...Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa Sandra Quick Dr. Kathleen Dunley, Ph.D University of Phoenix I remember the day as if it were yesterday. My Mom and I were in a room designated for the bride and her wedding party to dress for the wedding. My Mom had tears streaming down her face, tears of joy I assumed. I was wrong; she was crying because I was 28 years old, weighed only 92 pounds and was suffering from a serious disease called Anorexia Nervosa (AN). Every day since that day in June, I struggle to prevent relapse. AN is a serious disease that effects primarily American woman usually around age14. By focusing on why an individual is affected by AN, what treatment is available, and the large number of those that relapse, this essay will show why so many people do not seek treatment, additional research is needed and so many individuals relapse. Eating disorders are not followed by the Federal Government; therefore, no statistics show if there is an increase or if simply more patients are diagnosed. “It’s a national disgrace that we still don’t have published data on how many people have an eating disorder.” (Monroe-Striegel, 2006, p. 123), who heads the psychology department at Wesleyan University in Middletown, CT, Ninety percent of American adults are aware of at least one eating disorder. According to the Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders, teachers from elementary and middle schools report that...
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...Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia nervosa are the most fatal mental disorders. In a society where models, clothes, and an outward appearance are deemed exceptionally important, this is an issue that has a haunting connection to the gilded milieu of fashion. From the ghost of stick thin models to the spider web of media influence, a connection can be drawn to eating disorders. With the Council of Fashion Designers of America meeting to re-release their health guidelines, people can witness how the fashion industry is starting to accept their responsibility of influence. The industry may start to go even further in its efforts to safely promote and sell their products (Pearson). It is a nice-and necessary-change the Council is making. For a long time, it seems, the fashion industry has ignored the abundant amount of health concerns that is prevalent in their models and customers. Health guidelines must evolve from here. In the sense of exposure to the fashion media, there isn't much concrete data about how it influences mental problems such as eating disorders. We cannot say a casual link has been established, but it is reasonable to say that there is a connection (Pearson). It is very reasonable to say that models...
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...today’s standards, Marilyn Monroe and Raquel Welch would be considered “fat.” Venus de Milo Ancient Greece Marilyn Monroe 1950s Raquel Welch 1960s Keira Knightley 2000s While obesity is certainly unhealthy, the social pressure for women to be extremely thin is also unhealthy. According to the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) (2007), in the U.S. 7 million women and 1 million men suffer from eating disorder mental illness. Lauter (2008) quoted Marleen S. Williams, a psychology professor at Brigham Young University in Utah who said studies show fewer eating disorders in "cultures that value full-bodied women." • Health impact of eating disorders (ANAD, 2007, except as noted below) o Physical § 20% fatality rate (CBS, 2007) § Malnutrition § Dehydration § Ruptured stomach § Serious heart, kidney, and liver damage § Tooth/gum erosion § Tears of the esophagus o Mental § Depression § Low self-esteem § Shame and guilt § Impaired family and social relationships § Mood swings § Perfectionism § "All or nothing" thinking • Financial impact of eating disorders o Treatment for anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia is often extremely expensive and can extend for several years. o The cost of inpatient treatment can be $30,000 or more a month. o The cost of outpatient treatment, including therapy and medical monitoring,...
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...Contributing Factors to Various Eating Disorders Introduction The proposed topic discussed throughout this research will be eating disorders, specifically on the contributions to various eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa, athletica nervosa, bulimia nervosa and binge eating. Through much research, it is shown there are larger causes to these eating disorders. It is no longer a psychological factor (brain chemical misbalance). There are greater forces that influence eating disorders such as the mass media, family, stress (sense of identity), community (peers/school), and negative body image (which links to mass media). It is important to know these contributions to eating disorders because, the more one knows about the various factors for an eating disorder, the easier it will become to treat these disorders (help one suffering with an eating disorder cope and become healthier.) Throughout the 21st century, eating disorders have become more common among North American teens. With a higher percentage rate of eating disorders in the 21st century, (Sneddon, 1999, p.35) it shows it is an area that should have greater focus. Not only does it have a negative impact on the individual who is battling it, it has a negative impact on society; an impact that could destroy our society – mentally if we (as a community/society) do not help or treat this in the way it should be. An eating disorder can tear apart someone’s morals, eat at their brain – which means with it becoming more...
