Anorexia

1097 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Biological impact of anorexia

Anorexia The purpose for this paper is to inform myself more on eating disorders since its becoming such an important issue in our society. REVIEW: DIETING: Dieting is currently at epidemic proportions. According to Hobbs and Johnson’s(1996) study, by the age of 18, more than fifty percent of girls perceive themselves as being too fat, despite having a normal weight. Anorexia nervosa is estimated to occur in 0.2 to 1.3 percent of the population, with annual incidence of five to ten cases per 100,000 population. Prevalence and incidence rates of both anorexia nervosa and bulimia tend to be higher in certain populations, such as college sororities. In this type of environment, a high priority is placed on thinness, therefor dieting is a common practice among colleagues. Anorexia nervosa is much more common in women than in men, although approximately five to ten percent of patients with anorexia are men. Broccolo-Philbin(1996) notes that dieting can be dangerous. If extreme dieting goes unnoticed and uncorrected, then it could lead to serious health problems. Several anorexic patients end up in the hospital to be treated for their disorder. CAUSES: “We are in a society that suggests we must be perfect in everything,” says Meehan(1996,p.1), founder and president of the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated disorders. She says we feel that we must somehow live up to these unrealistic standards. In turn, if we meet this ideal, then we feel bad about are looks. This can lead up to a behaviour that harms rather then helps. One girl who suffered from anorexia said,” I really didn’t feel like I was good at anything. Even though I made straight A’s, it seemed like I was never in control. Food was the on... ... middle of paper ... ...as much as possible. They will constantly be exercising to burn off as much calories as possible. These journals also show that they eat a minimal amount of calories to avoid gaining fat. Over all, all these articles basically show us the dangers of eating disorders and how these diseases are becoming so popular in our society. Bibliography: BIBLIOGRAPHY JOURNALS: Broccolo-Philbin, Anne: An obsession with being painfully thin. Current Health 2 vol.22, 1996, p.23 DSM-IV: Diagnosing eating disorders: what’s new in the DSM-IV. Patient care vol.29, 1995, p.93 Hobbs, Wendy & Johnson, cynda: Anorexia nervosa: an overview. American Family Physician, vol.54, 1996, p.1273 POPULAR PUBLICATIONS: Loose Change, Protect Yourself Magazine, January 1990. The Truth About Cats & Dogs, People Magazine, March 1996. Starved For Love, Chatelaine, February 1997.

Show More
Related

  • Anorexia

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    “Fighting Anorexia” and “cookie monster” are two different articles based on research by some group of psychiatrists that focuses on eating disorder, which in psychology is referred to as a mental illness. Anorexia nervosa is a mental condition that describes a person’s obsession with food and the acute anxiety over weight gain (Newsweek cover, 2005). This disorder is categorized by an individual’s phobia on what to eat and what not to eat; as a result, the person begins to starve his or her self just to avoid adding more weight. The article published on the “Cookie Monster” expatiate on a research that describes how food is being used by some individuals to change their mood (McCarthy, 2001). This research shows that individuals especially college students try to subdue their emotions through the use of sweets and cookies. To further understand of these two experimental research in both articles, some important questions will be answered below.

    Read More

  • Family Dysfunction and Anorexia: Is there a correlation?

    1225 Words  | 3 Pages

    Each year millions of people in the United States develop serious and often fatal eating disorders. More than ninety percent of those are adolescent and young women. The consequences of eating disorders are often severe--one in ten end in death from either starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide. Due to the recent awareness of this topic, much time and money has been attributed to eating disorders. Many measures have been taken to discover leading causes and eventual treatment for those suffering from anorexia. (http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource ...er.html#Causes of Eating Disorders) )

    Read More

  • The Mask of Horror: Eating Disorders

    925 Words  | 2 Pages

    In this Golden age of humanity with technology at the fingertips of mankind and world wide global awareness, it's hard to imagine from the comfort of well lit homes, a large population of the human race lives without fresh water and a nourishing daily meal. In the United States of America it has been said of an over abundance of food, though many of the citizens are forced to consume highly processed ready made meals in order to survive due to poverty. These meals are high in fat, sodium and of course, calorie, leaving the consumer with extra weight. This leads to the image of "'merica" with over weight men and women on scooters. While some of this is actually a result of poor self control or a medical issue, many can attribute it to having a very low income and the substance affordable is akin to garage. "Big" a book by some author, chronicles a young women who is very overweight by the design of her home environment. Her mother is disabled, obese and living off the government. She gets a job, goes to fat camp and learns why she can never loose weight. With all of this in mind, not to mention the idolization of stick thin models and actors, its not hard to figure out what the mind of an adolescent will conclude. Weight equals prosperity; being heavy is unsuccessful and ugly, whist-while bones and tight skin stretched over cranium is attractive and desirable. This of course calls Eating disorders to mind; Anorexia nervosa, Blumina, and EDNOS (eating disorder not diagnosed).

    Read More

  • An Overview of Anorexia Nervosa

    1876 Words  | 4 Pages

    Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.

    Read More

  • Anorexia Nervosa Throughout History

    1123 Words  | 3 Pages

    Voltaire once said, “Nothing would be more tiresome than eating and drinking if God had not made them a pleasure as well as a necessity.” This quote makes me remember that as much pleasure food may bring us, we should never forget that we need it to survive. I guess most of us don’t, but once again, I remembered there are some people that do. If we were to look at the world as a whole, we would realize that for every 100 teenage girls, 1 to 5 suffers from anorexia. As defined by the National Eating Disorders Association, “Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.”

