Human life depends on many factors and culture plays an essential role. Speaking about culture, people usually think about the way of conduct, national peculiarities and other aspects which characterize one particular country. However, there are many aspects which characterize human culture. Considering culture as a factor which influences people and their decisions, health instances are to be discussed when cultural preferences lead to cases of disease. Cultural issues are closely interconnected with religion in some countries and with social opinion in other countries. However, in each case health care may be restricted depending on cultural directions. Speaking about anorexia and idiopathic seizures connected to culture, it is possible to notice dependence between the mentioned issues. Those who have faced these diseases in various cultures may notice the peculiarities. The main idea of this research is to present two specific cases concerning the cultural expression in these two diseases.
Anorexia is a nervous problem which results in abnormal and unregulated loss of weight which finishes with organism exhaustion. Looking at this problem from the cultural point of view, it is possible to state that Western countries have the highest rate of this mental disorder. Anorexia is not a nutrition problem, poverty and hunger because of it do not lead to anorexia. Being purely a mental disease, Western culture promotes it from day to day. What does the problem come from? Watching TV, searching for the information online and considering other mass media information, Western people come across the message given to the modern society. An ideal woman is a thin woman without extra weight. Watching fashion shows and similar arrangements, people (especially women) want to look like those at the stage. Different magazines are full of ideal women and the Internet presents hundred of diets and other ways to lose weight. Living under such cultural pressure, women appear in dependence from this opinion. Arnold (2012) states in his research that viewership of such images is associated with low self-esteem and body dissatisfaction in young girls and women, placing them at risk for development of body image disturbances and eating disorders. These conditions can have devastating psychological as well as medical consequences . However, there are a lot of women with low self-esteem in other countries, but the level of people who suffer from anorexia is still the highest in the Western countries. Isnt it a reason to consider cultural aspects of the problem while battling the disease?
Many psychologists assure that self-esteem plays a central role in anorexia. It is impossible to disagree with the issue, but why do people have low self-esteem? The image of an ideal person created in the society makes people have a desire to correspond to that idol. Some people do not pay attention to their failure to be ideal, but others are ready for everything to meet the standard. It is society that imposes standards, therefore, the affect of culture is inevitable. Engel, Reiss, and Dombeck (2007) point to the fact that before mass media spread plump, round, and soft body was considered as an ideal one. So, this is one more fact that proves cultural influence on human consideration of ideal body and on anorexia as a result. The main problem of the modern cultural affect is the presentation of men and women on TV and in magazines as of their natural ideal weight. Much is said about Photoshop and constant restrictions in weight and style of life. However, many people are sure that ideal women and men on TV are born with such weight and they have to do nothing to support their shape. As a result, people are affected. Society and culture of the West supports such opinion and all people cannot ignore this point of view. Anorexia is purely cultural problem and the reconsideration of the social vision of ideal body may help solve this problem.
Speaking about idiopathic epilepsies Banerjee, Filippi, and Hauser (2009) refer it to the problem which has a genetic basis. This disease commonly begins in childhood. Considering the relation between this disease and cultural issues, it is possible to refer to life of people in society. Modern cultural considerations of people are rather contestable. Following the rule of human equality, there is still prejudice in relation to epileptic people. People with such diagnosis may have problems at school, at work, and in other places of social interaction. It does not mean that people with idiopathic epilepsy are restricted culturally, however, specific tension is felt. Considering cultural affect on the problem, it should be stated that Western philosophy mostly tends to physically and mentally healthy members of society. In theory, social opinion does not press those who have some problems or differ from others. However, a person with idiopathic epilepsy feels uncomfortable in modern society. As a result, the disease is developed due to constant tension and other similar factors.
People refuse from treatment being sure that if no one knows about their problem they would feel better. Still, idiopathic epilepsy is not a problem which may be easily solved. The same idea is confirmed by Jakovljevi and }arko (2006) who assure that additionally to the normal influences of demographics, cultural, cognitive and behavioral factors in their development, children and adolescent with epilepsy can experience social incompetence at school, with their peers and in other relationships, in sport and in obtaining part time jobs (p. 530). Even though cultural aspects concerning this issue are not that common as the problems connected to anorexia, negative health outcomes because of cultural instability and absence of social support is great. People are unable to live in isolation. But modern society in most cases is based on the principle of survival, where the strongest people are able to live happy. Health problems people face have cultural imprint.
