Anorexia Nervosa

Davis 1

Anorexia nervosa is defined as a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight, in

addition to a disturbance in perception of body shape and weight( DSM-IV-TR, 2000). In this

paper we will examine Carolyn Costin’s battle with anorexia nervosa from a biopsychosocial

perspective and what reinforced her disorder. This will be followed by diagnostically using the

DSM-IV-TR in Carolyn’s case and conceptually using the sociocultural dimension. The

implications for both Carolyn, her social and cultural context, as well as society at large will be

addressed. The paper will then conclude with the successful treatments of anorexia nervosa and

why we should care about the disorder.

The biological dimension of Carolyn’s eating disorder includes looking at her first-degree

relatives, more specifically females for a pattern of abnormal eating behaviors. In Carolyn’s

family perhaps a genetic contribution made her vulnerable plus the changes her body was going

through during puberty may have all contributed to her developing anorexia nervosa. Other

factors to consider is maybe Carolyn’s hypothalamus which controls her eating behavior had

contributed to her abnormal eating patterns, in addition to the high levels of dopamine in her

brain that may have decreased her desire to eat. Research has shown perhaps there is a

relationship between people with eating disorders having a shorter dopamine transporter train

versus people who do not. In Carolyn’s case, she may have a shorter dopamine transporter train

and because of this she has a less appetizing reaction towards food versus someone who does not

have an eating disorder. Lastly, Carolyn’s changing eating patterns may have changed the

amount o...

... middle of paper ...

.... Lastly, the impact the

eating disorder has on the individual, family, and friends are another reason why we should care.

Davis 6

One of my best friends struggled with anorexia nervosa and after getting treatment at the

Remuda Ranch in Arizona, she was able to recover from her eating disorder and now maintains a

healthy weight and lifestyle.

In this paper we discussed Carolyn Costin’s struggle with anorexia nervosa from a

biopsychosocial perspective and what reinforced her disorder. We then explored Carolyn’s

battle with her eating disorder using the DSM-IV-TR criteria and conceptually using the

sociocultural dimension. The implications for both Carolyn, her social and cultural context, as

well as society at large were discussed. Lastly, we covered the successful treatments of the

anorexia nervosa and why should we care about the disorder.