Anorexia Nervos Is It Necessary?

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. Three of the most discussed are anorexia, bulimia, and what researchers call EDNOS (eating disorder not otherwise specified). Each of the eating disorders can be fatal in their own way. What are the signs, what do they do to you and your body, and what can be done to treat the problem? Researchers have studied long and hard into these three disorders so that those questions could be answered to the best of their ability. In this paper, the outcomes of the research that was done and the thesis

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

Eating disorders affect millions of men and women every day. Bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and binge eating disorder are three main types of eating disorders that can have detrimental consequences on the human body. These eating disorders not only deteriorate one’s body, but also eradicate the mind. “Inherent to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are a plethora of medical complications which correlate with the severity of weight loss or the frequency and mode of purging” (Mehler, 2015).

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.

After reading, “Anorexia Nervosa: Friend or Foe?” by Serpell et. al., in 1998, “Bulimia Nervosa: Friend or Foe? The Pros and Cons of Bulimia Nervosa,” by Serpell and Treasure in 2001, and viewing the documentary, Dying to be Thin, from PBS in 2000, I found several significant points within this research. Specifically, AN is the deadliest of all psychiatric disorders and the most difficult psychiatric illness to treat. As mentioned in the video Dying to be Thin, while detection as well as treatment are critical for individuals suffering from AN and other eating disorders, the potential related health risks may be serious as well as irreversible, including osteoporosis, cardiac arrest, and amenorrhea leading to infertility as well significant

The three nationally recognized eating disorders are identified as Bulimia Nervosa, Anorexia Nervosa, and Binge-Eating Disorder. Eating disorders, although stereotypically viewed as a lifestyle choice, is a serious and often fatal illness that not only cause severe eating disturbances, but adverse psychological and physiological environments for the individual (National Institute of Mental Health, 2006). These disorders typically develop in the mid-to-late teen years and often carry out into early adulthood albeit also existing in late adulthood (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2004). Treatment for this class of disorder can range from various perspectives, current methodologies for binge-eating disorder point to cognitive therapies and pharmacotherapy (Reas & Grilo, 2014).

The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q; Fairburn & Belgin, 1994) is a 36 item, self-report measure of the core cognitive and behavioural features of eating disorders. It can be used in the diagnosis of Anorexia, Bulimia Nervosa and Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified, as defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) (Allen, Byrne, Lampard, Watson, & Fursland, 2011). It can also be used to measure change in symptoms over the course of treatment. It is a parallel form of the Eating Disorders Examination (EDE; Fairburn & Cooper, 1993), a widely used semi-structured interview of eating disorder psychopathology, providing a more efficient and cost-effective

“Anorexia nervosa is a self-induced starvation resulting from a fear of fatness, even though the patient is underweight.” (Ignatavicius & Workman, 2016, p. 1238) This disorder is most commonly seen in adolescent girls and women but can be seen in boys and men. Care for patients with anorexia nervosa can be quite complicated but is essential for their recovery. If these patients do not receive proper care they can deteriorate quickly and death will then be inevitable. “Approximately 15% of all patients suffering from anorexia nervosa die from the disorder: two-thirds from malnutrition, one-third as a result of suicide.” (Bakker, et al., 2011, pp. 16-22) Care plans for these patients will need to include physical, emotional, and psychological goals and interventions.

There are three different categories of eating disorders that are mentioned in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV, DSM IV, and they are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorder not other specified. There have been limited case studies done for all the eating disorders but anorexia nervosa received the second lowest number of case studies with only 15. So, medical professionals have limited amount of successful results to reference when treating other people with the same disorders. Bulimia nervosa is defined as excessive amounts of food consumed then purging, excessive use of laxatives, or exercising too much. There have been more case studies done on bulimia nervosa than any other eating disorder. The treatment

Eating disorders anorexia and bulimia have many overlapping, complex factors. Treatment often involved psychotherapy such as CBT, but bulimia can also be medicated with SRIs. However, leaving eating disorders untreated can come with consequences. Research by Steinhausen (2009) found that individuals with anorexia have a mortality rate that is 18 times higher than their peers who do not. This essay aims to compare and contrast a treatment for each disorder, beginning with DSM 5 definition of each and it’s diagnosis criteria.

In the recent years eating disorders have become to an increasing public concern. The two most common types of eating disorders are called Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa. Body dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and unhappiness combined with the fear to gain weight can be determinants. Anorexia nervosa has been defined as a medical condition since the late 19th century and is characterized by an extreme weight loss. Bulimia nervosa has been accepted as medical condition since 1987. It is associated with ‘binge-eating’ in which people are not able to control their food consumption. First they tend to eat an excessive amount of food, afterwards they feel guilty and sufferers drift into excessive dieting, exercising and self-induced purging.

When you think of the words “eating disorders”, you automatically picture someone who is thin. This is partly true because people who suffer from anorexia or bulimia are relatively thin, but what you did not know is that there is also an eating disorder that affects mostly those who are obese and it is called binge eating. Eating disorders are any of several psychological disorders characterized by serious disturbances of eating behavior (Merriam Webster, 2014), the best-known eating disorders are bulimia nervosa, binge eating and anorexia nervosa (Yancey, 1999). Not only do eating disorders have the highest mortality rate than any other mental illnesses, but it is estimated that in the U.S. twenty-four million

Bulimia Nervosa is a very chronic eating disorder that can also be life threating. According to J.D outlettes, who is a respected educator, advocate, as well as a mother who has a daughter who is a recovering Anorexic. She states on Mirrormirror.org, “Bulimia statistics tell us that the lifetime prevalence of bulimia nervosa in the United States is 1.5%in women and0.5% in men. This translates to approximate 4.7 million females and 1.5 million males who will have their lives threatened by this potentially deadly disorder.” Bulimia can potentially be life threatening because a person who is suffering will excessively eat in one sitting( which is commonly known as binging)and then will force themselves to throw up(which is commonly known as purging) or take products that will make them have fast or constant bowel movements or in some cases they also try excessive exercising. With this being the case, it can cause a person to get very physically ill. The main reason is because, they are addicted or self-medicating themselves because they have emotional issues that are not solved and use

Up to 25% of patients diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) will die from their illness (McCallum, 2006). Anorexia Nervosa is the most deadly psychiatric illness, and is one of the Eating Disorders found in the DSM-5. To be diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa an individual must display the following signs: a restriction of energy intake relative to requirement, an intense fear of gaining weight or of becoming fat, and a disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Research discusses the symptoms and causes of Anorexia Nervosa and explores various approaches to the treatment of Anorexia Nervosa.

Each year millions of people in the United States are affected by serious and sometimes life-threatening eating disorders. The vast majorities are adolescents and young adult women. Approximately one percent of adolescent girls develops anorexia nervosa, a dangerous condition in which they can literally starve themselves to death. Another two to three percent develop bulimia nervosa, a destructive pattern of excessive overeating followed by vomiting or other " purging " behaviors to control their weight. These eating disorders also occur in men and older women, but much less frequently. The consequences of eating disorders can be severe. For example, one in ten anorexia nervosa leads to death from starvation, cardiac arrest, or