Background History of Anorexia Nervosa

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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA Anorexia nervosa’s (AN) first descriptions began during the twelfth and thirteenth century with the historical Saint Catherine of Siena (Deans, 2011). It is related to participating in religious functions and medieval practices of self-starvation (Deans, 2011). Furthermore, the death of popular singer, Karen Carpenter in 1983 created the societal awareness about the effect of anorexia nervosa and become widely known at the end of the twentieth century (Rader, 2012). Nowadays, anorexia nervosa has become more common, especially in the western countries such as the United States. The reason of increment in the prevalence rate is believed to be influenced by the fashion and media industries (Rader, 2012). The statistics show about 10 million females and 1 million males in the United States alone are dealing with the eating disorders (Witmer, n.d). Moreover, eating disorders mortality rate could be higher of any other psychiatric disorders and Crow et al. (2009, p. 1342) claimed that there was a crude mortality rate of 4% for anorexia nervosa. In 1873, Sir William Gull, British physician formed the termed “anorexia nervosa (Apepsia Hysterica, Anorexia Hysterica)” (Gull, 1997, p. 498). The term anorexia nervosa (AN) is a Greek origin means without appetite or desire which describe “nervous absence of appetite”. Anorexia nervosa is the first eating disorders stated in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders DSM-I, characterized by restricting on food intake even they are starving, always have a false appearance of their body shape although extremely thin (Kazdin, 2000). The latest Eating Disorder Diagnostic Criteria from DSM 5 has revised from DSM IV-TR in 2013. The... ... middle of paper ... ...rexic patients by the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE). Long et al., (2012, p. 2) suggested that the anorexic patients whose no improvement after an suitable psychotherapy with higher suicide risk should hospitalization for at least 12 months. Nutritional rehabilitation are used in the treatment of anorexia (Marzola, Nasser, Hashim, Shih, & Kaye, 2013). It has focused on the changing of the AN patients on their unhealthy eating behavior and concern on the accurate amount of calories the AN patient’s needs (Marzola et al., 2013). Finally, there is no effective treatment for the anorexia nervosa but a positive thinking for anorexia patient’s itself is very important. I think the sufficient support and attention from the family and society would help the anorexic patients. Thus, there are relation influences among biological, psychological, and social.

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