Most people, including me, would associate eating disorders with cultural and social pressures, that only external factors are the cause of severe disorders such as anorexia and bulimia. Misinformation is extremely common surrounding eating disorders. While the environment certainly does play a big role in the development of these disorders, there is recent evidence proving that the brain itself plays a big role. First off, eating disorders are any illness that causes serious disturbances to one's diet. The most commonly known are Anorexia Nervosa, extreme food restriction and emaciation, and Bulimia Nervosa, episodes of binge eating followed by purging, fasting, or excessive exercise. Both of these can cause severe illnesses such as gastrointestinal problems, electrolyte imbalance and cardiovascular disease, muscle wasting, heart and brain damage, and multi-organ failure. ...
