobera et al, it was determined that students that took part in group cognitive-behavioral therapy sessions showed a reduced dissatisfaction with their body and a reduction in their drive to thinness. Self esteem was also improved during the group therapy sessions and eating habits were significantly improved.

“The overall effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy can depend on the duration of the sessions. Cognitive-behavioral therapy is considered effective for the treatment of eating disorders. But because eating disorder behaviors can endure for a long period of time, ongoing psychological treatment is usually required for at least a year and may be needed for several years (Curtis).”

Alternative solutions

Traditional treatments for Eating Disorders rely on educating potential sufferers, especially school aged children, of the potential damage, both psychological and physical, that can be caused by the various eating disorders .

“ Research conducted to date into the primary prevention of eating disorders (ED) has mainly considered the provision of information regarding risk factors. Consequently, there is a need to develop new methods that go a step further, promoting a change in attitudes and behavior in the target population (Lobera et al).”

The current research has not shown that passive techniques, such as providing information, reduces the prevalence of eating disorders or improves the condition in existing patients. While education about eating disorders, the signs and symptoms and the potential health affects, is an important part of providing information to both the those that may know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder and those that are suffering from one, it is not an effective treatment by itself. It must be integrated with a deeper level of therapy that helps to improve the self-esteem and psychological issues from which the eating disorder stems.

Hospitalization has also been a treatment for those suffering from an eating disorder, especially when a complication, such as kidney failure or extreme weakness, occurs. However, treating the symptom of the eating disorder will not treat the underlying problem. Hospitalization can effectively treat the symptom only when it is combined with a psychological therapy that treats the underlying psychological problem that is causing the physical health problem.

Effectively treating eating disorders is possible using cognitive-behavioral therapy. However, the sooner a person who is suffering from an eating disorder begins treatment the more effective the treatment is likely to be. The longer a person suffers from an eating disorder, the more problems that may arise because of it, both physically and psychologically. While the deeper underlying issue may differ from patient to patient, it must be addressed in order for an eating disorder treatment to be effective. If not, the eating disorder is likely to continue. By becoming better educated about the underlying mental health issues that are typically the cause of eating disorder, both family members and friends of loved ones suffering from eating disorders and the sufferers themselves can take the steps necessary to overcome Eating Disorder and begin the road to recovery.

Works Cited

“Associated Mental Health Conditions and Addictions.” Something Fishy, 2010. Web. 19 November2010.

Carruthers, Martyn. Who Has Eating Disorders? Soulwork Solutions, 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

Curtis, Jeanette. “Cognitive-behavioral Therapy for Eating Disorders.” WebMD (September 16, 2009). Web. 19 November 2010.

Fairburn, Christopher G. Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Eating Disorders. New York: The Guilford Press, 2008. Print.

“Health Consequences of Eating Disorders” National Eating Disorders Association (2005). Web. 21 November 2010.

Lobera, I.J., Lozano, P.L., Rios, P.B., Candau, J.R., Villar y Lebreros, Gregorio Sanchez, Millan, M.T.M., Gonzalez, M.T.M., Martin, L.A., Villalobos, I.J. and Sanchez, N.V. “Traditional and New Strategies in the Primary Prevention of Eating Disorders: A Comparative Study in Spanish Adolescents.” International Journal of General Medicine 3 (October 5, 2010): 263-272. Dovepress.Web. 19 November 2010.

Segal, Jeanne, Smith, Melinda, Barston, Suzanne. Helping Someone with an Eating Disorder: Advice for Parents, Family Members and Friends , 2010. Web. 19 November 2010.

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Into the Jungle

The Official AMHS News Magazine

College Essay #3 – The Cusp of 18

by Julia Hawkins ’22

“You won’t live to see your 18th birthday unless you make some kind of change.” That’s what my doctor told me when I had finally opened up about my eating disorder, just over a year ago. I remember how I felt that day. I was cold and my hands were clammy, but most of all, I was terrified. I tried to distract myself after my doctor left the room by staring at the fluorescent lights on the ceiling, but nothing seemed to take the pit in my stomach away. I thought, “My 18th birthday…but I want to see that day, I need to see that day.”

I have bulimia, which is commonly associated with a desire to become thinner through extreme measures, such as binging on food shortly followed by purging that food by self-induced vomiting. The thing about an eating disorder is that it’s like a recurring virus. It comes in, sometimes without warning, and knocks you off of your feet, causes you so much physical and mental pain, then just leaves. You think you’re in the clear, until it comes back again, and you’re stuck in a vicious, toxic cycle until you’re just too tired to try and combat it. This is my story.

I began to have body images issues when I was 13. There was a constant pressure surrounding me to be thinner than I was. At the time, I was pretty chubby, but not to the point where my doctor was concerned for my health. This notion struck me in a way where I thought, ‘I need to lose weight. I need to be skinny.’ When exercise and diets didn’t seem to help me, I turned to trying and making myself throw up. I would spend minutes on end hunched over my toilet or my bathtub forcing myself to erase any food I had consumed previously, and this was painful, physically and mentally.

The toxic cycle of eating and purging continued for nearly 5 years. I dropped nearly 60 pounds going from 180lbs to 120lbs. I felt awful: I had become snippy, irritated, angry, and I was in pain. The horrible thing about having an eating disorder is that your body will feel awful and in pain, but your mind sees results and your mind wants to continue to see those results, so you continue. I was skinnier, yes, but I felt horrible. You can always fool your mind, but never your body. I finally had a breakthrough and, for the first time, I asked for help. I reached out to close friends and family, realizing I couldn’t handle this on my own, this is when everything changed. I developed and began reaching out to my support system, the people I trusted the most to help me through the bad and the good days. There are days where I want to purge and prevent myself from doing so, and the days when I feel great and they celebrate those small victories with me.

I write this now…and I’m on the cusp of turning 18, that fateful day when I’ll be considered an adult. Reflecting upon this, there’s one important factor of my life that’s gotten me this far: I wasn’t alone and I never was. The funny thing about that is, I spent years thinking that I was alone. I was seriously ill and it was up to me and me alone to cure myself, but that wasn’t the case. I was ill, that much was true, but all it took was a simple outreach. That outreach changed my life, and brought me here…on the cusp of 18.

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Home — Application Essay — Liberal Arts Schools — My Struggle with an Eating Disorder

My Struggle with an Eating Disorder

University: Cornell University

About this sample

Words: 498 |

Updated: Nov 30, 2023

Words: 498 | Pages: 1 | 3 min read

In this personal essay, I share a humorous yet poignant story of my quest for immunization records to attend a summer program at Brown University. Along the way, I inadvertently confront concerns about my eating disorder. The essay touches on medical mishaps, literary discussions, and my journey to obtain essential documents.

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Last summer, I was accepted to attend Brown University for a four-week creative writing program. However, there were a few more bureaucratic hoops I had to jump through before I could get on a plane to Providence. For starters, I needed to provide evidence of immunization.

I went straight to the source on this one: my parents.

- "Mom, have I been immunized?"

- "May I have the records to this? Preferably notarized. And mailed to this address by four p.m. today. Oh, and here's 37 cents. Thanks in advance."