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...Doctors have long suspected that childhood sexual abuse is a common theme in the back ground of women with bulimia nervosa. This hypothesis has come under much scrutiny and as a result, has been tested and re-tested time and again. Studies have had findings stating everything from, there is no evidentiary support for this hypothesis, to there is a non-specific correlation and yet other studies claim that childhood sexual abuse is a direct risk factor for bulimia nervosa. More recent articles seem to point toward some type of relationship between bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse. The process of finding this information takes some digging. Many search engines (including Medscape, Proquest, and Google’s scholarly article search) were used. Much of the research in this area seems to have been done approximately ten years ago and therefore was not current enough to be used. These older studies also have a common theme in that they tended to lean toward the opinion that bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse are not directly related. The more current articles on this subject agree more with the school of though that bulimia nervosa is closely related to childhood sexual abuse. According to Pearlstein (2002) “Many older studies involved clinical rather than community samples” (p. 5) which may shed some light on why their results showed little to no correlation with bulimia nervosa and childhood sexual abuse. If there is a relationship between childhood sexual abuse...
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...Statistically a girl starts scrutinizing her appearance as early as 13 years old. It was at 13 that I started noticing my appearance did not fit the global conventional standards of beauty that I saw in media. Realizing I did not fit the standard, I focused on being top of my class in grade school. Unfortunately, focusing on school did not help my self esteem. As I progressed through grade school, I decided to change my appearance, beginning with my weight. Unfortunately, I developed an unhealthy routine - I started to starve myself. Only 10% of people with an eating disorder ask for help, and I was part of the 90% who did not seek help. People had only known me as the humble girl who did well in school. I was not prepared for them to judge...
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...The Media: Without Make Up On December 4, 2012, 10.3 million people impatiently gathered together to watch a very important event aired on CBS. Were 10.3 million people participating in a revolutionary debate? Or were they watching Obama give a speech about the progress of a ten-year fiasco in Afghanistan? Neither, in fact they we were gathering together to watch the 2011-2012 Victoria Secret Fashion Show. The sixth floor lounge of Day Hall, here at Syracuse University, was packed with girls ready to watch rail-thin models strut down the runway, as they eat away the pint of Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Facebook and Twitter had millions of people updating their status about this worldwide-recognized show. Such as, “Not eating for the rest of the week,” “She is not real, how is she so perfect?” or sarcastic comments such as “I’m glad I look exactly like all those Victoria Secret models” (Profitable Objectification). This show is a perfect example of how the media negatively affects our society. Not only does the Victoria Secret Fashion show cause women to question their beauty, but it also instills unrealistic expectations of what women should look like to all the men. The media has a great influence on our view of beauty and has created a false perception of what females should look like. This has made it difficult for anyone that does not fit this ‘ideal’ body to accept themselves the way they are. Celebrities and models have become a representation of the ‘perfect’ body image...
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...nutrition, it is central to our individual identity given that we are constructed, biologically, psychologically and socially by the food we choose to incorporate into our lives. * Omnivore’s paradox: One of the fundamental components of our identity as omnivores is that we have the autonomy, freedom and adaptability to consume a wide range of food. However this liberty also implies dependence and constraint. Omnivores cannot obtain all the nutrients it needs from one food alone and omnivores must also avoid harmful foods. * The principle of incorporation dictates that food and cuisine are a central component of the sense of collective belonging. * Disgust is a socially constructed biological safeguard. The psychology of eating behavior reveals that children have the tendency to accept only a limited range of food they are familiar with. This gives us insight into our natural instinct as humans to put new exotic foods through thorough examination before we consume it. * Because of how complex identifying a food can be based on its cultural origins, the culinary system provides a pre-fabricated matrix where one can identify a food by understanding its place in the world. * In today’s society as food is becoming more processed and integrated through globalization our cultural and physiological identity through food is becoming threatened. Week 2 Reading summaries Paul Rozin, “Food is Fundamental, Fun , Frightening and Far Reaching” (1999) ...