In conclusion, culture plays a very important role in all aspects of human life. Speaking about health care, it should be stated that some cultural visions and prejudice may cause many health problems which may lead to deaths. Anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy are such cases. Culture is not just religion and traditional considerations of a particular country. Culture is the way how people live and how they treat various issues. Mass media may be considered as the creator of human opinion. It is essential to consider anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy from the point of view of cultural approach as a closer discussion of this problem shows the affect culture has on people. Disease development is promoted by cultural considerations and only ruining cultural perspectives may improve the situation concerning anorexia and idiopathic epilepsy in Western society.
Reference List
Arnold, C. (2012). Is Anorexia a Cultural Disease? Slate. Web.
Banerjee, P., N., Filippi, D., & Hauser, W. (2009). The descriptive epidemiology of epilepsy- A review. Epilepsy Research, 85, 31 45.
Engel,B., Reiss, N. S., & Dombeck, M. (2007, February 2). Causes of Eating Disorders Cultural Influences. MentalHelp. Web.
Jakovljevi, V. and M. }arko (2006). Social competence of children and adolescents with epilepsy. Seizure, 15, 528 532.
Genetic disorders remain a largely grey area due to the complexities associated with the studies of the human genome, yet drawing connections between known disorders and genetic dysfunction will allow understanding the mechanisms of some of the diseases significantly better. In her 2002 study, Cynthia Bulik (DeAngelis) considers the possible correlation between anorexia nervosa and an individuals genetic makeup. The author effectively proves that the development of anorexia nervosa may occur not only due to the exposure to the social pressure of beauty standards, but also the presence of a genetic predisposition.
The study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis and included the assessment of 192 family groupings. As the study progressed, the sample size was reduced to 37 participants, which were expected to represent the target population (DeAngelis). With the help of the further mixed method research and a combination of the qualitative and quantitative analysis, the presence of both genetic and sociocultural factors leading to anorexia nervosa in patients was proven.
The results of the study indicate that the approach toward treating anorexia nervosa in patients can be shaped to locate the problem at the earliest stages of an individuals development, possibly, even before birth. Thus, the key threats that may serve as the causes of anorexia nervosa development can be removed from the patients setting. As a result, the threat of the eating disorder in question affecting the lives of people genetically predisposed to it will be minimized. Since eating disorders and especially anorexia nervosa affect a wide range of people and are reinforced by the current beauty standards, the introduction of a prevention and treatment model based on genome studies is a highly welcome change.
Work Cited
DeAngelis, Tori. A Genetic Link to Anorexia. APA.org, 2021. Web.
Skinny boy: A young mans battle and triumph over Anorexia is an autobiographical book by Gary A. Grahl, which depicts the struggles of an athletic and popular young man over the internal doubt and perception of his weight in the eyes of himself and others. Grahl suffered from anorexia in his youth, and the book is a memoir-like account of the event, serving to open the door to the psychology of the disease in the male populace a vulnerable population subgroup that is frequently ignored in scientific accounts (Murray et al., 2017). The authors account of his suffering is very personal and disturbing, seeking to awake the world to a problem millions of men around the world suffer every day.
The book is split into three parts, the first one describing the family dynamics and the underlying motivations behind Garys efforts to become thinner, the second part is his attendance the Unit 13 while trying to hide ones illness from doctors to get out quicker, and the final parts dedicated to his overcoming of the inner voice through patience and unconditional love and acceptance received from the nurses and doctors (Grahl, 2007).
The book starts with the disease already being inside of the young boys mind, constantly berating him, demanding more exercise, and less eating. His anorexia is demonstrated through the skewered perceptions of ones own body at 58 , Gary weighs around 110 pounds, which is 40 pounds below the normal BMI for an individual of his height and age (Grahl, 2007). In his mind, the loss of weight is somehow connected to pleasing his parents, which is perceived as a duty.
During the hospital visits, the struggles between Gary and the inner voice of anorexia become more prominent. The voice seeks to undermine his efforts and cast the doctors in a bad light by commenting on their perceived slights. It seeks to portray others as insane, with Gary being the only same person around. Initially, it succeeds, driving the boy deeper into his anxiety, resulting in his hospitalization. The boy seeks to stealthily undermine the progress made by the doctors by performing stealth exercises, acting cooperatively when observed, and staying quiet during group therapy sessions (Grahl, 2007).
The real breakthrough occurs only when Gary regains his voice, which is done through the support of parents, nurses, and other members of his therapy group. He begins to question the twisted logic of the voice inside of his head, contradict it, and dedicate more time to living his life in full, rather than following the bizarre agenda of anorexia inside of his head (Grahl, 2007). By the end of the book, Gary feels that the voice is all but gone, but is still anxious and aware that it might return, and readies himself for the challenges that lie ahead (Grahl, 2007).