Unfortunately, my mother had no such records. But perhaps my doctor did.

So, I called up the only clinic in the Sunbelt covered by my HMO and asked for my records. They informed me that only a doctor could access my records, because they apparently require Level 50 Pentagon clearance.

Unluckily for me, my HMO doesn't cover medical expenses incurred as a result of "injury" or "disease." Furthermore, the operations that they do cover (currently limited to animalist rituals and blood donation) requires co-payments most third party campaigns couldn't afford. However, these records were vital, so I asked my parents for money, and drove down to the clinic.

After a brief wait during which I read an outdated "Newsweek" highly critical of the McKinley administration, I met with Dr. Franklin, whose first words were "You've lost weight."

I realized then that in my fervor to obtain the records, I had overlooked the fact that my doctor had the silly notion that I was anorexic. Whoops. And I thought it was a bit suspicious that they weighed me before going in.

So, we got into an argument. She pounced on me for being "anorexic," and I sort of sat there and acquiesced. Then she wrote down on a little pad "Anorexia Nervosa" very patronizingly and slid it over. Again, acquiescence.

Fortunately, the mood changed, and we got into a discussion about literature. (The flow was: eating disorder --> repression --> social norms --> iconoclasm --> 20th century authors) Apparently, she personally knew Kurt Vonnegut many years back, which I thought was pretty interesting, since I loved Cat's Cradle.

In the end, she suggested I read Siddhartha (which I would find interesting, but not astounding) and said the Brown trip would be "therapeutic" for me. And she didn't have the immunization records.

That left me out a $20,000 co-payment and several hours of my time, all for a sticky note. In a final show of defiance, I placed the anorexia note on my breast and drove to my school, which would certainly have those useless records.

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The dramatic irony of this final scene exists in that I did not know I was still wearing the note. But it all worked out, as I would go on to successfully attend Brown without spreading my horrible infections to very many people.

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161 Eating Disorders Essay Topic Ideas & Examples

🏆 best eating disorders topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on eating disorders, 💡 most interesting eating disorders topics to write about, 📃 simple & easy eating disorders essay titles, ⭐ good research topics about eating disorders, ❓ research questions about eating disorders.

