The Effects Of Anorexia Nervosa On The Human Body

At present, these eating disorders have an effect on roughly 25 million Americans, of which almost 25% are of the male gender. Out of all the psychological disorders, anorexia has the highest mortality rate. The whys and wherefores include malnourishment, substance abuse and reckless suicides. Eating disorders can happen to anyone; no matter whether they’re male or female, rich or poor, old or young. According to many researchers, eating disorders are caused by more than just food. There are numerous

Anorexia is an eating disorder and a mental health condition which can be life-threatening. Anorexia is an irrational fear of gaining weight, it typically involves excessive weight loss and usually occurs more in females than in males.

Both Anorexia and Bulimia can be influenced and linked to binge eating disorders. Binge eating is associated with eating large amounts of food excessively during a short period of time and will experience loss of control. However, when binge eating people may be eating when they are not actually hungry to an extent when they feel distressed. Most commonly, the illness is a result of stress, anger and

Today in the United States over thirty million Americans suffer from an eating disorder. Of those thirty million, only three million will ever receive proper treatment. Some doctors will call any eating disorder Anorexia when really it could be Bulimia or another eating disorder. With so many people affected by these diseases, it is necessary to know the differences so these people may receive proper treatment. Anorexia and Bulimia are both very serious eating disorders with many differences and similarities including causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Each year millions of people in the United States develop serious and often fatal eating disorders. More than ninety percent of those are adolescent and young women. The consequences of eating disorders are often severe--one in ten end in death from either starvation, cardiac arrest, or suicide. Due to the recent awareness of this topic, much time and money has been attributed to eating disorders. Many measures have been taken to discover leading causes and eventual treatment for those suffering from anorexia. (http://www.kidsource.com/kidsource ...er.html#Causes of Eating Disorders) )

?Anorexia nervosa, as we know, is a psychological disorder that is defined as the “loss of appetite”. Although the disease is rare and dramatic, in 2007 it was only “affecting about 1% of women and 0.3% of men”(Cacioppo and Freberg, 2013, p.302). Those percentages are low but can equate to a large number of Americans. The biological dangers of anorexia can be very large, including the possibility of death. The disorder carries many symptoms such as low body weight, dry and yellow skin, increased sensitivity to cold, a distorted image of oneself, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems.

There are many different types of eating disorders, like anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating. Bulimia is a life threatening cycle of binge eating and then self-induced purging, vomiting or taking laxatives, to compensate for the effects of the overeating. Too many times, a combination of internal and external factors play a role in the development of these disorders.

This paper was designed to discuss several basic topics regarding anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is and eating disorder with an incredibly high mortality rate characterized by low body weight and an obsessive fear of becoming overweight that occurs primarily in females after puberty, yet before the age of 40 years. Unfortunately, Not much is known about the causes of anorexia nervosa, but possible correlations are blood relation to a person suffering from anorexia nervosa, those who have recently experienced a stressful event, a diagnosis of an anxiety disorder or obsessive compulsive disorder in childhood, or participation in a culture or profession that values thinness.

Although the exact cause of anorexia isn't known, studies show that it is possibly a combination of biological, psychological, and/or environmental factors ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014). Scientists have yet to figure out exactly which gene(s) are involved in causing anorexia, but it can be acquired genetically, and surprisingly enough, it is seen more in twins than individual people ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014). Young women can who have an obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) personality can have an extreme obsession of perfectionism toward their body, which can make them become anorexic due to the fact that they don't think they are thin enough ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014). By having OCD, young women are more vulnerable to being anorexic because it makes it easy for them to "...stick to strict diets and forgo food despite being hungry.." ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014). Young women with OCD and anorexia nervosa usually have high anxiety levels and "...engage in restrictive eating to reduce it" ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014). "Modern Western culture emphasizes thinness. Success and worth are often equated with being thin" ("Diseases and Conditions: Anorexia Nervosa, 2014).

In addition to the history of anorexia nervosa, the causes of this eating disorder play a major role in their mentality. This is important to examine because people with anorexia are often using food and eating as a way to gain control when parts of their lives are stressful or overwhelming. According to Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention, “The causes of eating disorders are multifaceted and usually include a combination of psychological, familial, sociocultural, and biological or genetic factors rather than a sole determinant of the disorder. “(103). When it comes to the psychological causes of anorexia many individuals often have low self-worth, low self-esteem, and strive for perfectionism. Having a low

Reflection: Risk factors such as being a female adolescent and having an obsessional style only make up a small portion of the variance in occurrence of Anorexia nervosa. There is a very large amount of female adolescents who tend to be obsessional and do not develop anorexia nervosa. Also those who diet do not necessarily develop anorexia nervosa. In most circumstances, it begins unremarkably therefore it is difficult to pinpoint the exact causes of anorexia nervosa in individuals. Early

Personal factors. Genetics or biological factors might make some teens more likely to develop eating disorders. Personality traits such as perfectionism, anxiety or rigidity also might play a role.

Anorexia affects millions of people worldwide with an estimated eight million in America alone. It is a complex eating disorder that is most commonly associated with teenagers and is characterized by an abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of body weight. It affects not only the people with the disease but also the people close to them who have to observe the extreme physical and mental changes the anorexic

Body dissatisfaction, the desire for thinness, binge eating, and weight preoccupation all heritable. Having a job that requires you to focus on your weigh for example ballet and modeling or playing sports where body size is important like gymnastic. The standard onset of anorexia is early to middle teens and usually starts because of stress and dieting. Between men and women, women are ten times more likely to develop this

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