Haitian Beatz

My articles are usually about my love for food and the joys that I derive from eating, cooking, or sharing

my life with loved ones over meals. Thus, sometimes I forget that food itself, as beautiful and joyous as it is, can present problems for many people. In the late 80’s and 90’s bulimia and anorexia made their way into the limelight with actress Tracy Gold (She’s that young woman that played the older sister on that show Growing Pains). But many other food related illnesses have made their way into the headlines of late. While many of anorexia and bulimia were more rampant among middle and upper class white girls and women, these illnesses have crept into mainstream America over the last few years.

Our relationships with food are shaped very earlier on. Till this day, I find it difficult to leave food on my plate. Growing up, my mom’s motto was, clean your plate. And honestly back then, with the scarcity of food, it was hard not to clean your plate. However, living in a country like the US, it is important for us to develop new relationships with food. It is not necessary to eat all the food presented to you at a restaurant (do you see how big some of those portions at some restaurants?). The US is a country of abundance and excess, and that is manifested through food as well. Thus as parents and individuals growing up in the world, just like we are conscious of how much alcohol we drink, we do need to be mindful of our eating habits. Not all people who drink alcohol become alcoholics, but some do. And it’s a combination of people’s genetic predisposition, personality, character and external pressure that either activate or prevent disorders. While women are the prominent sufferers of eating disorders, a small number of men do experience all of them, with Overeating being the prominent one among males.

Below are 3 examples of eating disorders which I think we need to take a closer look at.

Anorexia

Those suffering from anorexia have a tremendous fear of being fat or being perceived as fat. Because of this they tend to diminish their eating to minimal and almost deadly levels. It is easier to recognize than some other eating disorders because the individual pretty much starves themselves, and it reflects in their appearance and weight. While weight control is the way this illness is manifested, this has been classified also as a mental disorder where the individual feels the need to control and they utilize food