Minuchin Family Therapy of Eating Disorders It is for this reason that the family-based treatment was conceived and implemented to involve the family in the recovery of adolescents.
Anorexia as Eating Disorder However, due to limitation in scope, the rest of the chapter will explore anorexia nervosa by tracing the historical background of the condition, reviewing prevalence of the disorder in terms of gender, culture and geographical […]
Bulimia: A Severe Eating Disorder The main symptoms of bulimia include intermittent eating of enormous amounts of food to the point of stomach discomfort, abdominal pain, flatulence, constipation, and blood in the vomit due to irritation of the esophagus.
Eating Disorders: Causes, Treatment, and Prevention An eating disorder is a mental illness that is primarily characterized by unhealthy eating habits. An individual either eats too much or too little.
Bulimia Nervosa: Treatment and Safety Measures It is important to know about related safety measures, considerations and medications and therefore outcomes of bulimic patients are more likely to be optimistic.
Binge-Eating Disorder: Diagnosis and Treatment The second part of the case focuses on the empirically tested treatments for the diagnosed problem, justifying the choice of treatment for Alice with available clinical data.
Diagnosis and Reasons of the Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia is also evident in African countries even with the general notion that African women ought to be fat as a sign of beauty and fertility.
Eating Disorders in the Military Exposure to trauma is frequently linked to the emergence of eating disorders. As a result, soldiers develop an eating disorder due to external factors, which affect their mental and physical health, but it remains one […]
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Eating Disorders Thus, first of all, to assess John’s current condition, several questions were asked to form an appropriate image of the problem, such as: When and why did you first start thinking about your weight and […]
Bulimia Nervosa: The Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Subsequently, the research hypothesis is the following: CBT is a more effective treatment intervention in terms of patient outcomes than psychoanalysis, DBT, and integrative therapy.
Treatment Interventions for Bulimia Nervosa: Case Analysis The essence of the approach is to combat the lack of self-care of the patient, where the responsibility for progress lies with Rita.
Anorexia as Social and Psychological Disease Many who were used to his weight knew, though Bob is not the most handsome, but a charming person, kind and friendly.
Eating Disorders Among Medical Students Ehab and Walaa point out that for one-third of medical students, there is a risk of developing ED. Consequently, the problem of ED among medical students is urgent and requires attention.
Adherence to Medical Advice in Patients With Bulimia Patients’ non-adherence to medical advice presents a common problem in the health care system. The use of health apps allows patients to overcome shame or guilt in eating disorder treatment, increasing adherence.
Eating Disorders: Diagnosis and Treatment The idealization of an extremely skinny body in the fashion world, television, press, and social media resulted in the rise in the number of individuals with eating disorders.
Bulimia in Teenagers: How to Make a Change This paper hypothesizes that to make a change a complex of psychological measures should be taken that includes the use of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, formation of the right attitude to food and body weight, and building […]
Eating Disorder Among Youth and Its Aspects It is due to the fact that often the above sociological factors cause the development of psychological issues, especially among young people.
Anorexia Nervosa and Its Treatment Anorexia nervosa is a treatable eating disorder when people significantly limit the number of calories and types of foods they eat, which leads to excessive weight loss. The objectives of anorexia treatment include weight recovery, […]
Predictors and Long-Term Health Outcomes of Eating Disorders The authors of the article Predictors and long-term health outcomes of eating disorders aimed to study this topic and bring new information into existing research.
Emotional Eating in Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Study Eating concerning adverse emotions and ED psychopathology. Analysis of emotional eating concerning under- and overeating is important.
Mental Health Project: Binge-Eating Disorder The result was the start of the Binge-Eating Disorder Association, a non-profit organization. The main role of the organization was to advocate, support, and help the binge-eating disorder society.
Bulimia Nervosa: A Literature Review With binging episodes being characterized by loss of control, some of the bulimic patients consume food they are not entitled to, worsening their relationship both with food and with their social circle. Purging behaviors lead […]
Genetic Disorder: “A Genetic Link to Anorexia” The author effectively proves that the development of anorexia nervosa may occur not only due to the exposure to the social pressure of beauty standards, but also the presence of a genetic predisposition.
Eating Disorders in Adolescents Thus, the purpose of the present paper is to dwell on the specifics of external factors causing the disorder as well as the ways to deal with this issue.
Eating Disorders: Types, Signs and Treatments Eating disorders encompass a wide variety of illnesses that are characterized by abnormal eating habits, obsession with body image, and sudden weight fluctuations.
Lifestyle Impact on Eating Disorders In contemporary societies men have been socialized to believe they should have certain physical body structures that describe their masculinity; the fact is reinforced in the television and video programs, music, and the general societal.men […]
Acculturation and Eating Disorders in Western Countries In one of the studies, the relationship between acculturation and eating disorders was found to be non-existent. As evident in the table, most of the researchers have noted that acculturation and eating disorders are strongly […]
Eating Disorders in Male Adolescents: Understanding and Intervention The research indicates that the prevalence of eating disorders in the male population has increased in the recent years. This paper aims at reviewing available scientific literature on eating disorders in the male adolescent population […]
Bulimia: Causes and Treatment Bulimia is an eating disorder which is portrayed by binging on food and subsequently vomiting in several attempts of purging.”removal of nutrients in form of purging entails forced vomiting, excessive exercise, laxative use, or fasting […]
Controlling the Problem and the Treatment Anorexia Nervosa Finally, the paper will be looking at the possible measures of controlling the problem and the treatment of the victims. When female are in their teenage, most of them are affected by the problem of […]
Regulation of Metabolism and Eating Disorders When a person feels full, hormones, such as cholecystokinin and peptide YY3 36, are released to promote the feeling of satiety and suppress the appetite.
American Girls’ Eating Disorders and Change Action They will be also offered encouraging interviews with those who managed to overcome the problem of eating disorders including my sister.
Daily Patterns of Anxiety in Anorexia Nervosa The researchers failed to indicate the distinct and important sections such as the study objectives and the significance of the study.
Anorexia Nervosa and Life-Sustaining Treatment Therefore, the primary care for patients with anorexia nervosa requires administration of various dietary and mental medical interventions and a clear understanding of different concepts and ethical issues related to the treatment of the disorder.
Media’s Role in Influencing Eating Disorders The media has distorted the issue of beauty to a point where beauty is no longer “in the eyes of the beholder” but on people’s body size.
Anorexia Studies. “Thin” Documentary The nutrition of a single person has a strong cultural aspect, being influenced by traditions of a family circle and the whole nation.
Concepts of Eating Disorders On the other hand, the quantity of food consumed does not determine satiety; rather, it is the quantities of nutrient consumed. In addition, the moving of lipid components into the duodenum helps individuals to reduce […]
Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia Anorexia Nervosa is the disease in which the patient avoids eating because of the fear of getting fat. Bulimia Nervosa refers to the pattern of binge eating.
The Anorexia Nervosa as a Mental Illness While tracing the history of the disease, many authors have come to the conclusion that the disease is to some extent due to the living styles that people have adopted over the years and also […]
Anorexia Nervosa: Medical Issues In response to this, the writer wishes to state that the purpose of this paper is to present a brief outline of anorexia and its causes to the millions of Americans out there without knowledge […]
The Portrayal of Women With Anorexia Body image distortion, wherein the individual has an inaccurate perception of body shape and size is considered to be the cause of the intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat witnessed in individuals with […]
Anorexia Nervosa in Psychological Point of View Anorexia nervosa is more common in the industrialized countries, where being thin is considered to be more attractive, and is more frequent in Whites than the nonwhite populations. In the age group of 10-14 years, […]
Binge Eating Disorder Treatment: A Grounded Theory This disorder can be a chronic problem and is associated with negative consequences that may reduce the quality of life for the individuals who struggle with it.
The Role of Family in Developing and Treating Anorexia The rest of the poem confused and inspired me as a reader because Smith, as well as millions of people around the globe, proved the impossibility to have one particular definition of anorexia in modern […]
The Problem of Anorexia: “There Was a Girl” by Katy Waldman In her essay, the writer strives to embrace the concept of anorexia and explore the mindset that encourages the development of the specified disorder.
Eating Disorders: Public Service Announcement Thus, seeking help and battling the disorder is a way to accept that all people were created by God and loved by Him regardless of how thin they are.
“Skinny Boy: A Young Man’s Battle and Triumph Over Anorexia” by Gary A. Grahl Grahl suffered from anorexia in his youth, and the book is a memoir-like account of the event, serving to open the door to the psychology of the disease in the male populace a vulnerable population […]
Anorexia Nervosa and Its Perception by Patients In the control group, 80 laymen and women were selected randomly to participate in the study and they completed a modified IPQ-R questionnaire to elicit their perceptions towards AN.
Eating Disorder Patient’s Assessment and Treatment I should explain to the patient the severity of eating disorders and their possible adverse influence on the patient’s health and life.
Bulimia Nervosa and Antisocial Personality Disorder The patient said that his head is constantly aching, but the man avoids going to his doctor because he does not want to hear bad news about his health and does not want to cope […]
Social Media Impact on Depression and Eating Disorder When they turn to the social media, they are bombarded with a lot of information that they cannot properly comprehend. In the social media, they get to understand that beauty is associated with one’s body […]
Eating Disorder Screening and Treatment Plan The strong point of this article is the combination of the eating disorders and behavioral aspects of the problem as the mixture of the possible reasons for the psychological problem.