    Read More

  • Anorexia And Bulimia Essay

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Over the years the rise in body image dissatisfaction has grown as both male and female progress to adulthood. This factor can be contributed to societal standards that the media presents to the public daily. These standards continue to rise making the body image more difficult to attain. With these standards comes the push to seek the “perfect body”. This myth of true beauty commonly found in today’s society, is the price that adolescents buy into often sacrificing their health. The perfect body can often present a distorted view of one-self leading to unhealthy methods of weight reduction. The most common methods for weight reduction are the diseases Anorexia and Bulimia. The similarities and differences between Anorexia and Bulimia will be used to prove that the society’s pressure to fit a certain mold contribute to the onset of the disease.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders : Eating Disorder

    1323 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders are described as an illness involving eating habits that are irregular and an extreme concern with body image or weight. Eating disorders tend to appear during teenage years, but can develop at any age. Although more common in women, eating disorders can affect any age, gender or race. In the United States, over 20 million women and 10 million men are personally affected by eating disorders. There are many different causes of eating disorders such as low self esteem, societal pressures, sexual abuse and the victims perception of food. Eating disorders are unique to the sufferer and often, their perception of themselves is so skewed, they may not be aware they have an eating disorder. Media, for quite some time now, has played a significant part in eating disorders. Magazines with headlines ‘Summer Body’, or ‘Drop LB’s Fast!’ attract the attention of girls who may be insecure with themselves. Television productions such as the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show or American’s Next Top Model, show airbrushed and photoshopped women who have body types that may be unachievable. Those who are suffering from eating disorders can suffer dangerous consequences, and it is important to seek help.

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders during Adolescence

    1894 Words  | 4 Pages

    An eating disorder is characterized when eating, exercise and body image become an obsession that preoccupies someone’s life. There are a variety of eating disorders that can affect a person and are associated with different characteristics and causes. Most cases can be linked to low self esteem and an attempt to, “deal with underlying psychological issues through an unhealthy relationship with food” (“Eating Disorders and Adolescence,” 2013). Eating disorders typically develop during adolescence or early adulthood, with females being most vulner...

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders: The Skinny on Skinny

    1670 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since 1960 the amount of cases of eating disorders has risen drastically. Since 1960 technology has increased as well. With this new technology social media has become increasingly popular leading to overstimulation of pictures portraying emaciated young women as “perfection” (Salter). Eating disorders are especially prominent in young females; and young minds are often easily influenced by what is normalized to them (Park). When a young brain is opened up to ideas and words that idolize “skinny”, it will undoubtedly become similarly obsessed with “skinny”. Harvard Medical school recently did a study on media’s effects on eating disorders: “Scientists…studying the social influences contributing to eating disorders focuse...

    Read More

  • Informative Speech Outline On Eating Disorders

    1796 Words  | 4 Pages

    (Thesis Statement)Eating disorders are something that are very common among all people. However, they are not often talked about or understood and this is something we need to fix as a society.

    Read More

  • Adolescent Eating Disorders

    1663 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1978, Brunch called anorexia nervosa a 'new disease' and noted that the condition seemed to overtake ?the daughters of the well-to-do, educated and successful families.? Today it is acknowledged and accepted that anorexia affects more than just one gender or socio-economic class; however, much of the current research is focused on the female gender. ?Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme dieting, intense fear of gaining weight, and obsessive exercising. The weight loss eventually produces a variety of physical symptoms associated with starvation: sleep disturbance, cessation of menstruation, insensitivity to pain, loss of hair on the head, low blood pressure, a variety of cardiovascular problems and reduced body temperature. Between 10% and 15% of anorexics literally starve themselves to death; others die because of some type of cardiovascular dysfunction (Bee and Boyd, 2001).?

    Read More

  • Understanding Eating Disorders

    1178 Words  | 3 Pages

    Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.

    Read More

  • Comparing the Similarities and Differences Between Anorexia and Bulimia

    1014 Words  | 3 Pages

    The "Anorexia Nervosa" BMJ: British Medical Journal 334.7599 (2007): 894-98. Print. The. Hay, Phillipa J., and Josue Bacaltchuk. The "Bulimia Nervosa" BMJ: British Medical Journal, 323 (2001). Print.

    Read More

  • Anorexia Nervosa

    1077 Words  | 3 Pages

    Long, Phillip W. "Anorexia Nervosa." Internet Mental Health. Jan. 1997. St. Joseph Medical Center. 19 Aug. 1998 .

    Read More

  • Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

    561 Words  | 2 Pages

    Everyone has something about them they wish they could change. To some people, they’re never thin enough. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which you excessively lose weight by self- starvation. This disorder typically affects girls and women but can also affect boys and men too. It is typically caused when an un-realistic body structure is viewed as what they should look like. Ads, commercials, magazines, and others who call a person ‘fat’, can all influence a person to become anorexic. Anorexia can be very damaging to your health. Because you’re not eating, your body is not getting any nutrients. Anorexia Nervosa is damaging to your health because you decrease bone strength, lose muscle mass, and damage the heart.

    Read More

More about Anorexia

Open Document