Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, with more than 10% of those that suffer from it will die. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is categorized by severe food restriction, excessive exercise and body dysmorphia, which leads those that suffer from it to believe that they are overweight. Anorexia nervosa is commonly misunderstood by the general public. Research has disproved many of the previous thoughts about anorexia nervosa. According to the scientific research anorexia nervosa has a genetic factor, is not just a disorder of teenage girls, and that recovery is not simply gaining weight. Movies, television shows and magazines portray rail thin woman as the ideal image of beauty. And the demographic that is viewed as the most impressible is that of pre-teen and teenage girls. This appears to be how popular thought has connected these two things, in order to blame popular culture for anorexia nervosa. However what is not commonly known is that anorexia nervosa far predates the current view of female beauty. Anorexia nervosa symptoms were first described by Sir Richard Morton in 1689 (Kaplan). Then in 1874, a physician named William Gull named the disorder anorexia nervosa (Till). While doctors and researchers agree that society can influence those that suffer from the disorder it is not the reason for the disorder. In pursuit of more effective treatment and prevention in anorexia nervosa, researchers have been looking into genetic risk factors for anorexia nervosa. The researchers have used twin studies to learn more about the possible genetic link. The largest twin study on the disorder has shown that the disorder is heritable and that there are warning signs decades before the ... ... middle of paper ... ...1 Mar. 2014. Lock, James. "Eating disorders in children and adolescents." Psychiatric Times Oct. 2009: 35. Psychology Collection. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. B., Lowe, Buchholz C., and Zipfel S. "One half of patients with anorexia nervosa fully recovered after 21 years but the other half had a chronic or lethal course. (Prognosis)." Evidence-Based Mental Health May 2002: 59. Psychology Collection. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Johnson, Kate. "Twin study shows anorexia has a genetic component." Clinical Psychiatry News May 2006: 71. Psychology Collection. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Kaplan, Arline. "Why girls starve themselves: new research in anorexia nervosa." Psychiatric Times Jan. 2008: 1. Psychology Collection. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. Till, Chris. "The quantification of gender: anorexia nervosa and femininity." Health Sociology Review 20.4 (2011): 399+. Psychology Collection. Web. 11 Mar. 2014.
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...
Biological Explanation for Anorexia Nervosa Evidence for a faulty gene. AIMS: to see if concordance rates for anorexia are higher in MZ twins compared to DZ twins. This would provide evidence for a faulty gene causing the disorder because if one MZ twin develops anorexia, there should be 100% concordance (agreement) with the second MZ twin also suffering from it, since they share the same genes. The rates for DZ twins should be much lower because they share only 50% same genes. PROCEDURE: · Natural experiment: because the IV (genetic relatedness) occurs naturally and cannot be changed by the investigator.
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a distorted body image. The individual is severely underweight and thinks they are fat or has a fear of becoming fat (Comer, 2013).
Yager, J. (1982). Family issues in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine. 44, 43-59.
In light of what is going on in the world today, eating disorders seem farfetched and frivolous. Anorexia Nervosa could be considered a classic example of a serious eating disorder as it is defined as having a fatal a...
Shapiro, C. M. (2012). Eating disorders: Causes, diagnosis, and treatments [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10683384&ppg=3
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).
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The Web. 24 Apr. 2014. The 'Standard' of the 'Standard'. The "Eating Disorders" University Health Center. University of Nebraska, n.d., a.d. Web.
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.
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Johnson, Craig, and Cynthia Bulik. "Genetics Play a Significant Role in Eating Disorders." Eating Disorders. Ed. Roman Espejo. Detroit: Greenhaven Press, 2012. Opposing Viewpoints. Rpt. from "Brave New World: The Role of Genetics in the Prevention and Treatment of Eating Disorders." www.wpic.pitt.edu/research/pfanbn/genetics.html. 2002. 36-40. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.