Understanding Eating Disorders: Impact of Social and Cultural Factors Assessing the role of social and cultural factors in the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders involves the same processes as those used with other population disorders.
Differential Diagnosis in a Patient: Anorexia Nervosa The first step is to avoid malingering and make sure that a patient is not pretending to be sick. Julia’s and the roommate’s stories are not contradictory; hence, it is safe to say that Julia […]
Humanistic Therapy: Mental Disorder in Patient With Anorexia As the narration unravels, it becomes clear that the girl also shows signs of anorexia nervosa – a mental disorder distinguished by an unhealthy low weight and destructive dietary patterns. DSM-5 serves as the principal […]
Eating Disorders in Traditional and Social Media One can argue that traditional media, through the depiction of ED stories, started the discussion about mental health, introducing concepts of anorexia, bulimia, and other conditions, often described in a negative light due to the […]
Addressing Eating Disorders: Urgent Measures Needed for Public Health The initiators made a petition to the representatives of the Senate and also appealed to the former head of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
Anthropology: Anorexia and Idiopathic Seizures Considering the relation between this disease and cultural issues, it is possible to refer to life of people in society. It is essential to consider anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy from the point of view of […]
Eating Disorders, Insomnia, and Schizophrenia Of course, this readiness does not exclude the necessity to identify such people and provide the necessary treatment to them, which is proved to be effective.
Anorexia Nervosa: Diagnosis and Treatment in Psychotherapy In the meantime, it is, likewise, vital to determine the cause of the condition’s appearance and point out the necessary alterations.
Controlling Eating Disorders It is important to manage these problems as they compromise the physical health of the individual. The individuals are usually disturbed by the size and shape of their body.
Eating Disorders in Adolescent Girls This will involve making them appreciate their body the way they are and dispelling the idea that only thinness is a sign of beauty.
Influence of Media on Anorexia As the children grow, they disregard big-bodied people, and try as much as possible to maintain a slim figure, as they see from the magazines and televisions.
Psychological Factors Underlying Anorexia Nervosa The condition also occurs where individuals deny hunger as well as restrict energy and nutrients to levels that are minimal and inadequate to maintain the functioning of the normal body health and mass. In addition, […]
The Problem of Anorexia in Modern American Society However, in spite of frightening statistics, nowadays many sufferers have a good chance to recover due to increasing number of programs and campaigns aimed at overcoming this disease. 7% – Hispanic people, and the rest […]
Eating Disorder Prevention Programs Through the article, Stice and Shaw evaluated the current information on eating disorders based on risks and maintenance aspects rather than on a particular analysis.
Gender and Demographic Aspects of Eating Disorders In the situation involving African American women, body image is much more of several factors that include how others react to them, comparisons of their bodies with those of the others in the same environment, […]
Eating Disorders Among Teenage Girls According to recent research conducted, mass media has affected most teens negatively in the following ways: Media Version of physical beauty The teens are not mindful of the fact that the messages that they are […]
The Eating Disorder – Anorexia Nervosa It is noted that majority of the people that suffer from anorexia disorder are those that suffer from low-self esteem. The eating disorder makes bodies of people suffering from Anorexia nervosa struggle to manage insufficient […]
The Concept of Normality In Relation To Eating Disorders Among the dominant sociological understanding of normality that will be used to argue through the concept of eating disorders in this paper are the views such as; what is considered normal can be differentiated from […]
Healthy Lifestyles in the Context of Anorexia and Obesity In addition, a thorough evaluation of one’s lifestyle is imperative so as to rectify that which is causing the anorexia. As discussed in this paper, it is clear that physical activity and a healthy balanced […]
Mental Health & Culture on Weight and Eating Disorders The depressed and anxious mind sabotages one’s efforts to loosing weight thus leading to the weird feeling of hopelessness and the good efforts or intentions capsizes leaving one to the option of the detrimental food […]
Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Effects and Therapies Nurses in the labor and delivery units need to be trained on the proper way of diagnosing and handling anorexia patients to reduce cases of infant mortality. A combination of medical attention and accommodating psychotherapy […]
Treatments of Anorexia Nervosa Because the mortality rates and co-morbidity incidence of aneroxia nervosa remains critically high despite the array of various intervention strategies that are currently available to health professionals, it is justifiable to have a reassessment of […]
Eating Disorders: Assessment & Misconceptions The DSM-IV-TR criteria for Bulimia nervosa, according to Berg et al, “…include binge eating, defined as the consumption of an unusually large amount of food coupled with a subjective sense of loss of control, and […]
Body Fat and Eating Disorders Paper The only way of making this meat safe for consumption would be to cook it all the way through to kill the bacteria on the surface and inside the meat.
Anorexia in Teens: Media Impact This research focuses on the impact of the media as the ultimate key player for the development of the dangerous disorder among the contemporary young girls in the society.
The Prevalence of Eating Disorders According to the National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the main types of eating disorders. The trend of anorexia nervosa reached its peak in the 1980s and that is why […]
The Media’s Influence on Eating Disorders This gives people the impression that by eating the food they will be as beautiful as the model in the advert is. This shows that the media is capable of influencing our eating habits.
Body Image Issues and Eating Disorders in Sport and Exercise This is very crucial to the sports people as effects in their functionality leads to an automatic decline in performance of the sport.
Eating Disorders: Anorexia, Bulimia and Compulsive Overeating Anorexia is a both eating and psychological disorder that is initiated as a person begins to diet in order to lose weight.
Psychological Disorders: Bulimia Nervosa vs. Anorexia Nervosa Although people with the condition are able to recover if the disorder is properly managed, Eysenck states that the near starvation state that most anorexics live with during the period of the disorder can be […]
Eating Disorders: A Session With Sufferers of Obesity and Anorexia One of the myths that surrounds anorexia is that the only cause of this disorder is the wish to lose weight; some people even refer to the condition as the ‘slimmer’s disease’.
Eating Disorders: How the Media Have Influenced Their Development in Adolescent Girls
Eating Disorders and Mental Disorders
Addiction and Recovery Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders and the Influences of Culture
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: Common Eating Disorders in American Women
The Physical and Emotional Effects of Eating Disorders
Stress and Eating Disorders in Teenagers
Eating Disorders and Personality Disorders
Eating Disorders and Beauty Ideals in American Society
Eating Disorders and Ballet – Anorexia Nervosa Is Eating the Soul of Young Dancers
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Eating Disorders; A Transdignostic Theory and Treatment
Association Between Depression and Eating Disorders
The Rising and Dangerous Trend of Eating Disorders: The Types and Causes
Eating Disorders and Reproduction
Behavioral Feeding and Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders: Genetics and Environmental Influences
Childhood Factors and Eating Disorders Symptoms
Various Eating Disorders – Compulsive Overeating
Hunger, Obesity, and Eating Disorders
Adolescent and Parent Experience of Care at a Family-Based Treatment Service for Eating Disorders
Childhood Sexual Abuse and Eating Disorders
Eating Disorders and Its Impact on Society
Anorexia, Bulimia, and Related Eating Disorders Treatment
Differences Between Anorexia, Bulimia, and Eating Disorders
Anxiety and Depression Profile and Eating Disorders in Patients With Irritable Bowel Syndrome
Psychological Treatment for Eating Disorders
Quantifying the Psychopathology of Eating Disorders From the Autonomic Nervous System Perspective: A Methodological Approach
Children With Eating Disorders – Therapy Issues
Eating Disorders Among Different Cultures
Causes, Treatment, and the Role of Media on the Battle Against Eating Disorders in the United States
Eating Disorders and Emotional Eating
Cognitive and Affective Empathy in Eating Disorders: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
When Parenting Fails: Alexithymia and Attachment States of Mind in Mothers of Female Patients With Eating Disorders
Parental Mental Illness and Eating Disorders
Structural and Functional Brain Connectivity Changes Between People With Abdominal and Non-abdominal Obesity and Their Association With Behaviors of Eating Disorders
Body Dissatisfaction and Eating Disorders
The Three Major Eating Disorders in the United States
Eating Disorders Among Children and Teens
Women, Weight and Eating Disorders a Socio-Cultural and Political-Economic Analysis
Eating Disorders and the Fashion Industry
Why Are Eating Disorders So Common?
Why Are Teens Plagued With Eating Disorders?
Why Do Binge Eating Disorders Affect More?
Whether the Fashion World Causes Eating Disorders?
Which Symptoms of the Gastrointestinal Tract Occur in Patients With Eating Disorders?
What Are Eating Disorders?
What Are the Challenges That Face a Psychotherapist Working With Self-Harm or Eating Disorders?
What Are the Major Causes of Eating Disorders in Young Women?
What Causes Eating Disorders?
What Role Does the Family Play in Developing, Maintaining, and Treating Eating Disorders?
How do American Society and Culture Influence Eating Disorders?
How Are Eating Disorders Affecting Our Health?
How Does Food Taste in Eating Disorders: Anorexia and Bulimia Nervosa?
How Does the Perception of Beauty Impact the Development of Eating Disorders?
How do Eating Disorders Begin and What They Leave Behind?
How Can Eating Disorders Be Viewed as Multi-Determined Disorders?
How Do People Deal With Eating Disorders?
How Does Society Affect the Development of Eating Disorders?
How Has the Advertising Industry Caused an Increase in Eating Disorders?
How Does the Media Influence Eating Disorders?
How Can Widely Available Social Media Cause the Development of Eating Disorders?
Does Adolescent Media Use Cause Obesity and Eating Disorders?
Does Our Country Support Eating Disorders?
Does Social Media Contribute to the Development of Eating Disorders in Young Adults?
Does Social Pressure Influence Eating Disorders Among Adolescents?
Does the Media Influence the Development of Eating Disorders in Adolescents?
Does Depression Assist Eating Disorders?
Are Eating Disorders More Common Among Women Than Men?
Are Eating Disorders Psychological or Cultural Problems?
Are Eating Disorders Really about Food?
Childhood Obesity Research Ideas
Depression Essay Topics
Obesity Ideas
Health Promotion Research Topics
Diabetes Questions
Food Essay Ideas
Weight Loss Essay Titles
Wellness Essay Topics
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

