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Physical and emotional impact of eating disorders
Case studies of anorexia
Effects of eating disorders on society
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Recommended: Physical and emotional impact of eating disorders
Written and narrated by Kelsey Osgood, How to Completely Disappear: On Modern Anorexia tells the story of Osgood and her battle with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa, which is referred to simply as anorexia, is an eating disorder that is often associated with a skipping meals and an unnaturally thin body shape. A person who suffers with anorexia is often very underweight, but the weight does not solely defy the eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa can be seen in a person who often skips meals and intakes very few calories. The author begins her struggles with anorexia at the age of fourteen, and she continues her battle throughout her entire teenage years. Osgood experiences firsthand the devastating effects of not having the proper nutrition. How to Completely Disappear: On Modern Anorexia is told through her perspective as Osgood relives countless hospital visits and great weight loss.
The author reveals that she personally sought out weight loss tips and websites that encouraged anorexia nervosa. As young as fourteen, she began to see herself as overweight once Osgood had become ...
In Andre Dubus’ The Fat Girl, Louise is a young adolescent with detrimental eating habits and broken self-esteem. Her lack of self-confidence stems from her atrocious emotional habitat. Louise receives constant criticism from her mother regarding her weight. Her mother states “If you are fat the boys won’t like you.” That kind of ridicule being said by a mother to her 9 year old daughter creates an atmosphere of self-hatred and self-loathing. It is not only her familial environment that contributes so greatly to Louise’s destructive behavior. She has few friends and the one’s she does have agree she needs to change. The society in which she lives also is a contributing factor; the society is laden with stigmas positioned on appearance. That manner of daily ridicule only introverts Louise even more, causing her secretive, binge eating to deteriorate. In research conducted by Ursula Polli-Potts PhD, Links between Psychological Symptoms and Disordered Eating behaviors in Obese Youths, she explains the correlation between psychological, emotional factors and eating disorders in overweight adolescents. Potts states, “The association between binge eating symptoms and eating in response to feelings of distress and sadness with depression/anxiety symptoms corresponds with the results of other studies.” Potts and her colleagues took overweight adolescents and placed them into control and variable groups to ensure correct data. The outcome of their research was that there is a direct correlation with emotional binge eating and psychological factors. Although more extensive research needs to be implemented, Potts and associates were pleased with the results of the case studies.
She writes of the clothes that were sold there that were made for fat people and she thought they even looked stylish. She tells of a talent show where people get to try the lead role they did not get in high school as a result of the fact that they were not as beautiful as the skinny people. She writes that even though some researchers conclude that body size is genetically determined, they still say large individuals should try to lose weight, but it may be futile. She calls them out and says they cannot align their findings with what they believe personally.
On an ordinary day, Leslie opens the main door of her house, when she walked inside she saw her mom and sister Islla sitting on the coach. Islla was crying, and Leslie ask her “What happened?’ Why you crying?’”. Islla told her that she is pregnant and that she wants to keep the baby even if her boyfriend will be against the baby, but she will need to drop out from her University. In a few minutes of thinking, Leslie decided and told her sister “You don’t need to drop out I will help you to babysit with my nephew.”
Described within the vignette is a nineteen year old teenager named Brandy. Similar to girls her age, Brandy has difficulties dealing with her body image and self-esteem. For instance, she experiences hopelessness, isolation, sadness, and anxiety that all contribute to Brandy’s acknowledgement of her physical appearance. She completely overestimates her body size to the point of taking dieting pills then defaulting to purging. During the typical day, the meals are scarce but healthy compared to a bad day full of unhealthy snacking. Lastly, her family predicament is not a supportive one at that. Her mother was obese so she constantly dieted while Brandy’s father illustrated signs of sexual interest although he never physically touched her.
I was deeply touched by this book. I found myself in tears as I read of the challenges and triumphs of the main character Melody. Due to the short period of time we had to read this book, I thought I would skim through it and try and find the main highlights to write this post. I found that after the first chapter, I was hooked and read the book in one sitting. I could not put the book down. That to me is a sign of an amazing writer and Sharon M. Draper is all of that, if not more. She speaks of her reason for writing this poignant and meaning story of a brilliant mind trapped in an uncooperative body on her website. Ms. Draper has a daughter who is disabled, and so she has first-hand experience in coping with the day-to-day challenges of parenting and loving a not so perfect child.