The books main strength in helping the audience understand addictive behavior lies in the visceral account of the psychological mechanisms inside of the afflicted persons mind. It allows the readers to feel themselves in the skin of the person that has Anorexia, and understand the logic behind it, however strange and outlandish it may be. The fact that the author experienced the disease first-hand offers credibility to his statements.
At the same time, there are a few weaknesses to the book. First, it does not cover the birth of the disease inside of the persons mind the chronology of the first chapter starts well into the later stages of the affliction and does not demonstrate the appearance and growing influence of the voice. The events that led to it are not sufficiently covered either. Finally, the second half of the book does not seem like an honest accounting of ones feelings during treatment, as it borrows directly from self-help books on the subject. This contrasts with the overall picture Grahl tried to paint and breaks the immersion. Nevertheless, it is one of the best accounts of male anorexia currently available in the literature.
References
Grahl, G. A. (2007). Skinny boy: A young mans battle and triumph over Anorexia. Clearfield, UT: American Legacy Media.
Murray, S. B., Nagata, J. M., Griffiths, S., Calzo, J. P., Brown, T. A., Mitchison, D.,& & Mond, J. M. (2017). The enigma of male eating disorders: A critical review and synthesis. Clinical Psychology Review, 57, 1-11.
With the current advancement in the information technology, social values have been easily relayed through the media. As a result, various unhealthy practices have been triggered among the current teenagers, resulting into their development of various disorders. Particularly, anorexia has become a very popular disorder among many teenage girls in the society today in their efforts to develop the best body shape associated with thinness.
As a result, many young ladies have been revealed to exhibit unsafe eating habits, which endanger their health largely. According to the recent research about 1 out of 100 ladies today in US are anorexic in their pursuit for beauty associated with body slimness. More so, it has been revealed how high school girls perceive eating negatively, with about 40% of such girls over-relying on junk foods.
Though family and peer influences have played significant role in the development of anorexia among many teenagers, the social media has largely been attributed to the current situation. As the media concentrates on beauty advertisements, slimness among the advertisements is brought out as the focal measure of beauty, triggering many teenage girls to initiate unhealthy eating habits with an aim attaining the anticipated body shape.
This research focuses on the impact of the media as the ultimate key player for the development of the dangerous disorder among the contemporary young girls in the society. This study is very significant in the sense that, it will bring into focus the adverse effects associated with poor eating habits, and subsequently facilitate the change of attitude towards eating among teenage girls.
Anorexia in Teens
Background Information
Anorexia is an eating disorder in which individuals tend to consider junk foods as their major part of their diet in fear of excess weight gain. According to Brooks (38), people with anorexia tend to be much obsessed on being thin, since they seek to acquire the best body shape and appearance.
On this basis, anorexia has been a major problem among teenagers, especially girls, who tend to pursue the beauty associated with thinness. It has been revealed that, anorexia is becoming an eminent issue among teenage girls today, since their efforts to attain thin and beautiful body shape triggers them to avoid healthy foods. In America today, about 28% of the young girls are in ceases war against weight gain. On the process of trying to avoid weight gain, many of these teenagers expose themselves to unsafe self-starvation.
In this regard, there has been rising need of public persuasions among the teenagers to guide them on how to avoid such dangerous eating habits. In fact, the media can be associated with the massive development of anorexia conditions among young girls. As revealed by Steele (1), anorexia is largely associated with social practices which necessitate thinness, which is mostly associated with beauty.
As a result, the study of anorexia among teenagers has found its significance in the contemporary society dominated by social interactions through the highly sophisticated information systems, which promotes the urge of young girls of becoming slim.
Research Hypothesis
With the advancement of social media through the internet and the television, many teenage girls have developed the tendency of acquiring beauty through unsafe eating habits. Particularly, many of the contemporary girls at the teenage stage have developed the notion of pursuing slim bodies, since it is largely associated with beauty.
As a result, these teenagers have developed poor eating habits, since their largest proportion of their meals is junk foods. In this regard, the media can be considered as the main cause of the unhealthy and dangerous eating habits among the young girls toady, in their pursuit for beauty (Brandenberg and Andersen 97).
This study aims at establishing the relationship between the media and the rising number of young girls with anorexia. Since the contemporary society considers thinness as being directly proportional to beauty, this study seeks to establish the ultimate relationship between the advancing social media, and the increasing number of anorexia victims in the contemporary society.
