Outline On Anorexia Nervosa

Dr. Levenkron talks about Anorexia Nervosa as a pathological distortion of today’s society of being “Fashion-model thin.” This source is reliable because it is told from a doctor's/psychotherapists perspective of the disease. It informs and broadens my research on the pathological aspect of the disease. Dr. Steven Levenkron uses case studies and specific strategies to explain and help cure the disease.

This article explored the topic of identifying symptoms in patients with anorexia nervosa (AN). The Eating Disorder Inventory led a study, conducted by D. Garner, that studied females with AN to classify behavior exclusive to the psychological disorder. The researchers recognized the problem of trying to identify any restrictive manners or detrimental behaviors that could identify a person with AN. The purpose of the research was to find tell-tale symptoms or psychological indicators of AN in patients.

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.

The media group that retouches images skews the “normal” body image of people through many of its outlets, including models in advertising and magazines, and actors in TV and movie productions. “The average model portrayed in the media is approximately 5’11” and 120 pounds. By contrast, the average American woman is 5’4” and 140 pounds” (Holmstrom, 2004). This statistic shows how the media manipulates consumers into believing that because they are not what the average model looks like, they are not living up to a certain standard which implies that they need to look like that to be beautiful. Another research fact that shows a similar concept is that, “In the United States, 94% of female characters in television programs are thinner than the average American woman, with whom the media frequently associate happiness, desirability, and success in life” (Yamamiya et al., 2005). This association of female thinness and happiness, desirability and success makes consumers believe they must achieve this unrealistic thinness to achieve more ultimate goals and fulfillment in life. “The media also explicitly instruct how to attain thin bodies by dieting, exercising, and body-contouring surgery, encouraging female consumers to believe that they can and should be thin” (Yamamiya et al., 2005). This idealization of thinness in the media is seen so much, and is extremely harmful to women’s self confidence and is often associated with body image dissatisfaction, which can be a precursor to social anxiety, depression, eating disturbances, and poor self-esteem (Yamamiya et al.,

The results of this study indicated a low effect size for all studies. The participants who were shown pictures in the media of thin models tended to think there was something wrong with their body weight. Other participants who viewed models who were overweight tended to have a positive outlook on their body image. Another study that was conducted by Han, 2003 looked at female Korean college students and the way in which media exposure affected the way they perceive body image. This experiment was conducted by using 42 college female college students who were exposed to images of thin models in magazine ads. After viewing the images for about 5 minutes the women were then asked to fill out a questionnaire. This questionnaire was built to see their indication on body dissatisfaction and eating disturbance based upon the pictures that were shown. Then an upward comparison was used to see whether they agreed or disagreed with the images of the models shown. As these results stated the females that were exposed to the pictures of the thin models showed a higher level of upward comparison then those who were not shown the models. Participants in the experimental group also perceived the thin models to be more practical than those who were participants of the control group. A second part of this experiment used 75 female college

Some of side effects for anorexia nervosa are serious or even in some cases, life threatening. The most noticeable side effect is the serious weight balance. But there are plenty other side effects that come with the gruesome disorder, which is anorexia nervosa. Most of these side effects can be treated and taken care of to not risk any further injury or death. But if not death can defiantly come your without the proper help. These are most of the side of the side effects for the gruesome disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is a deadly eating disorder which makes people think that they are fat, even when they are really skinny. Anorexia is not only a physical disorder, but also a physiological disorder. The people who have it often feel fat, even though others say they aren’t, they are also scared of gaining weight. In order to prevent others from getting suspicious, they lie about the amount they eat.Normally, people who are 15% lighter than the expected body weight have Anorexia. A misconception that they develop is that they think that the thinner they are, the more they worth (self-worth). Anorexia Nervosa was first named and recognized in society in 1873. The name was given by Sir William Withey Gull.

Anorexia Nervosa is currently viewed by society as an extremely complicated disorder, misunderstood, over looked, and misjudged based on the stigmas of society. People who suffer from eating disorders like Anorexia do not always report the fact they are in living with the disorder because they are ashamed or scared of what might happen to them or what people will say. An individual may also feel that they do not met the exact criteria of Anorexia Nervosa in the DSM 5. An example of the DSM 5 criteria for Anorexia Nervosa is an individual purposely takes too little nourishment, has below average body weight, fearful of gaining weight, refusal to keep a normal weight, distorted body perception

