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eating disorders in adolescent anorexianervosa essay
case study of anorexia nervosa
case studies of anorexia nervosa
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According to the DSM-IV anorexia nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image, and amenorrhea (Polivy). According to the Renfrew Center Foundation for Eating Disorders, “up to 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from an eating disorder in the United States” (Siber 331). Anorexia is seen to affect girls in their adolescence and is rarely seen to affect men. A person suffering from anorexia has a fear of being overweight and weighs 15% less than her ideal weight. Those suffering from anorexia will pursue in extreme dieting, exercise and use of laxatives. They will skip meals and even starve themselves. They will binge and purge whenever they do decide to eat (Post). This will result in them to be very moody and affect their cognitive functions (Brockmeyera). Anorexia can be fatal to one’s health and can result in suicide (Silber). Anorexia nervosa can be caused due to peer pressure from ones family and friends, teasing and bullying done in school therefore resulting in psychological problems and can result in one inflicting pain on herself and can lead to extreme health illness. In this paper, I am going to prove that Anorexia Nervosa, which is an eating disorder in teens, can have harmful effect to one’s health which can cause psychological, physical, emotional damage.
Anorexia appears to affect girls in many cultures; however, it is often found in industrialized societies, where being thin corresponds with being attractive (Post). It is not clear as to what directly causes an eating disorder to start, but there are some risk factors than can contribute. Many things can drive a person over the edge and make her turn into something she would ...
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...rders." Annual Review of Psychology 53
(2002): 187-213. ProQuest. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
?Post, Diana. Study Backs Family Therapy for Anorexia. Norwalk: Belvoir Media Group, LLC,
(2010). ProQuest. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Quick, Virginia M,R.D., PhD., McWilliams, Rita,PhD., M.P.H., and Carol Byrd-Bredbenner. "Fatty, Fatty, Two-by-Four: Weight-Teasing History and Disturbed Eating in Young Adult Women." American Journal of Public Health 103.3 (2013): 508-15. ProQuest. Web. 19 Nov. 2013.
Silber, Tomas J., Laura Lyster-Mensh, and Jennifer DuVal. "Anorexia Nervosa: Patient and Family-Centered Care." Pediatric Nursing 37.6 (2011): 331-3. ProQuest. Web. 17 Oct. 2013.
Wentz, Elisabet, et al. "Somatic Problems and Self-Injurious Behavior 18 Years After Teenage-Onset Anorexia Nervosa."European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry 21.8 (2012): 421-32. ProQuest. Web. 20 Nov. 2013.
The National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions. Pub No. 01-4901. Accessed Feb. 2002.
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) )
"Anorexia Nervosa--Part I." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Feb. 2003: 1-4. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Mar. 2014.
To begin with, Anorexia Nervosa is an on going problem around the world. People with Anorexia need to get treatment because symptoms are bad for their health. Anorexia is mainly seen in women in their late teens to early twenties. According to Mayo Clinic Staff, a group of physicians, scientists, and other medical experts from Arizona, Florida and Minnesota, "...symptoms of anorexia nervosa are related to starvation, but the disorder also includes emotional and behavior issues related to an unrealistic perception of body weight and an extremely strong fear of gaining weight or becoming fat". Physical symptoms are not the only symptoms or damages done to the body. When thinking of anorexia, one typically thinks that physical symptoms are the only symptoms, such as a person so skinny you can see their bones. That is not the case with Anorexia Nervosa. One does not only suffer from, "...Extreme weight loss...Thin appearance...Dehydration...Swelling of arms or legs" but also suffer from emotional and behavioral issues such as, "...Refusal to eat...Fear of
Anorexia nervosa is a disease that revolves around the thought of “Never being skinny enough.” Once someone starts to live an anorexic lifestyle nothing else in his or her life matters anymore. Family, friends and other activities are pushed aside because all that matters in the life of someone with anorexia is losing weight (Anorexia Nervosa). However, anorexia isn’t just about eating unhealthy. Anorexia is about malnutrition, excessive weight loss and starvation of the body. Anorexia isn’t a very popular disease. Anorexia appears in less than one percent of girls (Rosen, Meghan).