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Common Application: Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are becoming more and more common in teenagers and even adults these days, on account of societys idea of the perfect body. The spread of this devastating mental disease has reached every corner of the world and affects millions of young men and women. The point of this essay is to explain the types of eating disorders there are, the effects of these eating disorders, the harsh effect that the media has on a young persons mind, and my personal battle with this disease that came, destroyed a lot of things, and never really left. There are many types of eating disorders, the most common eating disorders though are Anorexia-Nervosa and Bulimia-Nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is when a person is overwhelmed by the irrational fear of gaining weight, distorted body self-perception and they tend to restrict their diet to very small portions of food, if at all. This eating disorder is more commonly found in women but can also be found in men. Anorexia effects your mind in so many ways that many people claim to not know who they are anymore, they feel as if they’ve lost themselves in the disease and become obsessed with it. Anorexia is thought of as the “incurable disorder” because many people never completely recover from this disorder, they only learn how to manage it well, after many many years of rehabilitation and therapy. The obsession that comes with this disorder completely over takes the persons life, a scale becomes their worst enemy and food becomes a monster they are constantly fighting. Mentally, this disorder wears a person down, until they start developing other mental disorders such as depression or even schizophrenia. The mental effects that this disorder has is only the half of it, the effects it physically leaves are awful as well. Typically, a person who develops this disorder and lives with it for a long period of time with eventually become very weak and frail, their hair becomes thin and tends to fall out, they stop menstruating and because of this their bones will lose their density and be very easy to break. It’s also common for someone to become addicted to drugs or alcohol. There is nothing beautiful about this disease, there is nothing good about this obsession and in the end, the person is never happy with their “progress” anyway. Eventually they will wither away to nothing simply because they never think they’re thin enough. (nimh.nih.gov) The other common eating disorder that people suffer from is Bulimia-Nervosa, this disorder is the act of binging and purging, or eating large sums of food in a short period of time, and then ridding the body of the food, often by throwing up or with laxatives. This disease, while is similar to Anorexia, has its own physical effects and mental effects that are just as deadly. A person who suffers from this disease will often lock themselves in a room by themselves, to binge in private. The differences between the two disorders are the way the food is consumed, how much, and how the diseases differ in terms of being noticeable. The food consumed when the person is diagnosed with Anorexia tends to cut their food up into very small pieces, and very very small portions of food, while a person with Bulimia tends to consume large bites of food, and in large quantities. People with bulimia tend to also be able to hide their disease better, because even in the most desperate attempts of ridding their body of the food, they’re still taking some calories in. This doesn’t mean the bulimia is a safer eating disorder or that it’s better. Both of these disease can ruin a persons life in a very short period of time, and it also can ruin the lives of people around them. Eating disorders don’t only effect the person who has it, it also effects the ones that love them, constantly putting them in fear that you could die or severely hurt yourself. These diseases are like hurricanes or tornados. They come through and cause so much destruction. When they pass, there is still so much damage and there is lots of work that needs to be done to fix things, but they’ll never be the exact way they were before. (nimh.nih.gov) There is an overwhelming idea that the media has loads to do with the growing epidemic that is eating disorders. The media uses sex and the idea of the perfect body in the media to get their point across, even in car commercials you never see a heavier person driving, or the average sized 40 year old man. There is always that constant reminder that one has the perfect body and the perfect smile and the viewer doesn’t. Women in the media are often shown in skimpy clothing, and they’re very fit. Clothing models and runway models are never plus sized. Even fictional characters are thin and beautiful. The idea of the perfect body is constantly flashed in front of our faces, all the time. There is never an add on the TV for being happy with yourself, but there is plenty of exercise equipment and diet pills for sale. A survey was done at Yale, and 4,000 students said they would rather give up a year of their life than be fat, and a large percent of them stated that they would try diet pills, if they felt like they should. 91% of women surveyed on a college campus had attempted to control their weight through dieting. 22% dieted “often” or “always.” Market data estimates that the total U.S. weight loss market was worth $55.4 billion in 2006 and is constantly growing at a very rapid rate. Think about that, all that money is going into paying a person who is fit and beautiful, to tell you that a little pill can make you thin and happy. There’s something very suspicious about that, and I find it very hard to believe that the people in the ads got their 6 pack from swallowing a pill. The media is harder on our minds than we realize, and with it being such a large part of our culture and our lifestyle here in America, we don’t even register that the media is making such a big impact on the younger minds of today. In a survey of girls 9 and 10 years old, 40% have tried to lose weight, according to an ongoing study funded by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Right there is a reason that we should be more concerned with trying to prevent eating disorders, and distorted ideas of body image in the younger generations. By the time girls reach the age of 17, 78% of them are unhappy with the way their bodies look and want to change it. 42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner. These statistics are the sad reality behind the growing danger of eating disorders, and how they even effect the younger children as well. The media will probably never stop portraying women as thin beautiful people, all the time, but that doesn’t mean people can’t try to help younger people grow up to understand the truth behind the media, the magical effects of photoshop and make up, and the truth behind the “perfect women.” There isn’t one. (anad.org & healthpsych.psy.vanderbilt.edu) My personal experience isn’t well known. Very few people know about my eating disorder, other have their own suspicions. This will be the first time telling my story so openly, but hopefully not my last. I would love for my story to help someone with their own disorder, but I know in my heart that an unfinished story can’t help someone, only influence them to at least make it as far as I have. I haven’t recovered from my eating disorder, I still struggle on a daily basis with food and my self confidence. Thankfully though, I think I’ve escaped my darkest days. I remember this moment very distinctly, because it was the first time I ever really thought I was fat. I was in 6th grade, and I was on a dance team. The night that we were supposed to perform, I wore a crop top type costume, I remember looking down at my body and not liking what I saw. Things progressed slowly from there and then eventually exploded into a full blown obsession. I suffered from Anorexia-Nervosa and reached my lowest weight, in 8th grade of 78 Lbs. Being only 5’2’’ at the time, people automatically assumed that I would be very petite. On a daily basis I was consuming so few calories that I tended to become light headed and tired all the time. Physically, I just looked worn out, mentally I was worn out, and I was tired of the stress that I was facing. I decided to chose between the things that were most important in my life, and decided that I would have to stop giving at least one thing less attention. Of course, I wasn’t going to give up my eating disorder, it was impossible, so I decided that school was the last thing on my list of things to care about, and I began to fail all my classes. History and English were my two favorite subjects, and I completely stopped trying in everything I did. The assignments we got were never that challenging for me, I just didn’t care enough to try and complete them. I put papers in my locker so they could sit there until I got sick of looking at them, rubrics for projects were thrown in the trash and my projects were mediocre quality. I knew I could do a lot better, but I wasn’t applying myself at all. What changed my life at this point was my fathers divorce, he was going through his own hard time, and left decision making up to me, I chose to move. I was desperate for something to change, and I was also desperate to “fix myself” before I started at a new school. I became obsessed with self help books and websites, equally as obsessed with helping myself, as I was with destroying myself. Eventually I did talk to someone. I tried at home treatment, because I refused to go to a center, I started to overcome my eating disorder and things seemed to get a little better. The time came to move, and obviously I wasn’t going to be able to take my therapist with me, so I stopped treatment, and I moved on with my life. To this day I still see signs of my disorder, haunting the back of my mind. I have my bad days when I won’t eat anything, or days when I feel ashamed of myself because of the things that I did eat, but there are always struggles that come with making progress. I hope to eventually be able to say that I did beat my demons, and that I’m happy with the direction my life is going. Until then, I’ll be fighting my demons and hopefully helping people understand these deadly mental diseases and the effects that the world has on young men and women.