The society’s standard of beauty is incorporated in our day to day lives. An overweight woman on her way to work may see an advertisement with a skinny, blonde, blue-eyed woman on it. It is clear that this woman has tons of makeup on and was photo-shopped and edited. This may cause her to want to look like that which will make her obsess over her appearance. This will also in turn cause her to feel bad about herself because of society’s constant scrutiny over fat women. In My Hot Girl Manifesto, Zoe Whittall says “Because even feminist magazines publish fat-phobic articles under guise of being a “health issue. Because anticapitalistic activists still use expressions like ‘Fat capitalist pig.’” This proves that a lot of people are brainwashed by the media to believe that thinness equals beauty. Body image is so skewed that even the most beautiful women are being altered to achieve these unrealistic goals. The media creates these ideals and puts it on covers of magazines and advertisements resulting in women feeling insecure and themselves. The creation of these ideas can have a negative impact on women and lead to many eating disorders. Some may even go as far as cosmetic surgery that is promoted by the media. The media also has an impact in children lives also because of Barbie commercials. Barbie conditions young girls for what is expected of their future appearance. This enforces the societal standard of beauty onto

(Phelps & Bajorek, 1991). Sir William Gull was one of the first to publish a case on the discovery of anorexia nervosa in 1873 (Botha, 2010). Anorexia nervosa is an intense fear of gaining weight (Phelps & Bajorek, 1991). Most anorexics may look in the mirror and see themselves overweight. They respond to the thought of being fat by starving themselves in hopes of losing weight and getting thinner. With the hopes of losing weight and getting thinner, anorexics will become obsessed with controlling their weight by weighing themselves multiples times throughout the span of the day. ( Phelps & Bajorek, 1991).

“To be happy and successful, you must be thin,” is a message women are given at a very young age (Society and Eating Disorders). In fact, eating disorders are still continuously growing because of the value society places on being thin. There are many influences in society that pressures females to strive for the “ideal” figure. According to Sheldon’s research on, “Pressure to be Perfect: Influences on College Students’ Body Esteem,” the ideal figure of an average female portrayed in the media is 5’11” and 120 pounds. In reality, the average American woman weighs 140 pounds at 5’4”. The societal pressures come from television shows, diet commercials, social media, peers, magazines and models. However, most females do not take into account of the beauty photo-shop and airbrushing. This ongoing issue is to always be a concern because of the increase in eating disorders.

As the term "anorexia nervosa" did not exist until 1873” (The first anorexic). In the western world one of the first accounts of anorexia nervosa was during “the 12th and 13th centuries, most famously Saint Catherine of Siena who denied herself food as part of a spiritual denial of self” (A History of Eating Disorders). Most cases of anorexia had to do with fasting as a religious or spiritual experience. However for the women of the Victorian period being thin had transformed and became a way for them to feel successful instead of powerless. It wasn’t till 1970 that the disorder was able to reach the public as it wasn’t just the upper-class that was suffering from anorexia. Again anorexia evolved into the "twentieth-century women progressively idealized the lean, almost 'tubular' body type, deprived of the symbolic emphasis of fertility and motherhood. The thinness of the 'new woman' expressed her sexual liberation and rejection of the traditional female role" (Bremer, J.). Whereas before woman needed to look healthy and capable of having and raising children, now women were aiming to achieve independence the need to be those thing were

My name is Stephanie Gomez, I live in Lemont, Illinois, and I have been diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. Anorexia is an illness that not many people come in contact with. Personally, I never thought I would have. While reading a collection of articles on my illness, I have come up with a general definition. Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that limits the consumption of food to the point of bodily physical harm. (Question1)

“In the United States, 20 million women… suffer from a clinically significant eating disorder at some time in their life, including anorexia nervosa…” (NEDA, 2010). Twenty-million females is a very large portion of America. Not only is this a very large number, this number only represents the number of patients that seek help with this problem and get diagnosed with anorexia nervous (NEDA, 2010). As we can see from this large number of only the cases that are reported, anorexia nervosa is a serious problem; especially in females in the United States. Because this disease can be life changing, it is important that we notice the assumed causes, symptoms, and treatments of this disorder in order to help those struggling with

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Disorders 5th edition defines anorexia nervosa as an eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss; it is a serious and potentially life-threatening disorder. According to the DSM 5, the typical diagnostic symptoms of anorexia nervosa are: dramatic weight loss leading to significant low body weight for the individuals age, sex, and health; preoccupation with weight; restriction of food, calories and fat; constant dieting; feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss and fear about gaining weight or being “fat.” Many individuals with anorexia nervosa deny feeling hungry and often avoid eating meals with others, resulting in withdrawal from usual friends and activities