Anorexia Nervosa may be described directly as an eating disease classified by a deficit in weight, not being able to maintain weight appropriate for one’s height. Anorexia means loss of appetite while Anorexia Nervosa means a lack of appetite from nervous causes. Before the 1970s, most people never heard of Anorexia Nervosa. It was identified and named in the 1870s, before then people lived with this mental illness, not knowing what it was, or that they were even sick. It is a mental disorder, which distorts an individual’s perception of how they look. Looking in the mirror, they may see someone overweight
The author’s intended audience is most likely to people who are experiencing the disorder or are interested in knowing more about eating disorders. When Lia was admitted to New Seasons, her rehabilitation facility, she relates her experience to someone who has gone through the struggles in that kind of facility. Lia was expected to be “a good girl [by not poking holes] or write depressing poetry and [eat and eat]” (Anderson 18). Her struggles in the facility allowed the audience who experienced this disorder to relate their experiences. In addition, people who choose to starve...
This is How You Lose Her is a book written by Junot Diaz consisting of short stories, told by the protagonist, Yunior. Yunior’s character is described as the Dominican guy who struggles with infidelity and unable to love others full-heartedly. Diaz also shows how in Dominican culture; men carry the reputation of being womanizers and usually is pass from one generation to the next. Throughout the book, he tells us stories pertaining to the relationships he had with the women he had in his life, and his family. From the stories one can assume that Yunior, caught up in a vicious cycle was destined to follow into patriarchy; a father who cheated on his mother, and an oldest brother who followed
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.
Anorexia is a serious disorder that involves compulsive dieting and excessive weight loss. According to The National Institute of Mental Health, anorexia is characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness, and extremely disturbed eating behaviors (Parks, 2009). The “disturbed eating behaviors” associated with anorexia include unhealthy weight loss and weight control methods, behaviors such as abusing or self-induced vomiting, and a distorted view of one’s personal appearance (Shepphird, 2010). Anorexics in general survive on 500 calories or less per day, and they count every calorie they consume (Parks, 2009). Symptoms often also include the inability or refusal to maintain a healthy weight and a great fear of gaining weight (Shepphird, 2010).
Alexander Stowe is a twin, his brother is Aaron Stowe. Alex is an Unwanted, Aaron is a Wanted, and their parents are Necessaries. Alex is creative in a world where you can’t even see the entire sky, and military is the dream job for everyone and anyone. He should have been eliminated, just like all the unwanteds should have been. He instead comes upon Artimè, where he trains as a magical warrior- after a while. When he was still in basic training, and his friends were not, he got upset, he wants to be the leader, the one everyone looks up to.
Anorexia nervosa is (AN) eating disorder that makes those afflicted attempt and succeed at losing weight until they reach a state of malnourishment for their body size, age and height. Patients with anorexia nervosa have an acute fear of gaining even the slightest weight despite being exceptionally underweight. People who suffer from this disorder use various methods such as over-exercising or over-dieting to avoid gaining any more weight (A.D.A.M., 2013). This disorder has implications regarding one’s security, psychological, emotional, and most importantly, physical health. It can lead to death if too extreme because the patient lacks the intake of necessary nutrients to function. Two case studies describe individuals who try overcoming their emotional and psychological battles as they suffer from AN. Both case studies reveal strengths in their findings that have important future implications, but also limitations in the research design that may undermine the strength of the results.
Matthews, John R. Library in a Book: Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc. 1991
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.
Anorexia nervosa, one of the eating disorders, has proven to potentially threaten lives. Extreme weight loss and self-starvation transpire from anorexia (National). Signs and symptoms of the specific disorder vary. Some of the common symptoms include declining food, ignoring hunger, excessive fear of weight gain, obscured self-image, and loss of emotion (“Eating Disorders-Bing”). Anorexia nervosa results in premature mortality. Research proves that the disorder has the highest early death rate out of all psychiatric disorders. Most of the deaths occur as a result of physiological complications (National).