Term paper on Eating Disorders

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Diseases
Diseases E. coli are germs that normally live the intestines of people and animals. The most common symptoms are severe stomach cramps and diarrhea. E. coli lives in the intestines of healthy cattle and can get into the meat when cattle are slaughtered. The germs are killed when the meat is t

Eating Out Vs Eating At Home
Eating Out Vs. Eating at Home Eating out is more beneficial than a home cooked meal because it is less time consuming, all you have to do is pick a restaurant. It is also easier to decide what you would like to eat; however, eating at home is cheaper, a family could make two meals out of twenty

Nick Pourakis

Prof. Joseph

Final Speech

12/8/00

Introduction

I. Imagine a 19 year-old girl, let’s say her name is Kim. She’s 5”5, about 90 pounds. She has blond hair but is bald in some places and it’s falling out by the handful. Kim also has this gross layer of peach fuzz growing all over her face and body and her teeth are a yellowish color from occasionally throwing up after she eats, which is probably only a lettuce leaf or a diet coke every day. Kim’s face is sunken in and her body is so emaciated that you can actually see all of the bones protruding. Her pulse is weak and she went into kidney failure last week due to malnutrition. Currently, Kim is in the hospital but no one knows if she will get out. This is a portrait of an anorexic.

II. I am here today to inform you about the epidemic of Anorexia Nervosa among females, especially young women.

III. The three prevailing factors that influence the development of Anorexia are psychological, social, and cultural, in nature.

IV. Growing up in a household of all women, I have seen my family, in addition to close friends, struggle with body image, dieting, and self-esteem issues. In addition to being the firsthand witness to this struggle for many women, my ex-girlfriend had a suffered from Anorexia Nervosa, and I have experienced the devastation that it can cause.

V. I am sure that everyone in this room knows a women who thinks she’s fat, or is always trying to lose weight, or feels bad about the way she looks. It maybe someone you know whether it’s your mom, sister, girlfriend, or even classmate.

-Transition: According to the DSM IV, this disorder is characterized by a refusal to maintain average body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, and a disturbance in the way in which one’s body shape is perceived or a denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight. Now I’d like to begin discussing the three influences, or risk factors, of Anorexia.

Body

I. Research has shown many relevant psychological factors that accompany Anorexia, including low self-esteem, body dissatisfaction, insecure attachment style, distorted self-perception and other mental disturbances such as depression, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

A. Anorexics will often feel worthless, hopeless and out of control, believe that they are not good enough, they never do anything right, that they are criticized by their appearance, and that their lives would be better if they lose weight.

b. A study by Heights in 1997 analyzed a survey of 17, 318 female high school students. The results showed that 26% reported themselves as over weight compared to 4.7% that actually were, according to their body mass index. In addition, the strongest predictor for female’s negative self-concept was perceived weight.

- Transition: In addition to these psychological factors, there are enormous social influences that aid in development of this disease.

II. Women, especially adolescents,...