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...Cheyenne Jourdan English 102 Pyramid Final Draft A Distorted Image When the criticism drops away, what you will see then is just you, without judgment, and that is the first step toward transforming your experience of the world. --Oprah Winfrey American people are bombarded with our society’s ideals of beauty day in and out. The National Eating Disorders Association states that more than 80 percent of Americans watch television for more than three hours a day. Our media plays a pivotal role in the way that we structure our thinking as well as our idea of normality and beauty. As Jean Kilbourne explained in her documentary “Killing Us Softly”, advertising is a “powerful educational source” and the media sells not only products, but also the ideal of what one “should” consider standard to be, do, and look like. These societal standards of feminine beauty are nearly impossible to reach though, and as the media glorification of women with unhealthy body types, unnaturally flawless faces, and perfect hair remains, so do the consequences of the desire for these things. Corporate Profit Corporations profit massively from American media consumerism. Advertising in media is one of the most instrumental constructs of our society. We see advertising in our faces everywhere from bus stops, cars, billboards, magazines, websites, and television. According to Kilbourne the average US citizen sees over 3500 ads per day and advertisement is a $250 billion per year industry, just...
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...Specific Purpose: To educate my audience about Anorexia Nervosa. Thesis Statement: Just a glance at all the horrifying aspects of Anorexia Nervosa and how it affects the mind and body. I. Introduction: A. Attention Getter: In this world there are 10 to 30 million Americans who are challenged everyday with an eating disorder (Schacter, Gilbert, Wegner, P 288) B. Thesis Statement: Just a glance at all the horrifying aspects of Anorexia Nervosa and how it affects the mind and body. C. Credibility Statement: Ever since I was thirteen years old, I have had this image engraved into my mind. The perfect body type. Something I didn’t ever really have. But once of my friends took the “perfect image” to the next level, that’s when I decided to educate myself on Anorexia Nervosa. D. Importance of Topic: Unfortunately, we live in a world where if you are built “big boned” you’re ugly, if you are too skinny, you’re ugly, if you have a certain hair color, you’re ugly, and if you have acne, you’re ugly. But if you’re blonde, you’re beautiful, if you are tan, you’re beautiful, and if you are from California, you’re beautiful. In this world there is no winning unless you are Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry, or Scarlett Johansson. E. Preview: The main points that I’ll be covering will give a better understanding on what leads people to become anorexic, how it effects the mind and body, and other simple signs that occur when someone is dealing with being anorexic...
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...Virginia A Hess PSY 410 December 12, 2013 Kelley Smith Case of Karen Carpenter Anorexia nervosa happens when an individual fixates on being thin. The individual with anorexia will become obsessed with the amount of food that he or she will intake. Individuals with anorexia usually decline to consume food as well as are in denial about being hungry. These individuals are also scared to get weight as well as view themselves in a bad way. They tend to avoid social situations that involve eating. These individuals suffer from different physical problems for example dizziness/fainting, dry skin, dehydration, constipation, as well as decreased blood pressure level (Hansell & Damour, 2008). This can also result in death like in the case of Karen Carpenter. This paper will be discussing her tragic struggle with this disorder. Case Karen Carpenter was an American singer who battled with anorexia nervosa in the 1960’s. Her struggle with disorder would bring eating disorders to the public and would later contribute to her death. At an early age Karen was teased by her older brother being called “fatso”. Her mother also would make comments that made her aware of her flawed body figure. Her mother would remind her of the fact that big hips run in the family. At the age of 17 she lost 25 pounds. Career At the age of 19 Karen and her brother were signed to A&M Records. This would be the start to Karen being in the spotlight. Being in the spotlight made Karen...