More so, this study will establish the other factors contributing to the development of anorexia among teenagers, besides the media. Generally, this study seeks to establish the ultimate impact of the social media to most young girls, triggering them to develop unsafe eating habits in search of beauty (Groshan 1).
As it has been revealed, there chances of the media being the key player to the increasing rates of anorexia cases in the contemporary society. Since the media has become highly sophisticated with the massive advancement of the information technology, many teenagers exposure to the media has largely triggered their desire to become more beautiful through body weigh loss by becoming thinner.
As a result, many attributes have been associated with the media, since the number of anorexics in America has been increasing proportionally with the advancement of the information system (Hall 37).
Literature Review
The issue of girls becoming increasingly concerned about their weight has remained an eminent issue in the contemporary society. According to Breen (122), the society today perceives beauty as being extremely thin and having low weight. Particularly, the social media has largely played a central role in influencing many teenage girls to become anorexic. The images being presented in the social media like the internet and the TV are becoming extremely influential to young girls at their adolescence stage.
Though the images being presented are unrealistic and more often unattainable, their impact on young girls eating habits has remained remarkable. As revealed by Claude-Pierre (77), 75% of most beauty advertisements seem to revolve around thinness and slimness, which triggers most of the teenage girls to starve themselves by having very poor eating habits to reduce their weight, in search of beauty.
As reported by Tchanturia (42), individuals with anorexia are associated with deficiencies in emotional functions since their body becomes extremely weak due to their poor diets. On this basis, anorexia seems to expose individuals at risk of body complications in cases of conditions adversity. As reported by Fisman (939), many teenagers suffering from anorexia tend to have discrepancy in certain emotional functions, which makes their social relationships unfruitful.
On this basis, the impacts of the anorexic conditions are more complex than just mere starvation. It is important to note that, people with anorexia tend to deny themselves food, even when they feel hungry, in fear of gaining weight and the desire to become slimmer. With reference to Brooks (40), the high rate of anorexia among young girls is an alarming condition, since they are at high risk of body complications at their early age.
Though Steele (1) considers peer pressure as the ultimate cause of anorexia among teenage girls, social trends in the global society can be considered as the aggregate key determinants of the lifestyle. In this regard, the social media is brought out as being the key player for the overall tendency of many young girls wanting to become slim or thin.
Despite being attributed to psychological behaviors, social norms and values have been key determinants of the development of anorexia in the society. Since individuals self actualization is largely based on social context, anorexics tend to consider themselves as remarkable in the society by attaining the most treasured shape and size of their body for beauty. As a result, individuals suffering from anorexia have the neurosis of remaining thin always through unhealthy eating habits.
Despite being a personal eating disorder, anorexics have been revealed to have social phobia, in which they fear being in situation of eating. As revealed by Brandenberg and Andersen (99), anorexics are usually very sensitive to social situations associated with any eating situation, since they perceive their own eating habits as being the best to realize their self actualization.
In this case, anorexia emerges as a very severe condition associated with anti-social behaviors and practices. According to Groshan (1), young girls tend to avoid social gatherings in fear of being exposed to eating practices, and tend to control such stresses by confiding themselves to lonely life. In cases of failure to realize the desired body shape, many anorexics develop depression and subsequently become at risk of committing suicide.
With respect to Hall (45), anorexia is a condition among teenage girls in their efforts to cope with the social phenomena happening in their life. In addition, () considers family environment as very influential in the development of anorexia among young girls. In cases where relatives criticize young girls of becoming over-weight, higher chances of such girls to develop anorexia are high. According to () about 40% of young girls are triggered to starve themselves as a result of negative comments from their relatives on their body weight.
This has been a chronic disorder in their pursuit for beauty, without considering the high mortality rate associated with poor eating habits. Since only 10% of anorexics receive treatment, very high rates of morality associated with anorexia are expected among the young girls in the near future.
As revealed by Steele (1), 85% of anorexics patients develop the habit of unhealthy eating habits at the age of 13-18 years. With 50% of high school girls believing that are overweight, their desire to loose their excess weight develops. It is also important to note that, 90% of high school girls over-rely on the social media for beauty tips. Since the media advocates for beauty by sliming or becoming thin, most of these high school girls end up depriving themselves healthy foods, and end up over-relying on junk foods.
