Skip to Content (press Enter/Return)
Essays
Topics
preview

Family Dysfunction and Anorexia: Is there a correlation?

Better Essays
Open Document
Family Dysfunction and Anorexia: Is there a correlation?

Introduction

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

Anorexia nervosa is a psychosociological disease which affects young women. Anorexia is mainly a female's disease which has been evident for centuries-however, in the past twenty years, the incidence of this disorder has risen to horrifying proportions. It is characterized by the refusal to maintain body wight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight; a distorted body image; and, amenorrhea. (http://www.pgi.edu/hagopian.htm) This disorder becomes a disease when the mind starts to cause problems with one's physical well-being. A connection has been found between sociocultural pressures to achieve, familial characteristics, and individual personality traits.

Causes of Anorexia

Many causes are attributed to anorexia, and scientists have studied the personalities, genetics, environments, and biochemistry of people suffering from this disorder. Women most often share various traits--although the more that is learned, the more complex each individual case becomes--low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and a fear ...

... middle of paper ...

...disorders in adolescence. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 35, 921-927.

Killian, Kyle D. (1994). Fearing Fat: A literature review of family systems underscoring treatments of anorexia and bulimia. Family Relations. 43, 137-156.

Rastam, Maria. (1992). Background factors in anorexia nervosa. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 1, 54-64.

Steiger, Howard. (1996). Familial eating concerns and psychopathological traits. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 19, 147-157.

Telerant, A. (1 992). Anorectic family dynamics. Journal of the American Academy of -Child and Adolescent Psychiat!y. 31, 990-991.

White, M. (1 983). Anorexia, nervosa: A transgenerational perspective. Family Process. 22, 255-273.

Yager, J. (1982). Family issues in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa. Psychosomatic Medicine. 44, 43-59.
Get Access
Related
Get Access