Body image disturbance is a core feature of anorexia nervosa. Often people who suffer from anorexia refuse to eat more than is absolutely necessary to maintain a minimal weight for their height. Øverås, M., Kapstad, H., Brunborg, C., Landrø, N. I., and Lask, B. (2014) experiment analyzed body size estimation on perception and memory, in patients with anorexia nervosa by comparing results with a healthy control group. They had a particular interest on how anxiety may have influence on anorexia nervosa patient’s perception of their body image. Øverås et al. suggested patients, who suffer from anorexia nervosa, would overestimate their body size more than the healthy control group. They also proposed that patients would overestimate their body size more in the perception of their body than basing off their views from memory.
Body image dissatisfaction in anorexia nervosa is separated into three subcategories: dissatisfaction with one's body; overestimation of own body size; and self-worth influences one’s perception of body weight (American Psychiatric Association, 2000). Past research indicates that that the overestimation found in patients with anorexia nervosa is restricted to their own body. A person with anorexia nervosa can accurately perceive other people’s body weight, but not their own body weight (Urgesi et al. 2012). Other research suggests that memory is more vulnerable than perception to patients (Magnussen, 2004). In other past research, participants overestimated their body size significantly more in the perception than memory condition, but this experiment will look at memory and direct perception more thoroughly.
In this study, Øverås et al. (2014) experiment’s had two independent variables. The first independ...
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...or if the tasks were slightly different. In an aggregate level, these different situations were likely to have influenced the results they concluded on.
With this being said, body image perception is consistently an interesting topic to health psychologists. This study was an attempt to further explore the estimation of perception. The results support the hypothesis that an individual underestimates their body image specifically in the perception condition. However, there needs to be more accurate research to gain a precise understanding of anorexia nervosa and how they view themselves.
Works Cited
Øverås, M., Kapstad, H., Brunborg, C., Landrø, N. I., & Lask, B. (2014). Memory versus perception of body size in patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy controls. European Eating Disorders Review, 22(2), 109-115. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/erv.2276
To begin, Rys proposes that one of the main psychological factors of anorexia is the unknown identity of oneself and the ideal image of a woman. In this present day, media is everywhere. Women are constantly trying to change themselves to become the image that the population as a whole...
Body image is an important facet in understanding the phenomenon of eating disorders. Body image concerns are important in the etiology and treatment of eating disorders and obesity (Smith, Thompson, Raczynski, and Hilner, 1997; Thompson, 1997). The construct of body image reflects the level of satisfaction one feels regarding his or her body. Body image is a multidimensional construct. It involves race, socioeconomic status, age, as well as, perceptual and attitudinal components. For this reason, research has been done to dispel the myth that all women have a negative body image. Rather, as has been shown, there are definite differences in the perception of body image and self-concept, especially across racial lines. The claims of most studies suggest that African-American women generally have a greater tolerance or acceptability for higher body weight. In addition, African-American women are also thought to place less importance on body size in the scheme of their overall body image, and there are more likely to be satisfied if they are at a higher body weight, and still regard themselves as attractive. Research not only confirms these statements, but also draws attention to other important, culturally- relevant factors, such as age in relation to other cultural forces such as, different attitudes and behaviors that shape the body images of African-American women. Finally, since research shows that body image is an important aspect in the etiology of eating disorders and obesity, its influence and the cultural forces and components behind it should be taken into account in treatment and for future research.
“Anorexia Nervosa, AN, the most visible eating disorder, is a serious psychiatric illness characterized by an inability to maintain a normal body weight or, in individuals still growing, failure to make expected increases in weight (and often height) and bone density.” (cite textbook) The behaviors and cognitions of individuals with AN adamantly defend low body weight.
The complications that accompany body image have long been an issue in society. Body image is the sense of how an individual views his or her own body as compared to others in society, or what is considered to be the ideal body image. There are many different factors that effect ones body image, but a major influence is the media. The media has long been associated with eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where an individual participates in self-starvation, and bulimia is an eating disorder where an individual will eat as much as he or she wishes and then purges the previously eaten food. These are two destructive eating disorders that are associated with a negative body image. This comes to question, does media have an influence on creating a negative body image, which may inherently lead to eating disorders like anorexia nervosa and bulimia? Anorexia nervosa and bulimia affect various age groups but is extremely common in adolescence and emerging adulthood. During this stage in an individual’s lifespan there is a lot going on with ones psychological development as well as body. How an adolescent views his or her body image be highly impacted by how the media portrays what the ideal body image is. According to Berger (2015), “as might be expected from a developmental perspective, healthy eating begins with childhood habits and family routines” (p.415). If proper eating habits are not implemented negative body image and eating disorders that are associated with media becomes further predominant in adolescence and emerging adulthood.