As a result, many of these girls end up developing health complications as a result of poor eating habits. According to Andersen (100), death rates as a result of anorexia are more than 10 times higher than the death rate of the overall causes of death among young ladies of the age of 15-24 years. This is an implication that, anorexia is a very serious eating disorder among the young girls, despite its social benefit of beauty and self esteem and actualization.
According to Steele (1), about 20% of people suffering from anorexia will end up dying at their early age as a result of complications associated with poor eating habits.
On this basis, maintaining body weight is very important and healthy practice, as it facilitates the capacity of the body to endure illnesses and other disease attacks. Since the media has largely played significant role in the development of anorexia among young girls, there has been rising need for the same media to develop strategies to facilitate healthy eating habits among such girls.
Through healthy dieting, early deaths and the adverse impacts associated with anorexia would be minimized, which will enhance posterity of the contemporary teenage population. As a result, many scholars have found the study of eating disorders among the teenagers as quite important, with the aim of identifying the key players for the development of the disorder, and subsequently develop mitigation measures.
Methodology
The main research methods to be used in this paper are interviews and questionnaires. Since interviews are qualitative study approaches, their use in this study will give detailed information about the ultimate causes and impacts of anorexia among teenagers (Fisman 943).
The interviews will be conducted to medical specialists in both private and public health institutions. Though there are not selected organizations yet, the number of interviewees for this study will be 10, where five will be from public health organizations while the other five will be from the private medical sector.
Notably, the interview schedule will be prepared in order to harmonize the entire research and avoid any bias in terms of data collection. Notably, the main issues to be covered in the interviews are entirely based on the major causes of anorexia among young girls, and subsequently degree at which such victims seek medical advices or treatment.
More so, questionnaires will be conducted among young girls aging 13-21 years, preferably schooling girls. Since questionnaires are both qualitative and quantitative, their use in this study will facilitate deeper understanding of the current trends of anorexia with regard to the changing social conditions. In this case, questionnaires will be prepared on the basis of their perception of thinness as a measure of beauty, and their subsequent tendency to eat or eating habits (Hall 71).
Throughout this research all the girls administered with the questionnaires will be assured of the confidentiality of the information given, by having them not to reveal their identities. Since the population involved will be high school girls, permission from the administration will be requested in advance, so as not to incur inconveniences during the time of actual study.
Generally, the main ethical issues to be involved in this research concerning the privacy of the respondents will be a major area of consideration among all the respondents. Particularly, the medical officers will be assured of the confidentiality of the information they give, considering the confidential nature of health care records. More so, the school girls will be required to fill the questionnaires without giving their names. In addition, the results of the population will not be revealed to the public (Tchanturia 59).
This research will be conducted in 10 weeks, where the time schedule will be presented in the Gantt chart. Gantt chart has been found quite reliable in this study, since it clearly tabulates all the activities clearly and precisely to avoid confusions, as well as to ensure systematic study.
Works Cited
Brandenberg, Bliss and Andersen, Andrew. Unintentional Onset of Anorexia Nervosa. Eating and Weight Disorders. 12.2, (2007): 97-100.
Breen, Hine. The Social Force behind Eating Disorders. Eating and Weight Disorders. 9.2, (2007): 120-127.
Brooks, Sykes and Stahl, Daniel. A systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cognitive Bias to Food Stimuli in People with Disordered Eating Behavior. Clinical Psychology. 31.1, (2010): 37-45.
Claude-Pierre, Peggy. The Secrets of Eating Disorders. London: Longman Publishers, 2007.
Fisman, Shylock. Anorexia Nervosa and Autistic Disorder in Adolescent Girls. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. 35.7, (2007): 937- 946.
Media has a great influence on anorexia worldwide. As far as dieting and size discrimination is concerned, media plays a great role. From childhood, children know that their looks matters a lot. Very small children receive comments of how they look cute from the elders if they are slim.
This influence, children get it from televisions, as they spend most of their time watching, and a sense of who they are, develops with time. Severally, adverts on television spend much time convincing people on the best ways to loose weight and become more beautiful. Through television, people receive advice on what to use, and become more attractive through slimming.
On the tube programs, the characters used are the average and the slim men and women implying that these people have the best lives. Incase there is a big bodied character used, he or she is used to portray laziness and a person without a lifestyle. For the successful and the most powerful people, media portrays them as the slim women and the pumped up men.
In most societies, people try to show their children that inside them matters a lot, but on the other hand, media insists on the physical fitness of an individual. This becomes as a contradictory message to the young children, but the power of the media group has proved to overtake the minds of these young children leading to them to eating disorders, as they also want to become powerful people.
