HUMAN BIOLOGY

DiGestioN aND NUtritioN 219

FOCUS ON HUmAN impACT

Hunger for Change

according to the U.s. environmental protection agency,

each year more than 36 million tons of food waste go into

landfills in the United states. this food, much of it perfectly

edible when it is discarded, is tossed out by individuals,

grocery stores, and restaurants and other food service

businesses. studies show that americans trash about

25 percent of the food they buy for home use. By some

estimates, a whopping 40 percent of food produced in

the United states is wasted. at the same time, about one

in six americans is “food insecure”—that is, typically due

to financial hardship, they don’t have reliable access to

adequate food. a similar story plays out in other countries.

Wasting usable food not only means wasted money for

consumers. it equates to wasted resources used to produce

that food—in the form of energy, water, pesticides, and

fertilizers—and to deliver it into the marketplace.

a growing number of activists, as well as business

and government agencies, point out that consumers

and businesses can take simple steps to trim food waste

(figure 11.26). With a little planning, individuals can

purchase only the quantities of food their households

are likely to consume. Composting can transform food

scraps into a nutrient-rich soil amendment for home

gardens. restaurants can serve satisfying but not

excessive portions, reducing waste and saving money at

the same time. individuals and businesses can regularly

donate excess wholesome food to organizations that

operate free food pantries, helping fellow citizens whose

food budgets are strained. processors can donate safe,

wholesome food

scraps to livestock

operations such as

pig farms. producers

of waste fats and

oils can divert these

materials from landfills

to industries that

manufacture biofuels

or other products.

taken together,

such steps can produce

social, environmental,

and economic benefits

for us all.

anorexic as they try to achieve an ultra-thin body they see

as crucial to their success. Untreated anorexia can kill, but

people who get treatment—usually a long-term process—

can return to a healthy weight (figure 11.25).

anorexia

• Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimal normal
  weight for age and height (defined as body weight less than
  85 percent of that expected for age and height)


• Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, despite being
  underweight


• Distorted body image or denial that current body weight is
  below a minimum healthy standard


• In women, no menstrual periods for at least 3 months
  Bulimia


• Binge eating that includes a sense of lack of control over
  the behavior


• Inappropriate compensating behavior to prevent weight gain,
  such as self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives or enemas,
  and excessive exercise


• Binging/inappropriate compensating behavior (purging or
  overexercising) occurs at least twice a week for 3 months


• Overconcern with body weight and shape

Table 11.8 Major Indicators for Anorexia and Bulimia

Adapted from guidelines of the American Psychiatric Association,

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 2000.

Figure 11.25 French cyclist

Leontien Zijlaard was treated

for anorexia nervosa. Four

years later she won three

Olympic gold medals.

another eating extreme is

the binge–purge disorder called

bulimia nervosa. Bulimic means

“having an oxlike appetite.” a

bulimic person might consume

as much as 50,000 calories at

one sitting and then purposely vomit, take a laxative, or

both. Unlike anorexia, bulimia is easier to hide because

the individual doesn’t become seriously emaciated. even

so, the cumulative effects of bulimia can be extremely

destructive. Chronic vomiting can erode tooth enamel

(due to stomach acid) and

rupture the stomach. in

severe cases it also can

cause chemical imbalances

that lead to heart and

kidney failure. psychological

counseling helps many

bulimics. Because depression

is a factor in a fair number of

cases, antidepressants can

help as well.

bulimia nervosa Eating

disorder in which a person

alternately binges and

purges (as by forced vomit-

ing or use of laxatives).

11.16

Figure 11.26 Strategies that reduce

food waste benefit the greater

society in important ways.

© berna namoglu/Shutterstock.com

Eric Gaillard/REUTERS

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