ALCOHOL AND YOUNG PEOPLE

Alcohol and Young People

Alcohol and Young People

Introduction

There are many health issues facing the youth of today's America. This written work will deal with three of these major issues namely eating disorders, substance abuse and suicide in that order. These issues shall prove to be of great interest to all readers, as everyone has some level of contact with the youth of our country. America's young people are stricken with many tough issues, and as parents, friends, brothers and sisters, we need to create a generation of self-satisfied, strong morally upright youth.

Discussion

Eating disorders, namely anorexia nervosa, bulimia and obesity, have serious effects on a person's wellbeing, due to many health problems that arise from such eating disorders. Thompson (1993) states some of the medical effects of such disorders that can be expected from Anorexia Nervosa (starvation). These effects can be, abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, risk for heart failure due to these effects, reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), muscle loss and weakness, severe dehydration (kidney failure), dry hair and skin, hair loss, severe sensitivity to the cold, infertility, headaches, retention of fluid (Oedema), stunting of height/growth, anaemia (iron deficiency), hypoglycaemia, abdominal pain constipation, fainting and a reduced ability to think clearly. The other major concern with Anorexia Nervosa is that 10-20% of cases end in suicide, giving it the highest mortality rate of all eating disorders. He also states some problems caused by Bulimia Nervosa due to vomiting, laxative abuse, and other diuretic abuse, such as tooth decay (exposure to stomach acid), swollen salivary glands, abdominal pains, sore throat, indigestion, electrolyte imbalances leading to irregular heartbeat, chronic irregular bowel movements (laxative abuse) dehydration, bowel disease, bleeding and constipation. Obesity has many risks, some of which are high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and gallbladder disease. The health risks for the individual in these cases depend on the type and severity of the eating disorder, and many of these problems are rectified when normal eating behaviors and weight is restored, however in some cases the medical consequences are irreversible.

Eating disorders are of major concern for the youth of today's America, especially our adolescent girls and young women. An American study done in 1991 by Paxton, Werhheim, Gibbons and others took over 500 boys and girls aged 13-17, and asked them questions of what they thought about being physically fit, thinner and how they might go about achieving physical fitness. They found, in line with previous studies done, that boys showed more satisfaction with their body than the girls, of whom over a third considered themselves to be overweight when they were actually under or within the normal weight range for their height and age. Another interesting fact drawn from this study was that 47.9% of girls and 26% of boys had used an extreme weight loss measure (e.g. Fasting, crash dieting, vomiting, using diet pills, laxatives, or diuretics) occasionally in the past, while 13.2% of girls and ...