Perfectionism and Eating Disorders

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Recommended: Cultural influence on the development of personality

Perfectionism and Eating Disorders

Many extreme pressures exist in modern society which directly affect a large number of the population to the point of extremity. In an age of high technology, rapid development, and intense social pressure, the pressure to be the best of the best prevails. Many people succumb to the pressure in a variety of ways, some beneficial, and some detrimental. Eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa in part result from an intense pressure to achieve the perfect ideal body weight and physical appearance. Emphasis on being perfect begins early in childhood and continues to grow with age, sometimes so much that a personality takes on a perfectionistic drive affecting every aspect of daily life. Perfectionism is a common individualized personality trait which in part stems from this ardent cultural pressure. According to the Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, perfectionism is defined as "a disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable". Given this definition, is this trait, perfectionism, one that can be directly linked to those people who suffer from eating disorders?

II. Perfectionism: A Closer Look:

Setting high and demanding goals of achievement for oneself can be both a positive and negative experience. Yes, goals are important and essential in life to allow us to work for an ultimate high achievement. They give one purpose and drive. But what happens when this goal exceeds the normal realm of possibility to the point that it directly changes from a means for a self-actualizing strive for excellence to a neurotic, obsessive preoccupation with perfection? Roedell (1984) continues the argument that perfectionism can be looked upon as bo...

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... (1 994). Perfectionism and the gifted. Roeper Review (I 7)3, 173-176.

Pigott, T.A., Altemus, M., Rubenstein, C.S., Hill,J.L., Bihari, K., L'Heureux, F., Bernstein, S., Murphy D.L. (1991). Symptoms of eating disorders in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. American Journal of Psychiatry. 148(11), 1552-7.

Roedell, W.C. (1984). Vulnerabilities of highly gifted children. Roeper Review, 6(3), 127-130.

Rothenburg, A. (1990). Adolescence and eating disorder: the obsessive-compulsive syndrome. Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 13(3), 469-88.

Slade, P.D. Newton, T., Butler, N.M., Murphy, P. (1991) An experimental analysis of perfectionism and dissatisfaction. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 30(Pt2), 169-76.

Silverman, L.K. (I 99 5). Perfectionism. Paper discussed at the 1 1 th World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children, Honk Kong.

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