Anorexia Nervosa in Teenage Girls

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Imagine looking in a fun house mirror and seeing a distorted image, something that is not really there, an image that does not exist. This happens every day for teenage girls struggling with anorexia nervosa. Anorexia, an eating disorder that causes people to obsess over weight, causes an individual to see a very different image than what the glass reflects. The most prominent effects of anorexia include psychological and emotional stress on the body and body deterioration, both of which ultimately lead to possible death or suicide. Anorexia is a condition that goes beyond out-of-control dieting. This psychological disorder initially begins with dieting to lose weight. The excessive drive to lose weight becomes secondary to the concerns about control and fear of one’s own body. An adolescent continues an endless cycle of controlled eating which is then often accompanied by other psychological and emotional behaviors. In an FDA consumer special report, Dixie Farley states, “the anorectic becomes obsessed with a fear of fat and losing weight[…] she sees normal folds of flesh as fat that must be eliminated[…] Anorectics are described as having low self-esteem and feeling that others are controlling their lives. Some may be overactive and her obsession increasingly controls her life. It’s an addiction.” A teenage girl with anorexia often restricts her dieting, sometimes to a point of starvation in order to feel control over her body. As she keeps dieting, a domino of emotional and psychological stress begins to affect her body and the endless cycle of restrictive eating and over exercising begins to lead to depression. In the end, this depression ultimately leads to a cycle that becomes an obsession and an addiction. ... ... middle of paper ... ...uses body deterioration and psychological and emotional stress, which conclusively leads to death. Imagine walking through a fun house and seeing various distorted images of someone’s body. Most people know those images are fake. However, a person with anorexia truly believes the image they are seeing. This misconception is not discretionary nor is it a form of vanity. Anorexia is a serious mental disease that distorts a person’s view on life and happiness. Works Cited "Anorexia Nervosa--Part I." Harvard Mental Health Letter. Feb. 2003: 1-4. SIRS Issues Researcher. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Farley, Dixie. "Eating Disorders." CURRENT ISSUES IN WOMEN'S HEALTH: AN FDA CONSUMER SPECIAL REPORT. Jan. 1994: 33-37. SIRS Government Reporter. Web. 06 Mar. 2014. Newcomb, Pippa. "Anorexia's Open Secrets." Irish Times 10 Mar. 2009: n. pag. EBSCO Host. Web. 3 Mar. 2014.

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