Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper

The Mayo Clinic-- a world-renowned medical facility in Minnesota-- put it well: “Anorexia isn’t about food. It’s an unhealthy way to cope with emotional problems.” According to Brousseau, there are over 6,000 girls a year dying from this emotionally induced disorder. One would think that there would be a more concentrated effort to at the very least discourage it. Examples such as her own, however, prove that there clearly is still a misconception; moreover, Anorexia is still looked at by many as a silly phase among teenaged girls rather than the reality of it being a life-threatening

As many as 10 million woman and girls suffer from anorexia or bulimia in the United States (Steele). Anorexia and bulimia are very serious eating disorders. Many women and young girls feel that these disorders are the only way for them to be accepted by others. However the strive for acceptance only ends up causing pain, emotional harm, or death to those affected. Being a sufferer of anorexia, I know the emotional and physical damage this disease can cause. The root cause of having an eating disorder is still undetermined, yet some doctors and physiologist believe the new focus on a perfect body, shown by the media is to blame. Society’s portrayal and promotion of a thin body image as the ideal female body contributes to eating

Categorically, adolescents with anorexia nervosa have a chronic low body weight and are below 85 percent of their expected body weight (Lock, & Fitzpatrick, 2007). Anorexia nervosa is most commonly diagnosed in adolescents, an age that can increase the risks of malnutrition, weight loss, osteoporosis, growth arrest, and absent puberty. Anorexia nervosa can damage an adolescent’s identity, and has the highest death rates of any psychiatric illness (Aspen & Boutelle, 2013; Grave et al., 2014). Adolescents that suffer from anorexia nervosa tend to be perfectionists causing them to focus on negative beliefs, fear of failure, and fear of disapproval. They are often high achievers, are inflexible and rigid in their thinking, and see their symptoms as achievements (Hurst & Zimmer- Gembeck, 2015; Westwood & Kendal, 2012).

Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. A disturbance in perception of body shape and weight is an essential feature of anorexia nervosa. It appears to be far more present in industrialized societies, in which there is an abundance amount of food and in which being considered attractive is linked to being thin. The disorder is most common in countries like the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Japan. More than 95% of cases of anorexia nervosa occur in females between the ages of 14 and 45 years. Most researchers agree that out of every 200 American girls between the ages of 12 and 18, one will develop anorexia to some degree. Therapists find that persons with anorexia usually

Several databases and journal articles have been included in this literature search. Credits for the access to these databases are for the Medical Library of the National Guard Health Services. This Paper emphasize its contents about the prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa among females in general worldwide. So these are the the four terms used in the search: Anorexia Nervosa, prevalence, young adult females, eating disorders. This brief literature search gives the information summary of these databases and journal articles.

There are a number of warning signs that can be associated with any eating disorder such as: “body dissatisfaction, thin-ideal internalization, dieting, low self-esteem, maladaptive coping, reading teen fashion magazines, social pressure for thinness, social withdrawal, negative comments about eating, history of psychiatric disorders”(NEDA). With all these predetermined risk factors, it is easy to see why so many suffer from these disorders today. Anorexia can be described as the fixation of an individual's Body Mass Index (BMI); it is defined in the dictionary as “an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat”(Johnson). The National Eating Disorder Association cites a list of possible risk factors that were identified in a number of studies; among the list is perfectionism. Bulimia Nervosa also defined as an “emotional disorder involving distortion of body image and an obsessive desire to lose weight” is differentiated by its “bouts of extreme overeating are followed by depression and self-induced vomiting, purging, or fasting.”(Johnson). These disorders are rooted in mental and emotional health and are not confined to females or teenagers. Modern media has done a very good job of perpetuating a desirable body type for people of all sexes and ages. People who suffer from a number of the aforementioned risk factors may be more heavily influenced to abuse or neglect their bodies in efforts to achieve this sought after

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight. Anorexia is an intense fear of gaining weight with a distorted perception of body weight. People with Anorexia Nervosa value themselves on controlling their weight and shape. Mainly using extreme efforts to attend this disorder; it significantly interferes with their daily lives. Anorexia Nervosa can be treated, and the complications from day to day life will subside.

