Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper

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Anorexia Nervosa is a very dangerous eating disorder that is all too common in many different societies and cultures; its prevalence has been noted in our society and has had a marked increase across the United States and the world. It is highly reported in different media sources and many young women and men are reportedly suffering from the disorder. Over the last 10 years the disorder has had a marked increase in attention by clinics and physicians across many health disciplines. It has been agreed that it is no longer suffered by a select few but instead is quite common, especially among the young female population (Garner, Olmstead & Polivy, 1983). The root causes for anorexia have been a topic of great debate, many questionnaires, tests …show more content…

It is also worth noting that the media does in fact play a vital and unfortunate role in the development of an eating disorder like Anorexia Nervosa. Media plants the idea for thinness in young men and women; the emphasis on the “perfect body” is showcased all around the country, this resulting in many adolescents overestimating their own body size and driving the development of eating disorders (Myers & Biocca, 1992). Childhood anxiety has also been attributed to causing or at least facilitating in the development of an eating disorder later in adolescence and young adulthood. Anxiety is a phenotype that is highly prevalent among young females that suffer from Anorexia; they believe themselves to be something they are not and tend to develop body dysmorphic disorder as a result which is a winding road leading to the appearance of symptoms relating to Anorexia. (Dellava et al., 2010). In college females a highly reported behavioral attribute that has been linked to a wide array of eating disorders. Research has found that impulsivity is plays a role in disordered eating patterns because of the role it plays on how young adolescents in college make decisions (Lilienthal & Weatherly, 2010). The attitudes and behaviors that are exhibited by young …show more content…

Research has shown that Anorexia has a very high mortality rate because of the malnutrition endured by the bodies of the people suffering from it (Papadopoulos, Ekbom, Brandt & Ekselius, 2009). The body is a system that needs constant nutrition or it can begin to fail and develop abnormalities that are put a person in sever danger of losing his or her life. In severe cases of malnutrition linked to Anorexia Nervosa patients experienced marked changes in muscle contractions and relaxation. The patients also experienced changes in mood; specifically they found themselves to be tired more often and had a lack of energy that could be described as anhedonic. Symptoms of depression are also very common among those suffering from Anorexia, the constant need to be reach perfection and in their eyes, constantly failing, drives these patients into a depressive cycle (Russel et al.,

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