We can help you claim
compensation following an accident
illness or injury - nationwide
Call: 0800 10 757 95
Mobile friendly number:
0333 240 0871
There are so many health scares reported in the media each week that it is hard to keep up with what the experts' latest thoughts are on this and that Is red wine good or bad? But one thing that experts have always had a definite stance on is that of the eating disorder. Seeing as these are psychological disorders that can develop as a result of a number of combined factors, they are difficult to make personal injury claims for. However, in some instances, if a certain amount of accountability can be established, it may make it worth seeking the representation of a no win, no fee solicitor.
This is one issue that is particularly prominent right now. Teen soap Hollyoaks has been following the story line of one its lead characters, Hannah Ashworth, as she battles with an eating disorder, and this week the Channel Four show broadcast the first death caused by Anorexia Nervosa to be shown on television.
Before we go any further, let's pinpoint exactly what we are talking about here. Anorexia is an eating disorder that usually starts around puberty, affecting people in their mid to late teens. This is a troubling time for most, as there are myriad pressures to conform to social ideals of physical attractiveness.
Eating disorders specialist, Professor Arthur Crisp has suggested one explanation for this, "Puberty isn't invited and some people find it very threatening. They panic about the physical changes and they panic about the challenges they are facing within their family and society. If they don't have the coping skills to deal with all these changes they may use dieting as a way of coping, but they need help to accept the process of growth and maturation."
Denying the body food can do more than simply slim down the figure. Feeling dizzy and cold as energy levels drop, stomach pains, constipation, muscle weakness, incontinence, hormonal changes, infertility, osteoporosis, anaemia, kidney failure and heart problems are just some of the issues that anorexia can lead to.
On the other hand, people with bulimia may not be thin and wait until there is no one else around to binge eat and then make themselves sick, making it quite difficult to detect.
Professor Hubert Lacey, from St George's Hospital, London has described bulimia nervosa as, "repeated episodes of binge eating that are life disruptive and associated with low self-esteem. Some people with bulimia need to have a means of dealing with the excess food, such as vomiting or excessive exercise, others don't."
The consequences of bulimia include a sore and inflamed throat, dehydration, a bleeding oesophagus, bad breath, decaying teeth, breathing problems, kidney failure, stomach rupture and heart attacks.
While showing the death of a girl with Anorexia on Hollyoaks has caused wide controversy, it has come at a time where giving such psychological conditions exposure cannot do any harm. It may even discourage young girls from trying such behaviour and should in no way lead to the need for parents to call on the assistance of no win, no fee solicitors as it does not glamorise eating disorders but instead reveals them for what they really are.
Super-thin celebrities such as Victoria Beckham and Kate Moss have often had the finger pointed at them for being bad role models because many young girls aspire to look like them, whether they are naturally slim or not.
Another recent media outcry has stemmed from the inclusion of pro-ana' groups on internet forums. These groups have been condemned for seeming to encourage the harmful behaviour of those with eating disorders. Pro-ana is mostly thought to mean pro-anorexia but some say that ana is short for Anamadim, the goddess who allows fasting with ease.
Charities have made pleas to social networking websites such as MySpace and Facebook to restrict such online groups. Video clip website YouTube has also been approached and asked to take more accountability for video clips showing unhealthily thin women giving tips about how food can be avoided and low goal weights achieved and maintained.
Pro-ana websites and forums have been in existence for a while now but have not been so accessible. However, now that they are featured on popular social networking sites, a new concern has been raised, particularly when such sites are supposed to have rules about posting harmful content.
For example, YouClaim has previously looked at how YouTube could encourage accidents at work by posting videos showing people performing pranks in the workplace. Surely an equal amount of responsibility needs to be encouraged in regard to eating disorders, so as to decrease the chances of a no win, no fee solicitor being needed.
MySpace, which has close to 115 million members, features a "thinspiration" site which not only features images of skinny models but also features the shocking warning, "no people trying to recover, it ruins our motivation". Similarly, Facebook is making headway fast and attracts an abundance of young internet users. But is also hosts a whole range of pro anorexia groups from It's all about being really skinny' to Get thin or die trying'.
In the social networking site's defence a spokesperson for MySpace has said that it can be hard to distinguish between support groups and those that might encourage eating disorders, "We are working to create partnerships with organisations that provide resources and advice, and we will target those groups with messages of support."
However, when pro-ana groups have such provocative names it is hard to see how the difference between them and a support group cannot be recognised. But the question is, why are predominantly young women turning to such groups? Experts believe that sufferers of anorexia and bulimia feel accepted and can identify with other members, however, Chief executive of eating disorder charity Beat has stressed, "But there are other places to get support than sites which tell you how to stay ill."
She goes on to say "Eating disorders are a serious mental illness, not a fad, a phase, or a fashion accessory. They are not a lifestyle choice either, and anything that could mislead or attempt to persuade a vulnerable young person about this is potentially very harmful.
"The sooner someone gets the help they need, the more likely they are to make a full recovery- yet some aspects of the pro-ana world deliberately try to encourage people to avoid treatment.
"At Beat, we want to change the way we all think and talk about eating disorders, and that means showing we can provide that acceptance and understanding, so that a pro-ana group isn't the only refuge there is."
As social networking sites, like MySpace and Facebook, and video posting sites, such as YouTube, begin to take more responsibility and are stricter about pro-ana groups and thinspiration material being posted on their sites, there is a chance of lowering the profile of eating disorders.
However, while they refuse to take accountability for site content they could face being tackled by an expert no win, no fee solicitor in a personal injury compensation claim because a visitor to their website has suffered serious personal injury after being encouraged to stop eating by members of a group using their website.
For information, advice and publications on all aspects of eating disorders visit www.b-eat.co.uk.
This article may be published on another website free of charge, on the condition that a link is provided from this article to our website: http://www.youclaim.co.uk/personal-injury/personal-injury-solicitors-and-respiratory-sensitizers.htm