There are two main types of eating disorders: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Both of these types are characterized as a major concern about one’s weight and shape in a negative way. Bulimia is categorized as binge eating or excessive consumption of food. What tags along with bulimia is aggressive and short tempered side effects. Of the two, anorexia nervosa is the most common among teenage girls. Anorexia nervous is characterized as self-induced starvation and excessive weight loss. It is well known that most girls watch their weight to fit a social norm what they do not realize is this can lead to anorexia and major health risks. Anorexia is a disorder associated with both the psychological and medical complications. According to Dr. Thomas Insel, Director of National Institute of Mental Health, “Research tells us that Anorexia is a brain disease with severe metabolic effects on the entire body.” What most people do not know is that genetics does play a factor when it comes to developing anorexia. The biological factor is often overlooked because

until there is nothing left of them. Although, this may disguise itself as a physical

Eleven million women in the United States suffer from eating disorders such as Anorexia Nervosa (Dunn, 1992). There are different types of media that exist: television, advertisements, billboards, websites, magazines and so on. Advertisements, television programs, billboards, or magazines are omnipresent. These advertisements have a negative impact when it comes to the lives of many people. The media consists of many instruments that can be used to gain control because it has impacted many people and creates a sense of normality. Media generates a negative message for many young and adult women by portraying an “ideal” body type which can develop symptoms of develop

Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among teenagers. With 80% of teen females and 15% of teen males being or attempting to be anorexic, it is surprising

Anorexia affects millions of people worldwide with an estimated eight million in America alone. It is a complex eating disorder that is most commonly associated with teenagers and is characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body weight. It affects not only the people with the disease but also the people close to them who have to observe the extreme physical and mental changes the anorexic

Bulimia and anorexia can be an issue that many teen girls go through today. Bulimia and anorexia are similar sicknesses except bulimia is when you eat large amounts of food then you throw it up, and anorexia is when you eat small portions of food and rarely eat at all. These are all caused because these teen girls want to have that beauty ideal. Their eating behavior starts to change dramatically wanting to get thin, and lose weight. In this case when these teen girls suffer from anorexia they tend to think that they feel fat or they hate their body when in reality their body isn’t healthy when they get to that point of having anorexia or bulimia. This can be dangerous to their body they’re thinking that vomiting or eating small portions

Peer pressure is the one thing that most teenagers cannot run from. Their constant teasing and joking of unnecessary things such as mocking their last name, the way they talk, the way they walk and especially their appearances. When people are being teased or called fat, they are easily offended by it whether they do care what they say or not. Findings show that most of teenagers nowadays gives more negative reviews on those who are labeled as big sized or fat (Gerrits, 579-87). Therefore, these teenagers are ashamed so they became anorexic as a result from being depressed about the way people look and say about them. Other than that, there is a mental disorder known as major deep depression (MDD) that triggers a person to become anorexic. As an illustration, when they become depressed because of the mental disorder they're having, they lose interest in doing activities such as socializing, going outside and most importantly they lose their appetite. Therefore, the person will develop anorexia due to the problems they have deciding whether to consume food or not. Being depressed can be a shortcut for a person to have this eating disorder known as anorexia

Self image seems to be a high factor in women and teenage girls. Appearances seem to be everything to some people, especially for women or teenage girls. By believing this, people do not even realize that for some girls go through great lengths to have those looks or self image. The measures women take to do so most likely results in making risky decisions. Anorexia is usually the result of low self-esteem, or self body image of the individual. Women do not seem to understand this leads to a mental disease. This disorder is called Anorexia, this affects mostly women, but in some cases men. Anorexia is a type of medical condition that causes an individual to obsess over the desire to lose weight