Eye Opener : The Mind And Body

Eating Disorders are a set of serious disorders with underlying psychiatric foundations. An eating disorder occurs when exercise, body weight and shape become an unhealthy obsession (Stein, Merrick, & Latzer, 2011). People with eating disorders take physical concerns to the extremes that they take on abnormal eating habits. There are a variety of cases that lead to an eating disorder and can affect both men and women, however its prevalence primarily occur in adolescence (Ison & Kent, 2010; Stein et al., 2011). The complexity and challenges that occur during adolescents predisposes teens to developing an eating disorder. The period of adolescence is one of intense change, which can bring with it a great deal of stress, confusion and anxiety (Allen, Byrne, Oddy & Crosby, 2013). According to Wade, Keski-Rahkonen and Hudson (2011) 20 million women and 10 million men suffer from eating disorders, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). There are three main categories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Individuals with AN loose more weight than what is considered to be healthy for their particular height, age, gender, and development (Allen et al., 2013). In BN individuals binge eat and purge to compensate for the excessive eating. Purging may include induce vomiting or intake of laxatives that lead to bowel

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder and a mental health condition that could potentially be life-threatening. People with anorexia try to keep their weight as low as possible by restricting the amount of food they eat. They often have a distorted image of themselves, thinking that they're fat when they're not.  Some people with the condition also exercise excessively, and some eat a lot of food in a short space of time (binge eating) and then make themselves sick. People affected by anorexia often go to great attempts to hide their behaviour from their family and friends by lying about eating and what they have eaten. Anorexia is linked to

Eating disorders in the United States are becoming more and more prominent as the years go by. Up to 24 million people in the United States suffer from eating disorders (ANAD, 2015), according to a secondary source research by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), the oldest and the most prominent organization aimed at fighting various eating disorders in the United States. Prominently, eating disorders in adolescents continue to be a serious problem and may result in premature death or life-long medical and psychosocial morbidity (Vale, B., Brito, S., Paulos, L., & Moleiro, P., 2014). According to a peer-reviewed, primary source by eating disorder specialists, eating disorders are classified according to Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition , as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorder not otherwise specified (Vale, B., Brito, S., Paulos, L., & Moleiro, P., 2014). The two major eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are very common amongst adolescents, specifically young girls. While the symptoms of anorexia nervosa is more evident through the dramatic change in body weight, bulimia nervosa can be overlooked as many with the disease have a normal body weight (Mulheim, 2012).

Eating disorders are sweeping this country and are rampant on junior high, high school, and college campuses. These disorders are often referred to as the Deadly Diet, but are often known by their more popular names: anorexia or bulimia. They affect more than 20% of females between the age of thirteen and forty. It is very rare for a young female not to know of someone with an eating disorder. Statistics show that at least one in five young women have a serious problem with eating and weight (Bruch, 25).

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.

The aim of this literature review is to describe the main causes of eating disorders among teenagers aged 12 to 18 years old in high schools globally, and to also explain to what extend do some of these causes influence eating disoders. Recent studies have indicated a major increase in the eating disorder habits and body dissatisfaction in adolescence over the past few decades. This crisis seems most prevalent in females`` than males with 20 percent high school females exhibiting poor eating habits and about 60 percent undergone weight loss attempt (Pritchard and Wilson, 2005). Most affected youngsters endeavor various solutions to cope with this dilemma and in most cases, drug and alcohol abuse and suicide are the worst

Anorexia Nervosa Eating illnesses such as anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating sickness; contain life-threatening feelings, attitudes, and actions surrounding heaviness and diet problems. Eating ailments are severe expressive and physical difficulties that can have lethal penalties for females and males. Anorexia nervosa comprise of insufficient food consumption leading to a heaviness that is evidently too little, Strong terror of weight expansion, fixation with weight and determined performance to stop weight gain, Confidence excessively connected to body appearance, and incapability to appreciate the harshness of the condition.

The National Association of Anorexia and Associated Disorders states that anorexia nervosa is “characterized by emaciation, a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy weight” and those who have anorexia will “lose weight by dieting and exercising excessively; others lose weight by self-induced vomiting, or misusing laxatives, diuretics or enemas”.

This research task is based on the prevalence of eating disorders amongst teenage girls in our School amongst the ages of 15-18. This is a valid topic as being a teenage female in an all-girls school; it is a very easily relatable topic. I am interested to find out about the prevalence of eating disorders in my school and ultimately in helping the girls who are suffering from a disorder and are not getting the sufficient help that is needed when one if suffering from Bulimia or Anorexia Nervosa.

Eating disorder in adolescents is a source of grave alarm. An effective definition of eating disorders, as they are evident in school surroundings, describes victim of eating disorder as being extensively anxious and conscious about food, weight, and body shape. This results in being engaged in strange eating behaviors (Gowers & Bryant-Waugh, 2004). This paper seeks to investigate the effects of eating disorders on adolescent's life and education and comprehensive school based model of interventions is suggested for the prevention and treatment of this disorder.

Eating disorders are complex disorders, which affect physical and mental health, productivity, and relationships. In the United States, 20 million females and 10 million males are suffering from eating disorders sometimes in their life such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa; binge eating disorders (Wade et al., 2011). Eating disorders are more common in teenager and college girls as they are more concerned about their body weight. Literature has shown that these concerns go through the life but more common in young age group (Smolak, 2011).

Anorexia Nervosa is a mental disorder and while the cause can not been completely identified some of the effects are a decreased self-esteem, negative body image issues, and societal pressures per peer group. Anorexia affects females more than males but is most commonly found in teenager girls. Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most common types of eating disorders. It’s an eating disorder that is more than just concerns about obesity or out of control dieting, it decreases a person’s self-esteem. Over time, the weight loss becomes more than a sign of mastery and self-control but also a way of judging oneself. The thoughts of losing more weight becomes a secondary to concern and is more about control and/or fears about one’s body and not

Millions of people are currently suffering from Anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which people suffering drastically restrict food intake due to an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image. There has been an unfortunate increase in people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa over the past several decades. Anorexia can be caused by a combination of social, interpersonal, and psychological factors that must be resolved through treatment. Anorexia is an extremely dangerous disorder that results in death for many people if not treated.

Anorexia nervosa, which is mostly referred to simply as anorexia, is a serious and potentially life-threatening mental illness. Extreme food restriction, inappropriate eating habits, obsession with having a thin body, and a fear of weight gain, as well as a distorted body self-perception figure characterize this eating disorder. The treatments for anorexia is usually a combination of psychological therapy and supervises weigh gain. The treatment is important to start early as possible, especially if someone has already lost a lot of weight, this is to reduce the risk of serious complications of anorexia (Shepphird, 2009).

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disordering that could be life threatening which reduces the appetite and causes reluctant of eating. This is a disease which is known to be caused by environmental, biological and psychological factors. An individual who has anorexia usually would be seen to have a distort body image and a fear of becoming over weight. Schoemaker. C (2004) suggests that “350 individuals of every million suffer Anorexia Nervosa at the age of 11 to 15.”1 This demonstrates that there is a large number of individuals suffering this disease. Anorexia Nervosa is known to be a multifactorial disorder; below will be a discussion about the different cause factors and symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa in adolescents of ages between 11-16. There will also be supporting studies and research to conclude the causes of Anorexia in adolescents.