Derenne, Jennifer L., and Eugene V. Beresin. "Body Image, Media, and Eating Disorders." Academic Psychiatry 30. June (2006): 257-61. Web. 23 Mar. 2011.
A quite common problem in American society regarding body image is the development of eating disorders. Though the causes are not always known, a seriously negative perception of body image may result in unhealthy
Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are two common eating disorders that seem to have evolved from societal pressures to be thin. The short video, “Dying to be thin and the two articles, Serpell 1999 Anorexia Nervosa and Serpell 2002 Bulimia Nervosa illustrate common themes that manifest from the disorder. These common themes have positive and negative reinforcers that led me to believe that the disorder has environmental, psychological and biological implication that impacts the individual core beliefs. I could also see that there is more to the disorder than just the desire to be thin.
As our society is bombarded with the images of manufactured beauty and “thinness”, conversations increasingly center on dieting and body dissatisfaction. The media advertises weight loss products in the form of pills, drinks, surgery, fitness equipment and support groups to mold individuals into the proposed ideal form. This evidence alone suggests a strong case for the possibility of a pathological fear of fat. Is this fear, however, the driving force behind all cases of anorexia nervosa and bulimia? According to the DSM IV, the fear of gaining weight is essential for these diagnoses to be made. Strong arguments have been made both in favor and against modifying the existing criteria to allow for the diagnosis and treatment of individuals, regardless of whether or not a ‘fat phobia’ is present. Is it culturally insensitive to retain this particular criterion, a fear of gaining weight, if a patient has not been exposed to the same cultural pressures and orientation towards being thin?
The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of Anorexia Nervosa (Brownell & Fairburn, 2002).
According to the National Eating Disorders Collaborations (NEDC), these four aspects include perceptual body image, affective body image, cognitive body image, and behavioral body image. Perceptual body image has to do with the way one sees their own body. This aspect commonly results in an inaccurate mental representation of the way one actually physically looks. An example of Perceptual body image would be an underweight person seeing themselves as overweight. The second aspect of body image is related to the way one feels about their body. This is affective body image. “It relates to the amount of satisfaction or dissatisfaction” one has about the weight, shape, and/ or parts of their body. The way one thinks about their body is the cognitive aspect of body image. NEDC says that “This can lead to preoccupation with body shape and weight. For example, some people believe they will feel better about themselves if they are thinner or more muscular”. Lastly, behavioral body image has to do with the behaviors one acquires due to their body image. Excessive exercising and disordered eating to change one’s body are examples of destructive behavior due to negative body image. Self-isolation due to dissatisfaction would be another example of negative behavioral body
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect millions of people each year in the United States (1). Popular thought holds that these disorders are caused by women trying to fulfill a culturally imposed ideal body image which stresses thinness. As anorexia and bulimia have proven difficult to treat solely with a psychological-based treatment plan it is likely that there are many factors contributing to these disorders. Research has shown, however, that there is a significant biological component which leads to a manifestation of these disorders (2). Current ideas on the biological origins of anorexia and bulimia will be explored in this paper. These include areas ranging from genetic factors to neurotransmitter and hormone imbalances. Genetics appears to play a significant role in predisposing a person to developing an eating disorder. Abnormal neurotransmitter levels have been shown to exist in people with both bulimia and anorexia. Hormone functioning and levels are also atypical in people with eating disorders. While most studies focus on one area, and usually on just one neurotransmitter or hormone, the different biological causes of eating disorders seem to be related to one another. How these possible biological causes influences the I-function (which is the term for the components of the nervous system which give a sense of being oneself) will be examined as well in this paper. Anorexia nervosa is described as a disorder in which women and men intentionally starve themselves, losing at least fifteen percent of their normal body weight. This self imposed emaciation usually begins during puberty and is most common among middle to upper class Caucasian women, affecti...
In this paper, I will discuss how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can be utilized in the management of eating disorders. More specifically I will identify Anorexia Nervosa and provide statistics that relate to the disease. Etiologies will be discussed as well as symptoms. Various techniques of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy will be described as well as the rationale as it relates to the clinical issue.
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.
“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...
People across the world, even those without televisions, have heard or seen anorexia. Anorexia is a common eating disorder in which someone does not eat because they have a loss of appetite and want to lose weight. Anorexia can lead to thinning of the body, but the rapid loss of weight includes a multitude of health problems. Models are seen on the television, on magazines, on posters, and on billboards. Do these models know that they may be affecting the minds of younger girls? After these young girls see models through the media, they become obsessed with wanting to be as thin as the models. Because anorexia may affect young females medically, the views on a perfect body need to come to an end. The views on a perfect body need to come to an end