Eating Disorders are on a rapid rise in the United States today, they sweep the halls of Junior High School, High Schools, College Campuses and even Elementary Schools. These disorders are often referred to by professionals as the “Deadly Diet,” however you may know them as Anorexia or Bulimia. Eating disorder effect more than 20% of young females and males in today’s society. Ranging in age from thirteen to forty. It is very rare for a child of a young age to not know someone who is suffering from an eating disorder or symptoms that are associated with one. Statistically it has been proven that one out of every five young woman suffer from serious issues dealing with eating and or weight. (Bruch, 25)
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by severe restriction of food, an intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body image and a body mass index of less than 18.5 (Kring, Johnson, Davison, Neale, 2013). There are two subtypes of anorexia, Restricting and Binge Eating/Purging. An individual who falls under the Restricting subtype severely restricts food intake, while an individual who falls under the Bing Eating/Purging subtype regularly engages in binge eating and purging. Anorexia typically begins in adolescence and primarily affects women. The disorder is more common in women than in men mainly because of the cultural emphasis that is placed on women’s beauty. Individuals with anorexia generally have a low self-esteem, a very critical self-evaluation and a belief that they can never be too thin. Due to the seriousness of the disorder, the issue of whether or not an individual should have the right the refuse life-sustaining treatment is highly debated.
Additionally, AN has the highest level of mortality among the psychiatric diseases and the continuing result of this morbidity is immensely detrimental for the person with the disorder along with their close family and friends (EDC, 2014). Eating disorders are factual, multifaceted, destructive, and overwhelming conditions that ultimately have serious consequences for the individual’s health, productivity, and their relationships (NEDA, 2014). The grave effects imposed on the families battling anorexia nervosa presents an essential need for successful treatment to aid in defeating the individual’s illness, receiving proper health care, and to have an overall improved life. This paper will analyze a case study involving an anorexic family and will determine what would be the best therapeutic intervention to reconstruct thi...
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).?
Before treatment can begin, anorexic clients must undergo assessments that ensure they are physically capable of outpatient treatment. If these individuals are not ready for outpatient treatment, they must undergo hospitalization to stabilize their condition. For those clients who pass medical examinations, and are good candidates for outpatient care, it remains necessary for a physician and dietitian to be involved with treatment (Bowers, 2002). This ensures the client is cared for in a holistic manner by addressing “nutritional rehabilitation, possibly medical stabilization, and psychological interventions” (Bowers, 2002, p. 249). This multidimensional approach ensures the client’s physical wellbeing is addressed, in addition to the psychological aspects of the disorder.
“I will not eat cakes or cookies or food. I will be thin, thin, pure. I will be pure and empty. Weight dropping off. Ninety-nine... ninety-five... ninety-two... ninety. Just one more to eighty-nine. Where does it go? Where in the universe does it go?”-Francesca Lia Block. Anorexia nervosa is a serious potentially life threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss. 90-95% of anorexia sufferers are girls and women. It is one of the main psychiatric diagnoses and is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. We believe that we have to be a certain weight and ideal beauty in America; it’s pretty much the main priority for teens and college students. Anorexia is mainly caused by a low self-esteem, stress, and cultural influence. Intense fear of gaining weight, loss of menstrual period, denial of food, and excessive workout are only a han...
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 nervosa usually begins in adolescence, but can develop at any time throughout one’s life. It...
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) was the first eating disorder to be classified, with some specific diagnostic criteria developed in the 1970s (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). AN is a serious psychiatric disorder in terms of aetiology and epidemiology. 0.48% of prevalence of AN is estimated in girls who fall under the 15-19 age group (Lock et al., 2012). In AN, pathological thoughts and behaviours concerning food and weight, as well as emotions about appearance, eating and food co-occur (Lock et al., 2012). These thoughts, feelings and behaviours lead to changes in body composition and functions that are the direct results of starvation (Lock et al., 2012). The illness in adolescents causes severe affects physically and emotionally, and affects the social development of the individual. The causes of AN are not known but most of the researchers and clinicians agree that AN has multiple determinants (Garner et al., 1982) that emerge in a developmental sequence. Many physiological symptoms, common to semi-starvation irrespective of causes such as depressed mood, irritability, social withdrawal, loss of sexual libido, preoccupation with food, obsessional ruminations and rituals, as well as reduced alertness and concentration are also associated with Anorexia nervosa (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). The illness is also associated with premorbid perfectionism, introversion, poor peer relations, and low self-esteem (Fairburn & Brownell, 2002). Patients suffering from AN, are also known to suffer from other physical consequences of starvation and other weight losing behaviours. The body’s response to starvation includes bone marrow suppression with increased susceptibility to overwhelming infection, which in the longer term may lead to health consequences s...
Long, Phillip W. "Anorexia Nervosa." Internet Mental Health. Jan. 1997. St. Joseph Medical Center. 19 Aug. 1998 .