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Is Force Refeeding Ethical Essay

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Emma Wilderom Mr. Butterfeild English IO
11 January 2017

Is force feeding Ethical?

Is force feeding the anorexic ethical? Anorexia is defined as a lack or loss of appetite by false body image. (dictionary) Often anorexic patients are treated by tubal or artificial feeding. This works by putting a tube through the patients nose, directly into the stomach or through an IV placing the nutrients directly into the places they are most needed (eatingdisorders) This type of feeding is known as refeeding. Refeeding can lead to refeeding syndrome. This occurs when patients that have been starved switch from catabolic state to anabolic state. The change in metabolism leads to the secretion of many hormones which contributes to a change of salts and fluids in the body causing: heart failure, repertory failure, muscle …show more content…

It was a choice I made out of fear not logic." (Miss America Kristen Hauglund, cnn) extreme and needless weight loss, illogical fear of weight gain, a fixation with a thin figure and an abnormal eating pattern are all things the ten million women and men that are diagnosed with anorexia suffer with. (eatingdissorders) I believe it is okay to force feed when there is a realistic potential to substantially improve their life. The majority of patients don't care about the harmful effects their actions are having on their body. Voluntarily starving to death has links with he rational suicide debate and attracts largely disapproving attention from ethical, legal groups.(theconversation) In the cases of minors the fate of the patient is left up to the parent or guardian but if they are classified as an adult they have the ability to chose their path unless the doctor or hospital board chooses to take it to court and have it appealed. (theconversation) Medical ethics say that the doctor has a responsibility to keep the patient alive to administer treatment.(tutor

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