Anorexia Nervosa Personal Statement

The thought of a diet has crossed the mind of many females. Maybe she wants to lose a few pounds to fit in her prom dress, or get back down to her college size. However, what if the mental capacity of that person, would not let them end the diet. In her mind she is still fat, even if she weighed only ninety pounds, this happens to a female with Anorexia Nervous (AN).

For all the people who keep asking "what's wrong with me?" and after month of trying to put into words what I experience here it is.

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).

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

In modern American culture, health and food are a serious issue. We have all heard how to eat healthy: how many calories is too much, which foods to eat, which foods to avoid, and so on. However, very few people eat a truly healthy diet but some people have eating habits so unhealthy that it is considered a psychiatric disorder. These disorders are classified as eating disorders. Ever since the middle of the twentieth century, eating disorders have been increasingly more common (Barlow & Durand, 2015). According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013), eating disorders include a wide range of symptoms and fall under these classifications: pica, rumination disorder,

In my research, I explored the world of eating disorders. I wanted to see if there was anything specifically encouraging eating disorders and if there was a way to stop it. Eating disorders affect the community greatly because often times, they go unchecked or unrecognized. As a recovered anorexic, I feel it’s very important to address this issue. It’s a very big problem that is often not addressed at all, or is seen as normal, like counting calories. I hoped to find a way to improve the way that eating disorders are viewed and explain to people about what defines an eating disorder, because many people will never know if it is not explicitly explained to them. My study’s purpose is to bring light into the dark world of eating disorders

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).

Even though eating disorders are less prevalent in society today than they have been in the past, they are still one of the most diagnosed mental illnesses today. These three illnesses have short term as well as long term effects that can leave a damaging toll on the patients’ lives and are very hard to overcome. This is shown through not only the characteristics of Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge-eating Disease, but also through the psychological and physical harm these diseases leave on the body.

Over time, many diseases and famines have spread across the globe. In the modern, developed world, different, yet equally severe, problems have arisen. One of the leading complications in today’s society is eating disorders. These relentless disturbances are known for being lethal and for ravaging the world.

Eating disorders are a disease that can impact an individual’s health adversely by causing their emotions and capability to function in the significant areas of their life. There are two most common eating disorders and they are: anorexia nervosa, and bulimia nervosa. These disorders often begin to formulate during the teenage years of an individual’s life and can carry on through their adult years. Research states that “According to the DSM-5 (APA, 2013), eating disorders are characterized by a persistent disturbance in eating behavior” (Butcher et al., 2013, p.294). All of these disorders influences a person’s nutrition and can serious affect their internal organs.

Anorexia has been described in many ways, ranging from a fatal mental disorder to simply a Western trend. However, only from experience can one fully understand the dangerous situation resulting from this diagnosis. In the winter of 2015, after the conclusion of the cross country season, I began to struggle severely with my weight and overall body image. I began to enforce dangerously low calorie limits on myself; my total caloric consumption would stay below 500 calories each day. Furthermore, I began to run for winter conditioning in preparation for the upcoming track season, thus continuing to lower my overall energy. My personal battle with anorexia continued until the beginning of track season, but even from a period as short as four months, the damage caused to my overall mental and physical health was immense.

“At some point you have to recognize what world it is you belong to; what power rules it and from what source you spring. That there is a limit to the time assigned to you and if you do not use it to free yourself -- it will be gone and never return.” -- Marcus Aurelius. On May 1st, 2015, my time almost left and never returned, and my identity was fundamentally altered. I was admitted to Children’s Mercy South hospital for low heart rate (32 bpm), BMI (12.8), and a liver and kidneys inching towards failure -- all consequences of anorexia nervosa.

The social issue that is going to be discussed in this paper is Bulimia Nervosa. Bulimia nervosa is defined as “an often-debilitating eating disorder with a bio psychosocial set of risk factors.” (Bernacchi, 2017). Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorders that effects approximately 1 to 1.5 percent of the population within a 12-month period. “It is estimated that between 5 percent and 10 percent of all post pubescent girls and women suffer from an eating disorder in the United States (Kimmel, 2013).” A primary diagnostic characteristic of this disorder is experiencing recurrent episodes of binge eating, which is then followed

In order for me to develop an appropriate meal plan for patients with eating disorders (ED), I needed to educate myself on their dietary needs and the re-feeding process. Meeting with my preceptor and learning the rehabilitation process for ED patients was imperative to creating meal plans that will help them recover to normalized eating habits. I learned that meals need to include high caloric foods and eliminate foods that are perceived to be “dietary”, like salad. Throughout the program, the patients

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