Eating Disorders Term paper

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Eating Disorders are extremely prevalent in today's society. Anorexia

Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are characterized by gross disturbances in

eating behavior. These disorders typically begin in adolescence or

early adult life, affecting as many as "1 in 100 females between the

ages of 12 and 18 (Bronwell & Foreyt 312)."

Anorexia Nervosa is a complex disorder where the individaul refuses to

maintain body weight over a normal weight for age and height. Also

present, is an intense fer of gaining weight or becoming fat (Waller,

Quinton, & Watson 127). People of this disorder say they "feel fat"

even though they are obviously underweight or even emaciated. They

become preoccupied with their body size and are usually dissatisfied

with some feature of their physical apperarance (Bronwell & Foreyt

322). Weight loss is accomplished by a reduction of food intake. Self-

induced vomiting or use of laxatives or diuretics are also common

methods used to achieve weight loss. Many people with this disorder

minimize the severity of their illness and are uninterested in, or

resistant, to any type of therapy (Waller, Quinton, & Watson 152).

Severe weight loss may eventually lead to hospitalization to prevent

death by starvation.

Bulimia Nervosa is a disorder in which the individual has recurrent

episodes of binge eating. Self-induced vomiting usually terminates the

binge (Browwell & Forey 335). Vomiting decreases the physical abdominal

pain that occurs after an individual binges. Although binges may be

pleasurble, self-criticism and a depressed mood often follow. People

with this disorder exhibit great concern about their weight and make

repeated attempts to control it by dieting, vomiting, or the use of

diuretics (Bronwell & Forey 342). Weight fluctuations are common due to

alternating fasts and binges. These people often feel that their life

is dominated by conflicts surrounding eating.

The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) is a reliable and valid measure of

symptoms commonly found in an eating disorder. The test was designed by

Garner and Garfinkle in 1979. It was designed as a screening device for

the detection of clinical eating disorders (Boyadjieva & Steinhausen

1996). Many clinicians have suggested that eating disorders are caused

by extreme body focus. The EAT-26 is a twenty-six item test which

focuses on body self-evaluation (Beebe, Holmbeck, Lane, & Rosa 1996).

High EAT-26 scores were associated with an increased number of "fat" or

"thin" feelings. Negative feelings of others after dieting were also

noted. Women with eating disorders may tend to focus on others' body

shapes. They may also expect others to be as emotionally invested in

body shapes as they themselves are (Beebe, Hombeck, Scholar, Lane, &

Rosa 1996). "Clinicians have suggested that anorexia nervosa and

bulimia nervosa, while behaviorally distinct, share a common core

pathology; women with both disorders are preoccupied with body weight

and shape (Beebe, Holmbeck, Scholar, Lane, & Rosa 1996)."

A sample of university women completed the Eating Attitudes 26-item

test. Items focused on personal perception on body shape and weight.

It was predicted that the relationship between EAT-26 scores and

reactions to dieting situations are stronger when applied directly to

the self than when applied specifically to others (Beebe, Holmbeck,

Scholar, Lane, & Rosa 1996). Present data supports the idea that

individuals who scored high on the EAT-26 reported noticing more

weight-related information in other women. They also expect other women

to evaluate themselves on the basis of weight and shape.

Perfectionism is also a characterization by a relentless struggle of a

thin body which include a high degree of perfectionism. A recent

approach views perfectionism in three components: "91) self-oriented

perfectionism- the holding of unrealistic expectations for others; and

(2) other- oriented perfectionism- the holding of unrealistic

expectations for others; and (3) socially prescribed perfectionism- a

perceived need to attain standards and expectations prescribed by

significant others (Pliner & Haddock 1996)." Patients feelings of

unworthiness results from not living up to expectations. Such feelings

of success and self-worth are related to meeting external standards.

Undergraduate women were used in a study to look at the three levels of

perfectionism. High EAT subjects were thought to adopt the

experimenter's goals as their own. If anorexics have high standards set

for them by others and are higher on "self-oriented perfectionism," they

should set higher personal goals. Low EAT subjects should not adopt

other's standards to such a high degree. High EAT subjects would adhere

more strongly to their goals (Pliner & Haddock 1996) The results om the

goal specific experiment showed that high EAT subjects tended to set

lower goals than low EAT subjects. Women who are weight concerned are

socially perfect. They tend to succumb to unrealstic standards of them

set by others. High EAT subjects who set these unrealistic goals for

themselves tended to create a situation where failure was unlikely.

They were also more affected by failure feedback. With negative

feedback came feelings of depression. Anorexics are extrememly

sensitive to the opinions of others. Performance standards are readily

accepted, and social approval is extrememly important (Pliner & Haddock

1996). The relentless pursuit of a thin body is an attempt to obtain

social approval by conforming to the characteristics of a socially

attractive body.

Families of anorexics are also extremely important in the treatment

process. Families tend to avoid conflict and present a façade of

togetherness. Mothers tend to be overprotective...

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