In all popular magazines, the photos of slim models are all over. The modeling agencies have been encouraging the anorexic women such discouraging some eating habits. For a woman to be among the contesting models, she should weigh 25% less than what a healthy woman of her age and height should weigh.
The idea of being slim to contest in the modeling, always assures people that the most beautiful woman should be slim. As the children grow, they disregard big-bodied people, and try as much as possible to maintain a slim figure, as they see from the magazines and televisions.
Some youngsters say that they do not want too much food, because they want to become models in future. Children with such notion try as much as possible and vomit after eating, as they believe that food will make them big and unattractive.
Moreover, on televisions, magazines and newspapers one would always find a diet plan for people to use so that they can lead a happier life. People are encouraged on using even the slimming pills in magazines to keep them on the right weight.
This has been proving to people that there is no place for average and big-bodied people in the society. According to some of the media messages, average and big people are bad group who lead an unhappy life. Big-bodied people are treated as unequal compared to the slim ones. Beauty, success, and power are the aspects of the slim people in most of the media channels.
Out of all those misconceptions of slimming and gaining weight, some people especially the young generation has acquired a low esteem, depression, and bad emotions such that leading to eating disorders. Although other people may be seeing them as slim, they believe they are big and unattractive hence leaving a stressful life. Some have been unable to deal with their status making things worse in their lives.
Emotional well-being is something that alludes to our perspective and our capacity to adapt to the regular things that are going on around us. Somebody with ‘great’ psychological wellness often feels fit for managing the distinctive ordinary circumstances that they end up in. A psychological well-being issue that will be further explained in more profundity of is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a dietary issue that effects around 4% of people in Australia (around 1 million individuals). There are numerous sites that can help with anorexia nervosa and these incorporate the butterfly establishment and National dietary problem coordinated effort.
Mental health issue
Anorexia nervosa is the urge to get in shape and additionally starve yourself since you believe that you are over-weight, and nobody will like you for you. There is no reason that is average related it is only the longing to be thin or on the grounds that it’s their method for overcoming an intense time in their life. Individuals with anorexia may feel like they are overweight, they are monstrous and that nobody likes them and that they are not needed, these three things travel through their psyches in any event once per day. They have a serious dread of putting on weight, not with-standing when the individual is now underweight, starved or malnourished. There are numerous signs and manifestations to tell on the off chance that you or one of your companions has anorexia nervosa these incorporate abrupt or critical weight reduction, unexpected or noteworthy decrease in measure of nourishment eaten or in kinds in insubstantial eaten, loss of menstrual period, distraction by weight and body shape being progressively essential to the individual. There would be huge changes in their weight, the measure of food that they eat, emotion levels, and they care increasingly about what their weight is and what their body shape is. Any individual from any culture, or racial background can get a dietary problem. Any individual male or female, 50 or 15 it doesn’t matter anyone can have anorexia nervosa. As of right now around 4% of Australia’s population have anorexia nervosa.
Mental Health Service
The Butterfly Foundation speaks to all individuals influenced by anorexia and give self-perception from a health care professional to an individual with the mental illness, their family and their friends. They do this by giving out data as though they were doing it for their own good. The helpline is run by people that experienced in helping with anorexia and self-perception issues. The Butterfly Foundation is intended to help individuals through their anorexia nervosa stage in their life aswel as give out other information about other dysfunctional behaviors that could have led the person there in the first place. The butterfly foundation offers online help online talks and phone calls aswel as messages and data that is on the site. Individuals can get to this information online by searching The Butterfly Foundation Anorexia nervosa.
Strategies
There are a wide range of systems that can be utilized to help individuals with anorexia and a valuable one is advising. There is two kinds of advising and they are psychotherapy, this is a sort of individual directing that spotlights on changing the reasoning (intellectual treatment) and conduct (social treatment) of an individual with a dietary issue. Treatment incorporates viable methods for creating sound dispositions toward nourishment and weight, just as methodologies for changing the manner in which the individual reacts to troublesome circumstances. The subsequent kind is dietary directing which is intended to show a solid way to deal with sustenance and weight, to help reestablish typical eating designs, and to show the significance of nourishment and following a decent diet.
Conclusion
Anorexia nervosa is a mental illness that affects around 4% of Australians. There are many online services that people of all ages can access for either themselves or one of their friends or loved ones.
The anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by an extremely low weight. It is very dangerous illness, in some cases, it can produce the death.
