Parental Mental Illness And Eating Disorders Essay

What is a feminist approach to understanding eating disorders? Not all feminists have the same understanding of eating disorders. There are many different theories that are prevalent in feminist literature today. This web page will explore some of the different feminist perspectives about the cause of eating disorders in our culture.

There are 70 million individuals around the world and over 14 million Americans who are affected by eating disorders; of those 14 million Americans in the United States 200,000 live in Minnesota. According to the United States Census Bureau there are 5.4 million people living in Minnesota. Eating disorders are a big problem considering that 4 out of 100 people have an eating disorder, just in Minnesota. There are three main eating disorders: anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Although doctors still don’t fully understand what causes eating disorders, the disorder can affect someone's body and mind years after getting over an eating disorder (Eating Disorder).

In a study by Marchi and Cohen (1990) maladaptive eating patterns were traced longitudinally in a large, random sample of children. They were interested in finding whether or not certain eating and digestive problems in early childhood were predictive of symptoms of bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa in adolescence. Six eating behaviors were assessed by maternal interview at ages 1through 10, ages 9 through 18, and 2.5 years later when they were 12 through 20 years old. The behaviors measured included (1) meals unpleasant; (2) struggle over eating; (3) amount eaten; (4) picky eater; (5) speed of eating (6) interest in food. Also data on pica

A major setback I have faced is suffering with an eating disorder. For five years I have struggled with this illness. I have been hospitalized, and I have been in program at The Center For Change twice Finally, I told myself that I had to get better, or I was going to die. A year ago, I chose recovery. It is quite possibly the toughest challenge I will ever face, but the grueling process of recovery has allowed me to take back my life. Fortunately, I did not go through this on my own. I have been truly blessed with the best support team which includes my family, my friends, therapists, and my Stake President and doctor, Pres. Vance. I have grown into a more confident and compassionate person by helping others with eating disorders and other

In today's society, there is much attention being given to the subject of eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia; unfortunately it is because these disorders seem to be becoming more and more common. The question that remains is whether eating disorders such as these are simply personal problems of the individuals, or if they have become a social problem that needs to be addressed more aggressively. Having grown up in this society, I see this issue as a definite social problem. To say that these increasingly common eating disorders are personal problems, implies that the causes of them are personal as well, which I believe is not the case. A social problem is something that goes against society's goals and values; it would seem

With children as early as age 7 showing dissatisfaction with their body, and as young as 9 starting dieting, eating disorders are a serious issue in our society. Taking a look at perceptions, behaviors, and medical issues associated with the disorders of anorexia and bulimia, scholars have tried to categorize and find answers to the problems which certain adolescents suffer. In this paper I focused on the two major eating disorders of anorexia and bulimia.

We are all genetically and socially affected by our families. Families serve as the matrix of our identity. It is through interactions within the family that we develop a sense of who we are and how we fit in (Minuchin, Rosman & Baker, 1978). Parents serve as role models, providing examples for attitudes, coping skills, and eating habits, as well as setting standards for perfection, ambition and acceptance (Hall & Cohn, 1992). Many researchers claim that family dynamics are at the root of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa. The role of dysfunctional family interactions in the pathogenesis of anorexia nervosa has been given a prominent place in the research field. Evidence for a specific

Mary S. Ainsworth was fascinated in the association between infants and their mothers that she later coined the theory of infant-mother attachment. According to Ainsworth, there are three evident attachment patterns that will develop, secure, anxious and avoidant infants. Ainsworth felt it was substantially necessary for a child to transition out from a mother’s attachment and vulnerability to autonomy and independence as a factor in normal development in personality. One of the key points of Ainsworth security theory is that infants need to “develop a sense of direction and secure dependence on parents” before leaving the nest into a strange and unfamiliar situation (Bretherton, 1992). According to Ainsworth, “Familial security in the

Many researchers have found that genetics are linked to eating disorders. Studies have shown that genetics are responsible for 56% of the onset of bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating (Johnson and Bulik). The Eating Disorder Review said that a person is four times more likely to become bulimic and twelve times more likely to become anorexic if he or she has a sister or mother who suffers from an eating disorder (Kittleson 44). Studies of identical twins have also

Much of the literature that focuses on the parents' role in the development of eating disorders is focused on the mother and the mother-daughter relationship. Studies have shown conclusively that a mother's body image and eating habits are, mirrored in her daughter, and that if she is obsessed with her own body image, it stands likely that her daughter will be the same way both growing up and in her adult life. The father, though, is often left out of the research except for in the basic family profile. Here, we will examine the active role that the father plays in the development of eating disorders in their daughters. First, we will explore why the father's ideas and

The correlation between eating disorders and other psychological disorders is very important for our understanding of the causes and possible treatments for eating disorders. It is known that many people with eating disorders also fit the criteria for several DSM-IV psychological disorders. If researchers can find patterns of comorbidity between these two types of disorders they may be able to better diagnose and treat patients with both of these disorders. The question that I pose it what is the relationship between eating disorders and personality disorders(axis 11 disorders in DSM-IV)? It is important to look for comorbidity between the two disorders to determine the impact they have on each

Binge eating disorder, also known as BED or compulsive overeating, is a serious disorder that is characterized by a recurrent, irresistible urge to overindulge or binge on food even when you are painfully full. We reveal how and why it becomes a problem, and what you can do about it.

Concerns about gaining weight and retaining a youthful figure are expressed by many pregnant women. When there has been a history of anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, weight gain and body shape changes accompanying pregnancy can provoke extreme distress (Rand et al., 1987). Very little is known about the impact of pregnancy on women with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa. Despite the fact that amenorrhea, the lack of menstruation, and infertility are common features of these syndromes, some women have been able to conceive, even at below normal body weight (Lemberg & Phillips, 1989). Information is lacking in general on psychological impact on the mother-to-be as well as on the course of pregnancy

Two studies were done about childhood factors and eating disorders symptoms. In the last two decades the prevalence of anorexia nervosa in South Korea has increased. The rate has increased from 0.03% in 1987 to 0.2 percent in 2007A study found that the Korean women with AN had higher levels of anxiety, perfectionism and an emotional childhood with a lower number of supportive figures compared to the healthy control group. The study supported ideas that personal vulnerability could be an important risk factor for developing anorexia nervosa. Children with perfectionism tendencies have one of the “setting conditions” (Heo & Kang& Kim & Song& Treasure, 2009), for developing anorexia nervosa in the Korean participants. Also people with parents who were perfectionist with regard to their children 's shape and weight form the backbone for forming anxiety about shape and weight that was reported by the Korean women. “Premorbid anxiety is suspected to contribute an important genetically medicated pathway towards developing of anorexia by way of heightening sensitivity to eating disorder systems” (Heo & Kang& Kim & Song& Treasure, 2009). Having more supportive figures during upbringing may cause people to form more resilient. The study concluded that there was a small difference between Korean and Western countries when it came to being teased about weight and shape, it has been found that the United States cultures put pressure on the thin ideal which is important risk for

Eating Disorder Case Study Mother is concerned that daughter is not eating enough, restricting food intake for 8 months because she feels fat, feels she needs to lose ten pounds, feels that her thighs and stomach are to large, reporting 35 lb weight loss over last 8 months, denies any eating problems, began menarche at age 16 periods normally regular, stop three months ago, exercises daily 20 min. to 2 hours, experiences low energy, chronic constipation and lightheadedness, favorite TV show is “America’s Next Top Model” and reports “feeling down in the dumps” for about nine months, college student, good grades, finding it difficult to concentrate, admits to feeling worthless and having no