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How to Write a College Essay About Having an Eating Disorder

If you’re thinking about writing your college essay about having an eating disorder, you probably asked yourself if that’s too cringy.

Here’s the short answer…

Yes, you can write your college essay about having an eating disorder. In fact, we’ve had multiple students write about both binge eating and anorexia successfully. These students were accepted into perfectly great T-25 schools .

Controversial topics like eating disorders can be risky. But, where most students are mistaken is in thinking they can find a risk-free topic. Most if not all topics carry some risk in them. If you judge any topic at face value, they are to some degree going to carry a level of “cringe.”

College essay about volunteering: they might think we look down on the disadvantaged
College essay about running a chess club: too cliche
College essay about sports: even more cliche
College essay about family: not profound or impressive enough
College essay about a hobby: too diverted from your major

Notice that these criticisms don’t actually hold water. They “could” be true; but, the quality of the essay is really in actually looking at the essay itself.

A successful college essay about having an eating disorder consists of 3 things: how you overcame your eating disorder, the growth you’ve made since then, and how said growth can be applied to your college experience.

In fact, we’ve actually created guides on how to write about unconventional, cliche, or unusual topics below!

Guides by PenningPapers on how to write your college essay about…

Trading and Stocks
Being Asian
Divorced Parents
Video Games
Coming Out as LGBT
Diversity as a White Male

Long story short: you can write your college essay about practically anything, including your eating disorder. Don’t change the topic. Change how you write it.

Let’s cover how to do exactly that below!

Table of Contents

Be Articulate About Your Emotions.
Show How You’ve Improved and Grown.
Think Deeply About the Simple Things.
Be Careful: This Isn’t the Time to Trauma Dump.
Get a Second Pair of Eyes (Especially for Difficult Topics.)

Example College Essay About Having an Eating Disorder.

Professional College Application Help.

1. Be Articulate About Your Emotions.

Most students don’t know how to explain what they’re really feeling. Often, eating disorders come with a whole host of emotions. But, feeling them and articulating them are completely different things.

For instance, many feel frustrated. Others feel unheard.

But, there are many nuances that exist within these emotions. Remember that it’s the nuanced emotions that often carry the best content.

Here’s an example.

You may notice that you feel a lot of shame as someone with an eating disorder. But, you also want to “just fix it” by using positive affirmations. You try to be happy and content with yourself by complimenting yourself. That way, you don’t need to destroy your body to feel confident. But, pride is not the opposite of shame. It’s the source!

This nuanced approach to emotions can help admissions officers see the complexity of your character. It shows you’re not one-dimensional.

Don’t know how to explain these emotions? No problem! Refer to this emotion wheel to better help you!

2. Show How You’ve Improved and Grown.

It’s not about where you start in life. It’s about the work you put in to develop as a person.

Your readers understand their applicants come from all walks of life. Some people come from troubled households with insecure financial situations. Others suffered years of bullying with lasting impacts. It’s rather common for students to have struggled through some level of mental health struggles.

And, yes. That includes eating disorders.

But, harken back to our previous statement: “It’s not about where you start in life.”

The key to writing a solid college essay about having an eating disorder is to show your development and growth.

This doesn’t mean you need to be perfectly stable in life with the best grades, wonderful relationships, and wisdom beyond your years. You’re human; and, humans seldom make progress that fast.

Instead, consider writing about both the hard and soft skills that you’ve gained.

Let’s say you regained a positive relationship with food. That’s a hard skill. A subtler yet equally effective topic would be the confidence you’ve gained —especially in overcoming your self-defeating beliefs that you can change. This is your soft skill.

Soft skills show a deeper level of analysis. People who overcome eating disorders are often seen as “fixing” the “weird eating stuff” like binge eating or purging. But, there’s a lot —yes, a lot— of nuanced details outsiders miss. We don’t hear about how overcoming food addiction means letting go of the last light of our lives. Or, the absolutely profound reality shattering that occurs when we discover the depths of self-hate behind our self-starvation.

These are crucial for writing a profound college essay that isn’t banal.

Speaking of writing about the soft skills you gained, let’s get to the next point: thinking deeply about the simple things.

3. Think Deeply About the Simple Things.

There’s a common misconception: there’s no value in the simple things because they’re inconspicuous.

But, the simple details carry a lot of value. Look at your college essay about having an eating disorder. Notice your experience has random details that often don’t seem all that important.

It’s often these exact small details that carry subtle nuances, themes, motifs, and lessons to share with admissions officers.

Okay, here’s an example.

“I never quite liked my uncle. Just kidding. I loved him and my family dearly. After all, he and everyone means well. Our family came from a history of Evangelic Christain do-gooders who loved God —and their trucks. In short, we were a hillbilly family, I suppose. Yet, there’s something about how do-good that can be quite suffocating. It sounds absoutely bizzare, right? I know: it sounds bizarre even to myself as I write this. Nonetheless, I don’t wish to pen this with the intention of being inconsiderate of my family’s overwhelming generosity. Rather, I wish to articulate a fatal flaw in a problem that I myself have faced for the longest time. Eating Disorders. “Ahh, yeh; well, y’know yer mot’er should’ve gibben yeh a, uhh some extra of her pumpkin pie!” My uncle patted me. “I know: she tells me you ain’t eaten much or nothin’… and, it’s got me worried hmm?” I never quite liked how he comforted me, though. He always patted me on the back super hard in that way where it leaves a sharp sting on the surface of my skin for a while and I was sure —if I had eyes at the back of my head— I would see red forming on my back with an imprint visible enough for a fortune teller to predict his future. “Hmm, let’s see; your relationship with your daughter is strained because she understands you’re concerned about her. Nonetheless, she feels her eating disorder is aired out for everyone to see. No, wait. That’s just a mole.” Exceprt From an Example College Essay About Having an Eating Disorder. PenningPapers

In this excerpt, the applicant has demonstrated strong writing mastery and clever dark humor to visibly demonstrate her linguistic prowess. However, she also takes special care in explaining how her uncle pats her hard on the back.