Sick people can slim down from 15% to 50% of their weight. The starting´s age of anorexia is located in the adolescence (around 12-14 years old), although it depends on the people´s perspective. Most cases, that sickness is suffered by young girls.
In light of the evidence, the pieces of information said previously, are confirmed. It is clear that there is a remarkable rise of women´s cases affected by anorexia.
However, it has produced an increase of cases in men, women and children last years. In Spain, there are 250000 diagnosed cases but there will be a big amount of cases more.
Causes
The anorexia happens by quitting eating all type of foodstuffs. At first, these people begin to eliminate the carbohydrates because they think that carbohydrates provide too calories. Then, they stop ingesting other essential elements such as proteins or even liquids, leading to cases of extreme dehydration. In addition, the use of diuretics, laxatives, purgatives, caused vomit or excess of exercise gets worse the illness.
The main reason which causes anorexia is the society. Nowadays, the society has set a series of stereotypes like: being beautiful, being slim, being perfect… which you are obligated to follow or you will probably be isolated of the society. The victims of anorexia are usually vulnerables, unsures, have little self-esteem, have good marks… and they feel the necessity to accomplish “these rules” to be not out.
Other reasons are: overweight in the childhood, divorces of parents, arguments between friends, boyfriend or girlfriend; or being model, dancing and gymnast.
Symptoms and signs
Anorexia is a particular illness. It is easy to detect their symptoms and signs. However, most cases, affected people deny to suffer that illness and it is so difficult to help them to recover. They seem an impolite behaviour when they listen the word “anorexia”.
At first, they stop eating these foodstuffs with many calories such as: chocolate, hamburgers, pizzas, soft drinks, candies, ice-creams… Then, when it is not sufficient, they begin to do exercise intensely. For instance, they go to the gym when they have just finished eating.
Also, they often wear baggy clothes because they think to hide their fatness in this way.
One remarkable sign is running from the table after eating. When a girl or boy does this action, he or she probably will go to vomit because they fell guilty for eating and overweight.
Finally, they are very worried about the fatness. They always look at themself in the mirror to check if their figure is good.
Anorexia´s consequences
That sickness produces serious health problems; even it can cause the death in some cases. Among the long list of side effects, we can mention the nexts:
Brittle nails and falling hair due to the sick person does not ingest the proteins which are necessary to make these structures.
Alterations in menstruation period (amenorrhea). If the girl is extremely thin or does many exercise (typical signs of anorexia), this might produce important changes because the menstruation may not get her or prolong for many time. This consequence affected the girls only.
Anaemia. It is the deficiency of vitamins. The patients usually present low levels of red and white corpuscles.
Yellowish skin. It produces by an increase of carotenes in blood caused by a bad functioning in their metabolism.
Arritmia ( it might produce a heart attack)
Dry skin (it is possible the presence of cracks)
Depression
Chronic constipation
Dental problems generated by the gastric juices.
Reduction of the bone mass, coming to slow down the growth.
If anorexia is not detected on time, these side effects can make worse so the patient will go to weaken by leaps and bounds until he will die.
Treatment
Once the doctor has diagnosed the illness, it will be fundamental that the patient gains weight and changes his food habits, following a healthy and balance diet. The treatment consists of three steps:
Detection of illness: the doctor will examine the symptoms and signs are typical of anorexia ( aforementioned them previously).
Actuation of sanitary services: it is important the cooperation of all medical team. Here, it will take part the:
Psychiatrists: they take charge of increasing the self-esteem of the patients.
Endocrinologist: they will monitor the good functioning of the different glands.
Paediatrician: if the patients are children, the paediatrcian will take the case more close.
Tracking of patient: when the patient has already overcome, he must visit to the doctor frequently. In each visit, the doctor will review that the vital signs are correct and within the suitable rank.
If the condition of patient is very grave (there is severe malnutrition, the disorder has got worse…), it will be necessary the admission.
However, the recuperation will be long and require patience.
Conclusion
Anorexia is an illness very popular and knowledge nowadays. It is suffered by young girls or boys principally. Unfortunately, that sickness affects people more and more.
From my point of view, this problem produces because of a bad education. If a person does not receive a good education based on the respect, the tolerance, the sense of honor, the discipline…, he or she will never respect to nobody. For example, when a girl or boy makes fun of someone: it hair, it clothes, it height, it body (if he is so slim or overweight)… this causes an inferiority complex to that person, even leading to inappropriate behaviours: suicides, depressions, illnesses like anorexia, civil problems like bullying.