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...fast food intake, and too much television watching for long periods of time and not enough physical activity, and the portion size of foods being bought (Brantley 2005). What are some health problems associated with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder? Anorexia nervosa can cause osteoporosis, brittle nails and hair, yellow and dry skin, muscle weakness, constipation, low blood pressure, brain damage, and organ failure and body weakness. People who become anorexic believe that they are over-weight ("What Are Eating Disorders?", 2011). Bulimia nervosa can cause sore throat, swollen glands, tooth decay and acid reflux, intestinal issues from laxative abuse, dehydration and heart attack. People who become bulimic fear becoming over-weight ("What Are Eating Disorders?", 2011). Binge-eating disorder can cause cardiovascular disease and high blood pressure. People who binge- eats lose control over their eating and are often obese or over-weight ("What Are Eating Disorders?", 2011). Explain, from a physiological standpoint, how eating disorders may lead to health problems. Provide at least three examples to support your answer. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “An eating disorder is an illness that causes serious disturbances to your everyday diet, such as...
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...Dying to be Thin: America’s Obsession with the Anorexic Profile. Matthew Smith Strayer University SOC100 Sociology Professor Sheila Farr April 29, 2012 In today’s society we have a standard by which we compare ourselves to others. We judge the people around us by physical appearance before we even meet and get to know them. Mental disorders revolved around eating stem from this kind of mass judgment. These standards are often not based around our own appearance but by the standards set for us via the Media. We allow ourselves to become over saturated with these images of the ”perfect” person. Why is it that the people who aren’t even in our live get to decide the way we look? We put our bodies through hell trying to meet and manage these expectations that society has placed on us. Is this really necessary with all the other pressures we face on a daily basis? Which begs the question, why is our society dying to be thin? In many other cultures it is a sign of wealth and prosperity to be overweight. This girth is afforded by a station above all others and looked upon with envy. (Popenoe, 2004)As a result there are few without this stature within these cultures. The small and skinny are those who can’t afford to eat as robustly. Other societies, like our own have taken an opposing stance on this. The small are suspended on pedestals while the over -weight are rejected. It has not always been this way, however. Through the years our perspectives have been skewed by...
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...Body Fat and Eating Disorders Tony Sadler SCI 241 Nicole Walker 11 June 2013 Body composition is composed of lean tissues and fats in the body. Lean tissue includes muscle, bone, and organs, while fats include essential, non-essential, and storage. Obesity has environmental and lifestyle effects. Some effects include high availability of fast food and high fat content food. Advertisements for different types of foods are seen all over the television, and a lot of the ads are for unhealthy foods that are aimed at children. Many families are limited to buying the cheaper foods that are found in stores. Health foods are often more costly and low income families simply cannot afford them. Inexpensive foods are often served in portions that are well above the recommendations for servings. Families keep themselves so busy in this day and time, and this leads to buying foods that are convenient to make. Convenience foods can often be high in fat and calories, making them unhealthy choices. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes a fear of gaining weight. A person may feel fat even though he or she is extremely thin. Some of the health problems associated with anorexia are changes in brain chemistry, brittle hair and nails, weak muscles, bone loss, and fractures. Anorexia can also cause kidney failure and growth problems. Bulimia nervosa is when large amounts of food are uncontrollably eaten and then purged. A person with bulimia may use methods like...
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...reinforces their dieting behaviour. Rewards may also come in the form of attention gained from parents by not eating. Behavioural psychologists also propose anorexia as a phobia concerning the possibility of gaining weight. The portrayal of thin models on TV and in magazines is a significant contributory factor in body image concerns and the drive for thinness among Western adolescent girls. Jones and Buckingham found people with low self-esteem are more likely to compare themselves to idealised images portrayed in the media. Garner et al (1980) noted that the winners of Miss America and the centrefolds in Playboy magazine have consistently been below the average female weight and have become significantly more so since 1959. Thus the slender female perceived as being the cultural ideal might be one cause of the fear of being fat. A study by Becker of adolescent Fijian girls found that after the introduction of television to the island, these girls stated a desire to lose weight and to b like the women they saw on Western television; this lead to a significant increase in eating disorders over five years. Other research has shown that instructional intervention prior to media exposure to idealised female imaged prevents the adverse effects of media influences (Yamamiya et al). this suggests that the media can and does have an effect on the development of disordered eating and AN, but these effects can be avoided. In Groesz et al’s (2002) meta-analysis of 25...
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