How Does Anorexia Affect Teens

1) Colleen Thompson, an expert on eating disorders, explains, “Many teenagers need a role model and someone to look up to. Unfortunately, too many of them choose fashion models or actresses as role models, they paste picture of them all over their rooms, and some will resort to dangerous methods of weight control to try and look like their idols.” (J1)

Many young teenagers have developed eating disorders, as they sadly use unhealthy habits to manage their weight and that is through skipping meals, fasting, self- induced vomiting, and not to forget excessive exercise. People with anorexia tend to be very skinny, and as when they look into the mirror, they literally see excess body fat. Their minds have tricked them into believing they need to lose more weight to be able to look fit.

Anorexia nervosa, otherwise stated as anorexia, is an eating disorder that occurs when an individual restricts themselves from necessary energy intake which leads to significantly low body weight. Other characteristics of this disorder include: intense fear of becoming fat or gaining weight, persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain, and disturbances of perception and experience of their own body weight and shape (DSM V, 2013). Effective treatments are still trying to be researched for this disorder, as there is not a “one size fits all” for people of all age groups, living situations, etc. Since adolescents with anorexia are such a vulnerable population,

Beauty standards in the media are one of many reasons feeding and eating disorders are a rising problem. The unrealistic body types of being extremely thin, in pop culture, are influential factors for many teens, especially teen girls. According to the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition (DSM-5), anorexia nervosa is a “restriction of energy intake, intense fear of gaining weight, and a disturbance in the perception of one’s body size” (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Individuals diagnosed with anorexia tend to place a high value on their shape and weight, which can interfere with their daily lives. Individuals diagnosed tend to view of their body shape in a distorted representation. The motivation to become

While the media definitely plays a role in how we view ourselves, anorexia is a way of coping with what’s going on in a teen’s life. Stress, pain, anger, acceptance, confusion and fear can all become triggers for this debilitating eating disorder. The goal is one of trying to make their whole life better.

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

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 takes an average five to six years from diagnosis to fully recover, and up to 30 percent of anorexia patients never recover (Morris & Twaddle,2007). Girls with anorexia may eventually lose 50 percent of their original body weight (Romeo,1984). Americans need to be more aware of the damage social media, magazines, T.V. ads, and the sports culture can do to teenage girls so they can help the anorexia rate go down by bringing awareness to the subject and what causes

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.

Even though some teens have health conditions that make them very skinny or problems going on at home does not mean they have to hurt themselves. Teens need to avoid bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa. Some teens do not have self confidence in themselves. Many teens have died or get other medical conditions for becoming bulimic or anorexic.

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

There are many kinds of psychosocial disorders that deal with deferent things. Some psychosocial disorders are genetic and some people just pick up from everyday life. Teens can pick up disorders from high school and form our popular media. The media plays a huge roll on what teens do to their life. The media tells teens what they should eat, what size teens should be, and what is okay to wear. Media is mostly worried about what people, mostly celebrities, look like. Teens see a tiny model; teens see that as being attractive. The teen that saw the tiny model attractive would start to starve them self to become that skinny or what is known in the psychology world as anorexia.

     When I think of anorexia, a few things come to mind. I think of really bad episodes of Beverly Hills 90210 and Baywatch in which females, ususally teenagers, starve themselves and take diet pills. The eating problem is always resolved within the timespan of one 30 minute episode. From the research I've done thus far on anorexia, I now know that this is a very unrealistic representation of what is actually a very serious disease.

Adolescents are especially susceptible to eating disorders because of the development of their self-image around this time of their lives. Bulimia, anorexia and binge eating are all eating disorders that teenagers suffer from. Results of Anorexia nervosa can prove to be fatal; as the body is starved so are the muscles. The heart, being a muscle, can consequently begin to weaken, and heart failure will very likely become a reality. The low levels of sodium, zinc, potassium and calcium, associated with anorexia can cause unusual heart rhythms. Sudden death caused by electrolyte and mineral disorder may happen. The blood bone marrow is also interrupted. Anemia is related with the amount of weight lost and the decreased capability to fight pathogens and infections [ (CDC) ].

Eating disorders are not a consequence of only one source, they are caused by different factors. Physiological, psychological, social and cultural circumstances are the main sources of these diseases. Anorexia and bulimia are the most common diseases among teenagers. Anorexia is the needless loss of weight; it is more commonly presented in teenage girls. On the other hand, Bulimia can be described as the action of binge eating followed by purging. Bulimia is a severe issue among society due to the reason that it affects a big portion of the adolescent population of the world. The effects of bulimia range from physical to mental issues.