This is a common patriarchal method seen amongst fathers, uncles, and other male relatives. And, it’s well-meaning; yet, it hints at an underlying difficulty that older men have in comforting their children.

And it’s not all that uncommon! Men have, for the history of humanity, seldom been taught emotional intelligence. In this case, the applicant masterfully depicts her conflictedness with her uncle’s comfort. She understands the sentiment, yet feels uncomfortable with having her dirty laundry aired out. And, she hints at her uncle’s hard-hitting back pats as too forceful for an otherwise necessary gentle compassion.

In short, think about the simple things! In this case, small things like back pats that feel a bit too comfortable are a great place to start! Maybe in your case, you had a bad experience passing by the mirror in your house. Or, you feel emotionally conflicted with how much your pet cat loves you and your body. It’s up to you!

4. Be Careful: This Isn’t the Time to Trauma Dump.

Note: this is not to say that you can’t cover details pertaining to your difficult situation. There are times when your story requires context to understand the full scope of the story.

Trauma dumping is characterized by choosingtherapy.com as…

“… an unhealthy behavior that tends to involve long, uninterrupted venting sessions about one or more stressful, painful, or traumatic experiences a person has had… In the short term, this kind of excessive venting can provide relief to the person sharing. However, eventually the effects of this behavior prove to be negative for everyone involved, including the person posting and those reading.” Choosing Therapy.com on Trauma Dumping

In the context of the college admissions process, most students will trauma dump by explaining too much about their traumatic issues. They dedicate far too many words in their already meager word count to the trauma itself. Then, there’s no space for inference or analysis.

Additionally, the limited words seldom do the experience justice.

In short: if you’re writing a college application essay that has traumatic or triggering events, don’t get too caught up on the traumatic event. Instead, use it as context to explain why you’re a suitable candidate for the university.

Additionally, if you do dedicate too many words to trauma dumping in your essay, you may risk showing red flags to admissions officers.

College admissions officers are not discriminatory based on histories; and, they’re generally understanding of struggles such as mental health disorders. However, it’s when these details pose a serious risk of danger to the campus that they may be less inclined to accept you.

So, if you’re trying to write your college essay about having an eating disorder, try to reduce the word count on all traumatic events. Keep it smushed to as few words as possible without removing any of the necessary context.

This way, you’ll spare much-needed word count as well as do your story justice without sugarcoating details vital to your personal story.

We know this can be hard. So, that brings us to the next point.

5. Get a Second Pair of Eyes (Especially for Difficult Topics.)

Let’s face it: writing your college essay about your eating disorder is not going to be a simple task.

However, it’s the difficult topics that often contain the most nuanced themes and interesting characteristics for admissions officers to draw from! Think of it as a high-effort high-reward strategy.

That’s why we don’t encourage students to give up on topics that seem hard to write. We still recommend students try difficult topics that normally won’t be easy to tackle since the hard ones often have the best results.

Now, if you’re still struggling to write your college essay about having an eating disorder, we would heavily recommend getting a second pair of eyes to look at it. This can be from a teacher, private instructor, college counselor, or private college admissions consultant.

But, here’s the catch: they need to have the expertise to navigate difficult topics like eating disorders, and they need the college admissions experience to consult on writing essays on these topics.

There are few college counselors who know how to navigate the admissions process meaningfully, let alone those who can tackle hard topics in essays without raising red flags. A good consultant would be able to help you write about hard topics in a creative way that shows your best talents whilst avoiding negative opinions.

That’s why we recommend working with us. If you need help writing your college essay about your eating disorder, consider scheduling a free consultation with us . We’ll get back to you within 24 hours. And, we’ve helped students writing their college essays about controversial topics get accepted into some of the best schools in the nation including NYU, Cornell, UPenn, Yale, Stanford, USC, UCB, and more!

The following essay was written in response to the Common App essay prompt 2. You can find the prompt below.

“The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?” Common App Prompt 2 (2023-24)

Below is the essay itself. It was sent by one of our clients who was accepted into Vanderbilt University and had undergone multiple revisions through our college essay editing services.

If you’re interested in said services, consider scheduling a free consultation with us to get a custom quote!

“Possessed by an affinity for fancy lights and pretty colors, I didn’t find it too hard to make my way into one of many sanctimonious gentrified LV stores lining the San Fransisco walkway; being a middle-class… human being, for lack of a derogatory “wealthy people” word, it didn’t take long for me to get not only ignored by the sales associate but shot nasty looks —yes, nasty!— for asking for help with a pair of white shoes. It was one of those, “Oh, fine… I suppose I’m paid “enough” to really help you; but, don’t get your hopes up, your kind don’t belong in a store like this” kinds-of-looks that, as an aspiring entrepreneur and consumer-psych nerd, was really easy to see through: if you make lower-income customers feel insignificant, they’ll overcompensate by buying more expensive items to “prove you wrong.” Just, y’know, I can’t really explain all that in a short interaction; I just wanted to know about the white shoes speckled in pretty colors, to which the associate rolled her eyes, to which I retorted in my head, “What’re you mad at me for? I’m in the same boat as you —taking on a fake ivory-tower job in order to pay off the debt needed to afford the education of a “real” ivory tower job! But, there’s actually something subtler than the wealth discrimination that so constitutes San Fransisco’s charm. Beauty. Specifically, a particular kind of beauty. Spoiler alert: it’s skinny beauty. Oh, I know, we’re more open to all forms of beauty… right? We empower all bodies, indiscriminate of what others think of us! But, like the great Tywin Lannister once said: “Yeah, that’s what you want other people to think of you! And, I’ll be frank: I cared a lot about what other people thought of me. As someone who followed high fashion quite closely, I’ve seen the specter of heroin chic —geez, thanks CK and YSL!— loom over the fashion and beauty industry like a pale, white, emaciated ghost. And, an emaciated ghost I became! For as long as I could remember, I tried to emulate the look: slim leather jacket, skinny jeans, tight clothes that outlined my slim figure and jawline. The whole 9 yards. The less I accepted myself, the more the fashion industry accepted me. Suffice it to say, my relationship with food was not exactly the best. By the time I was actually diagnosed, I thought a lot about my relationship with my body, beauty, and food. One of the things people don’t talk about with eating disorders is the negotiations. Maybe I can still be healthy yet still look slim and pretty. Or, maybe I can still be ‘x’ whilst ‘y’. Insert whatsoever variable fits, and it probably suits the internal eating disorder experience. For me, I thought I could be “body positive” whilst also accepting modern fashion trends. Maybe they could exist in some hypothetically positive “agree-to-disagree” bubble. Wrong. After much rumination, I’ve come to accept this one conclusion: modern beauty expectations are unhealthy. Period. Full stop. It’s either follow modern beauty standards unhealthily or be healthy whilst rejecting modern beauty standards. I was greedy to believe I could satisfy unrealistic beauty expectations whilst being healthy. That prevented me from recovering from my eating disorder. I couldn’t let go of “fitting the standard” to be healthy. So, I’ve come to accept that I can’t satisfy everyone. I chose my health. Goodbye beauty standards. Nice knowing you… sorta? I have a bit of a chub now and am often adorned in hoodies and dad caps. But, here’s the thing. I’m okay with that! I’m okay with the fact that I can’t satisfy everyone. I won’t fit modern beauty standards without sacrificing my health, and vice versa. And, that’s okay. That’s the beauty of it. I don’t need to satisfy everyone (or, anyone!) I’m okay. It’s all okay.” Successful College Essay About Having an Eating Disorder (Common App Essay Prompt ) —Vanderbilt University, PenningPapers

If you’re still struggling to write a solid college essay about your eating disorder, don’t worry! It’s a hard topic; and, it takes time and effort to write. However, you don’t have to tackle difficult topics like this alone. We highly recommend getting help from us for professional college admissions essay consulting and editing by scheduling a free consultation . Our college advisors and consultants have had many years of experience getting students like you accepted into prestigious institutions like that of (recently) Brown, Yale, Dartmouth, Cornell, U Mich, GT, UPenn, Duke, and many more!

