Essay on Anorexia
Anorexia Term Papers
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It would seem today that eating disorders are on the rise.
While this may be true, the numbers may appear to grow only because more cases
are being brought out into the open. One interpretation of an eating disorder is
termed as a relationship between the person and food that appears abnormal.
Anorexia Nervosa is one of the most prevalent eating disorder diseases. The word
Anorexia itself means, "lack of appetite," and as for the definition
of Anorexia, Anorexia is an all encompassing pursuit of thinness, occurring most
often in adolescents and young adult women. This is accomplished by avoidance of
eating by any means possible. The person affected by Anorexia has an absolutely
terrifying fear of becoming obese. In short, food becomes the enemy, this is
described as weight phobia. The person feels too fat when in reality the person
is terribly underweight. Anorexia affects all kinds of people, especially
teenagers, and is the third most common chronic illness that can be found in
adolescent women. An estimated amount of between ½% and 3% of teenagers will be
diagnosed with Anorexia. This may not sound like very many people, but numbers
have increased, between the 1950's and mid 1970's, the incidences of Anorexia
increased by almost 300%. Of all the patients that visit doctors for Anorexia,
about 90% are women. Anorexia, though, does not plague only women. This disorder
is not exclusive to one gender. Since this problem does not only include women,
men are also referred to as being caught in the trap of Anorexia. The percentage
of males diagnosed with the disorder have grown to 10%, and of children dealing
with Anorexia, 25% are boys. The mean onset age of Anorexia in males is between
the ages of 17 and 24. Men are actually more likely to hide an eating disorder,
and it may be in an advanced stage before a diagnosis has been made. Anorexia in
males may not be as detectable, due to the misinterpretations of physicians in
the patients' diagnosis. Much of the same risk factors may be found in both men
and women. Looking at the psychological perspective, a few reasons can be seen.
There are people who have personality disorders such as obsessive-compulsive
problems like perfectionism, obsession with appearances, and weight. A person
such as this can often be seen standing in front of a mirror for long periods of
time, is often critical of his or her physical appearance and is afraid to lose
control of what is going on in day to day life. Low self-esteem, depression,
stress and anxiety are also major reasons why a person might suffer from an
eating disorder. The effects of surroundings or environment can greatly
influence eating disorders. The family also plays a major role, since close
relationships with people influence ones' attitudes and behaviors. Also,
suffering physical and sexual abuse may lead a person to an eating disorder
because they see it as a way to control something in their lives. Aside from
family, pressure from peers and the society around us can contribute to the
growing number of Anorexics. Since surroundings are so influential on us all,
what surrounds us more than the media? When one looks at the media today, it is
difficult not to notice the fashion industry. To look at the fashion models, who
are 15% thinner than the average American woman, one can clearly see that
underneath the season's hottest new trends the taller-than-average women are
very, very slender almost to the point of being gaunt. Society seems to teach
the people that they have to look a certain way to be successful and accepted.
Anorexia itself has certain characteristics, concerning the thought processes,
the physical aspects, and the eating patterns related to it. The previously
discussed psychological factors that lead up to an eating disorder like
depression, low self-esteem, and obsession, all may lead to insomnia, mood
swings, hyperactivity, and suicide. The physical signs are quite startling as
well, such include an irregular heartbeat, the person is often cold and has
frequent headaches, a tingling sensation in the hands, feet, and face,
dizziness, lightheadedness, blood in a person's vomit, bruised knuckles and
fingers from induced vomiting, dry skin, brittle hair and loss of hair. Victims
lose 15% of their total body weight with a failure to gain the weight back.
Other symptoms include hypertension, dry skin, brittle hair and nails, dental
deterioration and muscle wasting. The eating behavior of the anorectic may be
cutting food into tiny pieces, eating extremely slow, and aimlessly pushing food
around on his/her plate. As devastating as Anorexia is, it can be treated. The
very basic principle...
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More College Papers
Anorexia
In today's society, we often hear of people who suffer daily from illnesses such
as cancer, AIDS, obsessive-compulsive disorder, phobias, tuberculosis, downs
syndrome and many other types of illness both communicable and non-communicable.
What about the illness that consumes the life of over eigh
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally
normal weight for age and height Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat,
even though underweight. Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or
shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape
Anorexia Nervosa
Eating disorders are a cause for serious concern from both a psychological and a
nutritional point of view. They are often a complex expression of underlying
problems with identity and self concept. These disorders often stem from
traumatic experiences and are influenced by society`s attitudes to