Introduction What is anorexia? According to Merriam-Webster, anorexia is defined as, “A serious physical and emotional illness in which an abnormal fear of being fat leads to very poor eating habits and dangerous weight loss” (Anorexia, Merriam-Webster). Or in other words, those who suffer from anorexia have a fear of being fat, so they consume little to no food. Anorexia is also linked to the anorexia nervosa, which is an illness that can potentially be a life threatening eating disorder caused by starvation and excessive weight loss (Anorexia Nervosa, Nationaleatingdisorder.org). Studies have concluded that 90-95% of girl’s and women suffer from anorexia nervosa and 0.5-1% of American women suffer from anorexia nervosa. This disorder is one of the most common psychiatric diagnoses in young women and is also one of the highest death rates of any mental health condition (Anorexia Nervosa, NationalEatingDisorder.org). This paper will discuss the causes of anorexia and anorexia nervosa, as well as the signs and symptoms of both, including how these disorders are linked to dental and if available, what treatments can be used.
Etiology
What causes anorexia? Research has concluded that the cause for anorexia is inconclusive or unknown. But many do urge that those who do suffer from anorexia, have this illness simply because it runs in their family. It is said that females who have a parent or even a sibling who suffer from anorexia or even an eating disorder in general may
Anorexia is a serious mental health condition. It is an eating disorder where people try to keep their body weight as low as possible. DSM5 outlines the key diagnostic features for anorexia. Firstly, people with anorexia will restrict behaviours that promote healthy body weight. This could mean that they are consequentially underweight and this can be due to dieting, exercising and purging. There will also be a significant fear of weight gain, but this fear will not be relieved by weight loss. There will be a persistent fear that interferes with weight gain. Lastly, there will be a disturbed perception of ones weight and/or shape and denial of underweight status and its seriousness. Anorexia accounts for 10% of eating disorders in the UK and has
The study conducted had a sample size of 90 Polish women with AN and the control group was 120 females without any signs of an eating disorder. These females were studied to identify any substantial differences in behavior. The result of the study was that females with AN exhibited less control over cognitive function and emotional behavior. The conclusion reached was that being able to identify the symptoms typical of an eating disorder in females could help in improving treatments and could also prevent any dangerous habits developed by those with
change that. This may make them go over the top and start to get too
Doctors are now comparing anorexia to a biological disease that may be initiated by environmental factors, such as, stress and trauma. The reason these independent variables cannot be tested is because the dependent variables in this case would be genes and
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected person's life including emotional health, physical health, and relationships with others (Shekter-Wolfson et al 5-6). A study completed in 1996 showed that anorexics also tend to possess traits that are obsessive in nature and carry heavy emotional
Anorexia nervosa is a deadly eating disorder which makes people think that they are fat, even when they are really skinny. Anorexia is not only a physical disorder, but also a physiological disorder. The people who have it often feel fat, even though others say they aren’t, they are also scared of gaining weight. In order to prevent others from getting suspicious, they lie about the amount they eat.Normally, people who are 15% lighter than the expected body weight have Anorexia. A misconception that they develop is that they think that the thinner they are, the more they worth (self-worth). Anorexia Nervosa was first named and recognized in society in 1873. The name was given by Sir William Withey Gull.
Before treatment can begin, anorexic clients must undergo assessments that ensure they are physically capable of outpatient treatment. If these individuals are not ready for outpatient treatment, they must undergo hospitalization to stabilize their condition. For those clients who pass medical examinations, and are good candidates for outpatient care, it remains necessary for a physician and dietitian to be involved with treatment (Bowers, 2002). This ensures the client is cared for in a holistic manner by addressing “nutritional rehabilitation, possibly medical stabilization, and psychological interventions” (Bowers, 2002, p. 249). This multidimensional approach ensures the client’s physical wellbeing is addressed, in
Doctor Stephen Touyz says that the cause of anorexia nervosa is not completely known but what professionals do know is that patients who suffer from anorexia nervosa are usually
Reflection: Risk factors such as being a female adolescent and having an obsessional style only make up a small portion of the variance in occurrence of Anorexia nervosa. There is a very large amount of female adolescents who tend to be obsessional and do not develop anorexia nervosa. Also those who diet do not necessarily develop anorexia nervosa. In most circumstances, it begins unremarkably therefore it is difficult to pinpoint the exact causes of anorexia nervosa in individuals. Early
Berman, Boutelle and Crow (2009) conducted an experiment in which they investigated the positive effects of acceptance and commitment therapy to treat patients who were treated for Anorexia Nervosa in the past. Participants received several therapy sessions and interviews to determine whether they met the criteria for anorexia nervosa. The participants communicated with their family members throughout the experiment. Overall, the participants showed improvements in terms of the reduction of Anorexia symptoms. Fluoxetine may also take part in reducing the relapse for the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. A Study conducted by Duvvuri et al. (2012) describes such phenomena. In their research, Duvvuri and his colleagues (2012) uses twins who are malnourished due to
Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder in which a person has an abnormal eating behavior, to be able to lose weight. The word anorexia nervosa was first used in 1873, by one of Queen Victoria’s physicians known as Sir William Gull. There are two types of anorexia which are the restricting type and the binge-purge type. According to the medical term, this disorder is said to be lack of appetite (Kaye, 2009, p.450). A person who is suffering from anorexia has a fear of gaining weight. This prompts them to do whatever it takes to lose weight. Anorexia is mostly experienced among girls and some men. In general, adolescent girls usually look at their figure more and that is why they are the ones who are mostly affected. By
The cause of anorexia is complex and unclear, but there is evidence to support that the illness has a genetic and sociocultural components, and that individuals with anorexia share common personality traits as well. Evidence supports that illness is inheritable and runs in families. An
The term “anorexic” is usually tossed around as a joke, but it really shouldn't be, it is a serious disease that is potentially life threatening. People who suffer anorexia starve themselves due to the fact that they think if they eat, they will become fat.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders 5th edition defines anorexia nervosa as an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss; it is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder. According to the DSM 5, the typical diagnostic symptoms of anorexia nervosa are: dramatic weight loss leading to significant low body weight for the individuals age, sex, and health; preoccupation with weight; restriction of food, calories and fat; constant dieting; feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss and fear about gaining weight or being “fat.” Many individuals with anorexia nervosa deny feeling hungry and often avoid eating meals with others, resulting in withdrawal from usual friends and activities
How many of you have ever battled an eating disorder or known someone with an eating disorder? One or two of every 100 students will struggle or have struggled with an eating disorder. An anonymous quote from someone who struggled an eating disorder once said “Nothing matters when I’m thin”. Anyone of us in this room is at risk of an eating disorder. Females have to maintain that ‘normal’ look to fit in with society. More guys are seeking help for eating disorders as well. Guys with eating disorders tend to focus more on athletic appearance or success than just on looking thin. I’m going to inform you today about anorexia; what it is, signs, causes, effects, and possible treatments to help it.