Eating disorders such as bulimia nervosa and the likes are psychological disorders, mostly associated with the younger lots.However; this is far from the truth. A recent breakthrough sought by the researchers at the University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine begged to differ and proved that eating disorders in older women - particularly over the age of 50, were quite possible and very much existent.
Experts believe that this research is very important since it proves previous claims that eating disorders can occur at any age. "Everyone, especially health-care providers, needto erase stereotypes about who experiences disordered eating. Women well into their 50s and beyond still report struggling with weight dissatisfaction and a palette of unhealthy behaviors aimed at weight control. Our '70 is the new 50' society may be placing additional appearance pressures on women that perpetuate disordered eating practices well into older adulthood," said Cynthia Bulik, lead researcher and director of the University of North Carolina Eating Disorders Program.
A survey conducted by researchers from the University Of North Carolina School Of Medicine, involving 1849 middle aged women concluded some startling results. The survey establishedthat almost two-third of the women were unhappy with their appearance and more than 70 percent were attempting to lose weight. 8 percent of the women reported purging within the year and 4 percent reported binge eating at least once a week. Almost 28 percent of the women were experiencing some type or the other of an eating disorder. A surprising revelation was that most of these women who were inclined towards these horrendous eating disorders had no as such previous history with them.
Bulik said, “We simply cannot ignore disordered eating and weight dissatisfaction in women over 50. But, we have no idea how to tailor interventions for women over 50 so treatment can be appropriate to their developmental stage in life. That is a critical next step.”
The research goes on to state the fact that despite all the development on literacy, scientific and technological fronts, our societal mindsets are still the same. The societal mindsets that are being referred to here are those of being judged for the way you look, and being able to fit that ideal perception of a woman that is physically impossible to attain, yet obsessed over to limit of disastrous decision making, culminating to outcomes such as that of an eating disorder.
The research concludes that eating disorders are very much prevalent among women who are aging to 50’s and how they can be very damaging and should most certainly be controlled and kept under the radar. In fact, eating disorders among women over 50 are a matter of grave concern because as age progresses the body becomes less resilient. The concept of the good wife has been ridiculously exploited and fallen to the abyss of insanity. Women of any and every age want to fit that societal stereotype that has been passed on from generation to generation.
According to the National Eating Disorder Association, more than 10 million Americans suffer from eating disorders such as bulimia and anorexia. However, eating disorders among women over 50 usually go unnoticed since doctors tend to notice disorders amongst teens more easily. Generally symptoms of eating disorders among women over the age of 50, such as missing periods, are confused with natural changes such as menopause.
Women over the age of 50 are at a greater risk of ill-health pertaining to eating disorders as their bodies are bound to be less responsive to drastic change or a diet that is not self-sufficient. However, the first order of business to address to when preventing the upsurge of these disorders is that of a perception fix. Eating disorders in older women is a menacing psychologically administered behavior that needs to be addressed to on an urgency basis among women of all ages.
