Eating Disorders: The Psychological Causes Of Anorexia

In this article “Fighting Anorexia: No One to Blame” it discusses the struggles and challenges children face as young as 8 years old and teens from 13 to 18 years of age when dealing with the eating disorder “Anorexia Nervosa.” Which is defined in our text as an “eating disorder characterized by self-starvation” (Bee, pg. 384). The staff of “Newsweek” also discuss who or what is to blame for anorexia nervosa in the past parents have been blamed when their children have shown signs in regards to this disorder. Research has shifted from blaming the parents to the possibility anorexia might have some links to mental disorder, genetics or even environmental factors which can influence the disorder. Lastly, the article discusses various

Over three million men each year are affected by Anorexia. In spite of this, men are less likely to be diagnosed, and the disorder is often overlooked due to the misconception that it is a “girl’s disease”. Unlike females, who are generally afraid to become overweight in an image obsessed society, males affected by the disorder tend to believe they are overweight, suffer from depression, or from

Incidences of Anorexia Nervosa have appeared to increase sharply in the USA, UK and western European countries since the beginning of the 60s (Gordon, 2001). The increasing prevalence of the disease has led the World Health Organisation to declare eating disorders a global priority area within adolescent mental health (Becker et al. 2011). Anorexia has in many ways become a modern epidemic (Gordon, 2000) and with a mortality rate of 10% per decade (Gorwood et al. 2003), the highest of any mental disorder (Bulik et al. 2006), it is an epidemic that social and biological scientists have been working tirelessly to understand.

Costa-Font, J. and Jofre-Bonet, M., 2011. Anorexia, Body Image and Peer Effects: Evidence from a Sample of European Women. The London School of Economics.

Eating disorders have become an increasing public health problem once thought to be an affliction amongst young women, now an epidemic across culture and gender boundaries. Anorexia gives rise to serious socio-economic and bio-psychological circumstances of our ever vast, growing society. Awareness of eating disorders have increased but perhaps only in proportion to its advancement of its research and treatment. That which still leaves us in a position for a much greater demand for education and heightened awareness of this perplexing disease.

Anorexics have an incredible sense of willpower due to the view of themselves being distorted. From studies, eating disorders are typically found in Caucasian females, middle to upper-middle-class families between the ages of sixteen to twenty years old. However, five to ten percent of people reported with eating disorders are males - but not sure if that is an increase or they’re just now being reported. Those with anorexia have distorted image of themselves, low self-esteem, and are perfectionists. Biologically, scientists have found that anorexic patients have high levels of endorphins that could be produced from running around or working out.

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

A USA Today article reported, “According to a 2011 study in Archives of General Psychiatry about 6% of youths suffer from eating disorders. The report went on to say the 55% of high school girls and 30% of boys had eating disorder symptoms. They used diet pills, vomiting, laxatives, fasting and binge-eating to help them lose weight.” (Healy). Going along with the previous statistic, The Random House Dictionary defines peer pressure as “a social pressure by members of one’s peer group to take a certain action, adopt certain values, or otherwise conform in order to be accepted” (“Peer Pressure”). The aftermath of being constantly pressured by fellow peers can lead to various health conditions for both children and teens. This pressure doesn’t just have to be from unfriendly peers, it can also be friends or even family members. Children and teens want to be accepted and they often feel pressured to fit in. They often want to be one of the more popular students in their class. By being thin, they feel that they can achieve this. Then when someone is being pressured into believing that he/she is not thin enough; that can lead to serious health conditions. Also, when someone is continuously being told that they are fat they may end up believing that it is true. However, these health conditions are not only caused by peer pressure. In the end it is peer

     Studies have shown that over one million males are affected with anorexia nervosa yearly. (Crosscope-Happel, Hutchins, & Hayes, 2000) Some have suggested that these numbers are on the rise as the media continues to assert a more and more unattainable goal of beauty on the public.

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

Social issues such as media exposure has thought to encourage eating disorders due to the portrayal and constant bombardment of the ideal thin woman (Stice et al, 1994). This approach to explain the onset of anorexia takes into account the social pressures that have rapidly increased over the past decades. Strice et al supports this as there has been an increase in the amount of people with anorexia, as woman’s bodies have become slimmer. Stice et al found a significant link between media exposure and eating disorder symptoms, thus implying that biological circumstances are not the only vulnerability factors in anorexia, and a wider scope must be taken into account. Woman may directly imitate those in the media leading to unrealistic ideals of body image causing an eating

disorder by age 20; 43% report onset between ages of 16 and 20. Anorexia is the third

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

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.

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