Essay on Eating Disorders

Students are often asked to write an essay on Eating Disorders in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Understanding eating disorders.

Eating disorders are serious health problems. They occur when individuals develop unhealthy eating habits that can harm their body. They often start with an obsession with food, body weight, or body shape.

Types of Eating Disorders

There are three main types of eating disorders: Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Each has different symptoms but all can be harmful.

Impact on Health

Eating disorders can damage important body parts like the heart and brain. They can also affect mental health, causing anxiety or depression.

Getting Help

If you or someone you know has an eating disorder, it’s important to seek help. Doctors, therapists, and support groups can provide treatment and support.

250 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Introduction.

The most common types are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, and Binge Eating Disorder. Anorexia is defined by a refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Bulimia involves frequent episodes of binge eating followed by behaviors like forced vomiting to avert weight gain. Binge Eating Disorder is characterized by frequent overeating episodes but without subsequent purging actions.

Sociocultural Influences

Sociocultural factors play a significant role in the onset of eating disorders. The media’s portrayal of an ‘ideal’ body size and shape can contribute to body dissatisfaction and consequently, disordered eating behaviors.

Health Implications

The health implications of eating disorders are severe, impacting both physical and mental health. These can range from malnutrition, organ damage, to increased risk of suicide.

Eating disorders, therefore, are serious conditions that require comprehensive treatment. Increased awareness, early diagnosis, and interventions can significantly improve the prognosis and quality of life for those affected.

500 Words Essay on Eating Disorders

Introduction to eating disorders.

Eating disorders represent a group of serious conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits that can negatively affect a person’s physical and mental health. These disorders often develop from a complex interplay of genetic, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

The Types of Eating Disorders

The underlying causes.

Eating disorders are typically multifactorial and can’t be attributed to a single cause. They often coexist with other mental health disorders such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Genetic predisposition plays a significant role, suggesting that eating disorders can run in families. Sociocultural factors, including societal pressures to be thin, can also contribute to the development of these disorders.

The Impact on Physical and Mental Health

The physical consequences of eating disorders are profound and can be life-threatening. They range from malnutrition, heart conditions, and bone loss in anorexia, to gastrointestinal problems and electrolyte imbalances in bulimia. Binge eating disorder can lead to obesity and related complications like heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Treatment and Recovery

Treatment for eating disorders typically involves a multidisciplinary approach, combining medical, psychological, and nutritional therapy. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is often effective, helping individuals to understand and change patterns of thought and behavior that lead to disordered eating.

Early intervention is crucial for recovery. However, stigma and lack of understanding about these disorders can often delay treatment. Therefore, raising awareness and promoting understanding about eating disorders is essential.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Eating Disorders Essay Examples

Unrealistic influences: social media and body image.

Too fat, too skinny, too short, too tall. Am I pretty enough? Why did my friend get more likes on her picture than mine? Nothing is ever good enough. In this generation, media has become a huge influence in our youth and the way we...

Tell Me About Yourself Essay: My Eating Disorder

I never realised how much an eating disorder could control your life, until I had one. I want you to envision a time where you really, truly felt ashamed of who you were. A moment where the people surrounding you didn't get it, and more...

An Overview of Bulimia, Its Symptoms, Causes, Effects, and Treatment Options

Mental disorders consist of a range of ailments that usually have different symptoms. Mental disorders are generally characterized by an expression of abnormal behavior, thoughts, relationship, and emotions with others. There are several mental disorders attributed to general medical conditions, such as catatonia, acquired agraphia,...

Overview of the Causes of Bulimia

There are diverse foundations for bulimia. Ordinarily, when an individual gets a dietary issue a couple of causes are capable in the meantime. It is never only one reason. How about we take a gander at the most widely recognized reasons for bulimia. In opposition...

Eating Disorder: Types, Symptoms and Causes

An eating disorder is a serious and fatal illness that will affect in thoughts and eating behavior. It involves ether eating too little that the person will be thin or eating too much in the same time which will lead to weight gain. Eating disorder...

Eating Disorders in Athletes

Athletes are not immune to mental illness. They suffer from a variety of psychiatric conditions. Ranging from depression and anxiety to eating disorders. Disordered eating in athletes is quite common, especially in female athletes. Many female athletes feel pressured into fitting into the stereotypical appearance...

Eating Disorders and Sweets: Getting Through Halloween

For those with an eating disorder, Halloween is a challenging time. Eating disorders and sweets do not typically go together easily, so all that holiday candy can increase stress and hamper recovery. However, it is possible to enjoy Halloween while in recovery from an eating...

Eating Disorders: Your School Isn’t Safe

On a common Monday of December, with 31 years, Kate Chilver lost the fight against anorexia. The British girl died after suffering almost 20 years of the disease. Her case has been described by the doctors of the United Kingdom as the worst seen ever....

Malnutrition – One of the Urgent Problems Nowadays

Malnutrition is a common Health problem. It is the unhealthy condition that results from not eating enough food or not eating enough healthy food. Also, it is the general term for the medical condition caused by an improper insufficient diet. This is a serious condition...

The Public Health Issue of Malnutrition, and Its Solutions

Malnutrition is a significant public health issue facing the world today. It is seen in every country. Worldwide, nearly 2 billion people are overweight and nearly half a million are underweight (WHO, 2016). Generally defined as “deficiencies, excesses or imbalances in energy intake or nutrients”...

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About Eating Disorders

An eating disorder are behavioral conditions characterized by severe and persistent disturbance in eating behaviors and associated distressing thoughts and emotions.

Types of eating disorders include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder, other specified feeding and eating disorder, pica and rumination disorder.

Genetics, psychological issues, personality traits, celiac disease, environmental influences, food insecurity, trauma, heterosexism.

Serious health problems, depression and anxiety, suicidal thoughts or behavior, problems with growth and development, social and relationship problems, substance use disorders, work/education issues, death.

30 million people in the U.S. have an eating disorder and 95 percent of people with eating disorders are between the ages 12 and 25. Eating disorders have the HIGHEST risk of death of any mental illness, they affect all genders, all races, and every ethnic group. Genetics, environmental factors, and personality traits all contribute to the risk of developing an eating disorder.

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