We 've Only Just Begun

There are several bio-medical definitions of anorexia; The NHS refers to an anorexic as someone who tries to keep their weight as low as possible, by restricting diet, often over exercising and in some cases through the use of laxatives and diuretics (NHS, 2014). The DSM-V definition similarly suggests that anorexia is characterised by a refusal to maintain body weight at or above the minimally normal weight for age and height (DSM-V, 2014). Both definitions highlight an intense fear of gaining weight and a hugely distorted perception

According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Health Disorders, Volume 5 (DMS-5), Shelly’s low body weight, her lack of food intake, and her purging were all qualifying symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa. In addition to these symptoms, she exhibited the additional symptom of a fear of gaining weight. She explained to her therapist that she feared weighing as much as her twin sister, even though her sister only weighed 100 pounds.

The thought of a diet has crossed the mind of many females. Maybe she wants to lose a few pounds to fit in her prom dress, or get back down to her college size. However, what if the mental capacity of that person, would not let them end the diet. In her mind she is still fat, even if she weighed only ninety pounds, this happens to a female with Anorexia Nervous (AN).

Diagnosing potential Anorexia nervosa is not always easy, and Alicia’s case, based on information given and her representation, is not clear cut. Researchers argue that the diagnosis has to be done carefully and potential ambiguities have to be resolved (Baer & Blais, 2010). For example, some researchers have argued that one criterion, such as a fear of being fat, can decrease significantly when the person actually loses some weight (Surgenor & Maguire, 2013). For reasons like this, selecting the primary question, namely whether or not the patient has Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that involves extreme weight loss, restricted food intake, and an intense fear of becoming fat. The American Psychiatric Association outlines four diagnostic criteria for anorexia. The first is refusal to maintain body weight. The second is intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. The third is denial of the seriousness of low body weight. The

Eating disorders are extremely serious and often even fatal. They are tremendously trying on both the person with the disorder, and those who are close to them. I remember the time that my roommate and I were watching TV with a group of girls when one of the girls started commenting on how fat a certain actress had become, and how gross she looked. I saw the look on my roommate’s face when she heard this girl criticize this actress who still looked practically perfect. More than anything, the weight this actress had put on made her look healthier than she had before. I became quite concerned though when I noticed that my roommate ate nothing for the next three days, and the one meal she did eat I am certain she threw up soon after. My roommate, like many other girls, was trying to achieve an unattainable goal. Some girls will just never be so thin, and struggling to be is very dangerous.

A significantly low weight is defined as a weight that is less than minimally normal for or less that minimally expected. She does have an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat and cannot seem to gain control of her body image, but does not limit her food intake and have a low weight due to that decision. Another eating disorder that was considered was binge eating disorder. Similarly, she had a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode and was eating an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most people would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances. The main difference between this disorder and bulimia is the recurrent use of inappropriate compensatory behavior that she used after she was done with a binge eating episode. The other two disorders that were considered were partial cases and subthreshold cases. With partial cases, patients have symptoms that meet only some of the necessary criteria, but not enough symptoms to meet all the necessary criteria for the diagnosis of the disorder. She would not fit this disorder because she fit all of the necessary requirements for bulimia. The other disorder was subthreshold cases. These are cases in which patients have symptoms that fit all the necessary criteria, but at levels lower than required for the diagnosis of a disorder. She would not fit this disorder either because she fit the requirements for bulimia completely, not lowered than the required amount. She has shown all of the necessary symptoms of bulimia nervosa in order to be properly

Bulimia is a cycle of binging and purging and its severity is based on the number of purges per week not on the thinness of the person (APA, 2013). They are similar in relation to body image, self-evaluation based on weight and body shape, and fear of being fat (APA, 2013). However, one of the criterion for anorexia is low body weight which is not a requirement for bulimia nervosa (APA, 2013). So to distinguish between the two, body weight is used. People with anorexia nervosa need lots of self-control and pride in what they are doing in order to get to the point they become severely underweight. This self-control explains one way that individuals with bulimia nervosa do not become

Anorexia Nervosa is the condition when an individual abstains from food in order to lose weight or prevent more weight gain. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV(DSM-IV) there are four aspects of criteria to be diagnosed with anorexia: a refusal to maintain weight above what is minimally normal for one’s age and height, and extreme fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and (in females) having amenorrhea(missing three or more consecutive menstrual cycles.)(DSM-IV, 2000:589) Anorexia not only affects weight, but also alters bone growth, neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, and electrolytes.

Andrea appears to have a binge eating disorder(BED). It was indicated that Andrea had uncontrollable eating binges and had gained over 50 pounds in six months. Andrea got in frequent arguments with her mother as a child about her excessive eating and weight. Andrea also was called a “fatty” by her school mates in early elementary school. According to Bulik, Trace, Kleiman, and Mazzeo, (2014), BED is marked by recurrent binge eating (at least weekly for 3 months, as in BN) and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode, but in the absence of regular compensatory behaviors. To meet criteria, an individual must experience distress regarding the binge eating and at least three of the following: eating much more rapidly than normal,

A patient with anorexia at a normal weight considers himself fat and wants to lose weight. He can not and does not want to stop weight loss, and his weight in relation to the decline is reduced to dangerous limits. Low weight is maintained by malnutrition or excessive movement. Diagnostic criteria for anorexia are, among others, a strong fear of weight gain, weight loss below 85% of the norm, a persistent refusal to increase weight and stop menstruation in women.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that consists of self-regulated food restriction in which the person strives for thinness and also involves distortion of the way the person sees his or her own body. An anorexic person weighs less than 85% of their ideal body weight. The prevalence of eating disorders is between .5-1% of women aged 15-40 and about 1/20 of this number occurs in men. Anorexia affects all aspects of an affected person's life including emotional health, physical health, and relationships with others (Shekter-Wolfson et al 5-6). A study completed in 1996 showed that anorexics also tend to possess traits that are obsessive in nature and carry heavy emotional

People who anorexia nervosa, do not actually lose their appetite. However, they limit and restrict the amount of food they eat. To diagnose anorexia nervosa the DSM -5 has provided criteria for doing so. The criteria includes restriction of food that leads to very low body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and body image distortion(Kring, Johnson, Davidson, & Neale, 2014) . Body distortion refers to the picture we have about out body, size, and shape, and the feelings we have towards

Karen Carpenter and Christina Ricci were both diagnosed with anorexia nervosa a psychological disorder. While both women suffered from anorexia nervosa the

Eating disorders in children and teens cause serious changes in their health. Eating disorders are characteristics and cause by eating behaviors, also people with this disorder use eating, purging or restructuring with their issues. Eating disorders is divided into three parts as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, etc (Eating Disorders,n.d.).Eating disorders can overlap between and alternate of anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders around the adolescence, but it can also start in childhood. Girls with bulimia nervosa fall within their normal range of body weight, but to them some girls feel that they are overweight. Almost 25 percent of females have bulimia in their lifetime. There are many celebrities who suffer from eating disorders while coming up in Hollywood or currently battling the disorder. Like, former pop singer/ performer Lady Gaga struggled with bulimia and anorexia while beginning her career. Another singer name Kesha, has recently been treated for an unspecified eating disorder (n.d.). Karen Carpenter, a former singer, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 32, for years she suffer from severe anorexia. Another singer name Demi Lovato, has become one of the most outspoken about her mental issues within her eating disorder (n.d.). Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne and former ‘The Talk’ host, Sharon has struggled with bulimia for over 30 years. Another famous daytime talk show host, Oprah Winfrey is a sufferer of disordered eating.