Anorexia And Bulimia Nervosa

In “Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia: The Development of Deviant Identities", which was published in 1987, the researchers utilized the labeling theory in their study on anorexics and bulimic victims. The current appearance norms in society demand thinness for women and muscularity in men. Social and Individual factors were considered in the studies which were conducted by the authors, Penelope A. McLorg and Diane E. Taub. Advertising has become the primary agent of socialization which promotes the slimness of both genders in our society. The researchers noted conformity in the behavior of the anorexics' and bulimics' families tend to conform to the norms by making close relations. In the study, the researchers found that parent’s opinions on

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, “the body type portrayed in advertising as the ideals is possessed naturally by only 5% of American females.” (“ANAD”) Body image has been a controversial theme because of the influence of the media. It is a widely known fact that eating disorder cases are on the rise. The concept of body image is a subjective matter. The common phrase, “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder,” holds true meaning in this sense. One’s view and value of their body is self-imposed. Falling into the destructive eating disorders reveals much about a person’s psychological and emotional state. Examining the mental, physical, and emotional conditions behind recognized eating

Media is a significant force in modern culture, particularly in America. Sociologist refer to this as a mediated culture where media reflects and created culture. Communities and individuals are bombarded constantly with messages from a multitude of sources. These messages promote not only products, but moods, attitudes, and a sense of what is and is not important. The messages that the media portray are conflicting and it is impossibly hard to achieve both messages since one is orientated toward fast food consumption and the other it orientated toward an extremely thin ideal. Many researchers have hypothesized that the media may play a central role in creating and intensifying the phenomenon of body dissatisfaction and consequently,

The unrealistic body image leads them to the unhealthy eating habits. However, these things that a person with this eating disorder does in order to “avoid being fat” will not be fixed with weight loss. No matter how much fat is lost, a person with anorexia nervosa will view themselves as fat, even when they are dangerously underweight. The person may either feel fat all over or focus it on a more general region such as the thighs or the stomach (APA, 2013). Their body image issues could be evident by obsessive weighing or

Eating disorders are classified as mental disorders and can lead to life threatening damage. It is important to manage eating disorders to prevent health effects. There are many different possibilities for patients with disorders. Common treatments for eating disorders can consists of counselor or therapists. Early detection is important to limit future oral health effects. A dental hygienist has an advantage to see the inside of the mouth for possible trauma, erosion, and malnutrition. It is common for patients to be in denial of the situation. A dental hygienist is trained to communication to the patient about the eating disorder without the patient feeling attacked. It is important to tell the difference in eating disorders. Most eating disorders all appear to be anorexia until further signs and symptoms are observed. The two types of eating disorders being discussed in this paper are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by four criteria. The four criteria are weight is fifteen percent or more below average, the person has a distorted body image, the person fears being fat, and there is a loss of three or more periods (Nevid, Rathus, & Greene, 2014, p. 337). The subtype that will be discussed in this paper is the restricting subtype. Restricting subtype anorexia victims usually “rigidly, even obsessively, control their diet and appearance” (Nevid, Rathus, & Greene, 2014, p. 337). The other subtype is the exerciser subtype. Someone who suffers from Anorexia Nervosa, the exerciser type, tends to eat a little and then compensate for eating by overly exercising (Nevid, Rathus, & Greene, 2014, p. 337). Anorexia begins to affect those around the ages twelve to eighteen, marking the transition

Eating disorders are characterized by a high preoccupation with weight and an intense dissatisfaction with one’s body image (Institute of Psychiatry, 2015). Some of the most common Eating Disorders (EDs) include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia, and Binge Eating Disorder, however it is important to note that not everyone fits neatly into any of these categories and could display symptoms and behaviors interchangeably. People who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa can be characterized as having very low body weight and being involved in various weight loss activities including being highly food-restrictive and possibly over-exercising (Mascolo et al., 2012). Anorexia also has the highest mortality rate among all the mental illnesses, which includes

An eating disorder is an illness that causes severe disruptions to an individual’s normal diet, such as eating unusually small amounts of food or severely overeating. A person with an eating disorder may have started out just eating smaller or larger portions of food, but at some point, a craving to eat less or more twisted out of control. Relentless unhappiness or concern about body weight or shape may also result in an eating disorder. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is an emotional eating disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat, and bulimia nervosa is a chronic eating disorder characterized by continual episodes of excessive food intake followed by self-induced vomiting to avoid weight gain. Anorexia and bulimia are both serious eating disorders with similarities and differences in their behavioral, psychological, and physical symptoms.

In today’s society the majority of men and women all try to live up to this vision of absolute perfection within our physical appearances. The desire to be thin becomes an obsession and girls will view thinness as something you have to achieve. Most girls’ will try all different kinds of diets and exercise compulsively. The obsession over girls’ appearances and weight has lead to an increasing number of cases of eating disorders. According to a National Institute of Mental Health article (Eating Disorders, 2016), an eating disorder is an illness that causes physical disturbance to your everyday diet. A person who is stressed or concerned about their body weight is a sign that he or she might have an eating disorder. Out of all the eating disorders, the two most common are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

“Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels” claimed model Kate Moss, in her 2009 interview with Women’s Wear Daily Magazine. Being one of the most famous models in the industry in the early 2000’s, Kate Moss had a younger fan base, ranging from high school girls to college women. For this very reason, many people thought it was wrong of Kate to say such a thing and claimed she was promoting eating disorders. This phrase, although years old, still has influence on young women in today’s society where whether someone eats too much or too little, they are judged. This being said it is no surprise that the leading mental illnesses in America are Anorexia and Bulimia. Both Anorexia and Bulimia are similar in the fact that they are highly popular in today’s world where it seems that physical appearance is always a topic of discussion; however, the two illnesses are different in the effects they have to a person’s body.

There are three main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. They all involve serious disturbances in weight regulation and eating habits, accompanied by adverse effects on social, psychological and physical aspects of one’s life (‘Eating disorders: About more than food’, n.d.). This essay will specifically be focusing on bulimia nervosa, as research shows a higher level of stigma associated with it, compared to other eating disorders (Roehrig & McLean, 2009).

Bulimia and Anorexia Nervosa is a serious issue in the world today. I feel that the issue of eating disorders does not gain enough attention from society especially because of its relevance to young females. These unhealthy eating habits are a social injustice issue because the various types of media that disperse an unrealistic image of female beauty. Society takes these images as a standard of how a woman should look. Women will go to the extreme to meet those qualifications to fit society’s female image.

An eating disorder is characterized as an illness that causes serious interferences to your everyday diet, which includes eating extremely small portions of food or severely overeating (National Institute of Health , 2014). An individual with an eating disorder majority of the time begin eating smaller or larger amounts of food, but the urge to eat less or more can spiral out of control. Severe distress or concerns about weight and body image can also be characterize as an eating disorder (National Institute of Health , 2014). Eating disorders usually appear during teen years or young adulthood, but can also develop during childhood or later in life. Common eating disorders include anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

A negative body image is associated with both anorexia and bulimia nervosa. Patients with binge-eating disorder also report significant amounts of distress over body image (Rosen, 1995).