Regretfully, there are people who could not care less about the senses of other people. For this reason, everyone has to ignore the bad comments of some people because they want to see you sad, downcast, alone, marginalized…so I invite to people to memorize this sentence: “We have to want ourselves just like we are, without keeping in mind the prejudices”
The purpose of this research paper is to educate people about mental issues and its symptoms and specifically about eating disorders because it is usually not considered an actual eating disorder, and to educate people about the effects it leaves on the body, physically and mentally.
Definition
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological and potentially life-threatening eating disorder. It is characterized by the inability to maintain a minimally normal weight gain, and a devastating fear of gaining weight. Women and men who suffer from this eating disorder exemplify a fixation with a thin figure and abnormal eating patterns. Anorexia nervosa is interchangeable with the term anorexia, which refers to self-starvation and lack of appetite. Those suffering from this eating disorder are typically suffering from an extremely low body weight relative to their height and body type. Anorexia is a form of self-starvation that affects the human body physically and mentally, and it is a way of killing one’s self slowly and painfully.
Types of Anorexia
To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diets aids, diuretics or enemas. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively. No matter how much weight is lost, the person continues to fear weight gain. There are two common types of anorexia, which are Binge/purge type and Restrictive. Binge/purge type, the person struggling with this type of eating disorder will often purge after eating. This alleviates the fear of gaining weight and offsets some of the guilt of having ingested forbidden, or highly restricted food. Restrictive type, people suffering restrictive anorexia is often perceived as highly self-disciplined. They restrict the quantity of food, calories and often high fats or high sugar foods. They consume far fewer calories than are needed to maintain a healthy weight.
Causes of Anorexia
Anorexia can affect people of all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Although the disorder most frequently begins during adolescence, an increasing number of children and older adults are also being diagnosed with anorexia. Eating disorders like anorexia are more common in females than in males. The risk of developing an eating disorder is greater in actors, models, dancers, and athletes in sports where appearance and weight are important. Anorexia is a bio-psycho-social illness, meaning that biological, psychological and social cultural aspects contribute to the development of the illness. This means that anorexia-or any eating disorder, for that matter- is not a choice. There are clear causes of anorexia that individuals need to be aware of.
Genetics: From a biological standpoint, eating disorders are familial illnesses with significant genetic components. Research has found that you have a greater chance of developing an eating disorder if a relative of yours has one as well.
Psychological indicators: From a psychological standpoint, eating disorder sufferers tend to share thoughts, feelings, and views of the world that support the development of anorexia symptoms. They tend to be perfectionistic and high achieving, which propels their obsessive behaviors to be the “best dieter”, and not just thinner but the “thinnest”. People with anorexia will often present a “healthy” version of themselves to keep friends and loved ones happy and avoid difficult conversations about weight, eating, and exercise concerns. Sadly, sufferers struggle to see the “big picture” not understanding how their restriction, exercise and rituals around food and eating are affecting their health and relationships.
Social cultural pressures: It’s very common for a person suffering from anorexia to believe thoughts like “I have to exercise every day or I’ll be fat” or “If I eat this cookie I will see it on my thighs”. Unfortunately, many of today’s cultures encourage thinness as the standard for beauty and success; “fat” bodies are stigmatized.
Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia
Physical signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa are linked to those of famine, but this also includes emotional and behavioral problems associated with an unrealistic perception of body weight and extreme fear of gaining weight.
Physical symptoms:
Rapid weight loss over several weeks or months.
Continuing to diet even when thin or when weight is very low.
Having an unusual interest in food, calories, and nutrition.
Intense fear of gaining weight.
Strange eating habits or routines, such as eating in secret.
Feeling fat, even if underweight.
Depression or anxiety.
Infrequent or irregular, or even missed menstrual periods in females.
Wearing loose clothing to hide weight loss.
Compulsive exercising.
Social withdrawal.
Physical symptoms that develop over time, including; low tolerance of cold weather, brittle hair and nails, dry or yellowing skin, anemia, constipation, swollen joints, tooth decay, and new growth of thin hair over the body.
Emotional symptoms:
Refuse to eat.
They deny the feeling of hunger.
Lying about the amount of food eaten.
Social isolation.
Thinking of suicide.
Treatment
Treatment for anorexia is challenging because most people with the disorder deny that they have a problem, or are so terrified of becoming overweight that they may refuse efforts to help them gain a normal weight. Like all eating disorders, anorexia requires a comprehensive treatment plan that is adjusted to meet the needs of each patient. Treatment usually involves a combination of talking therapy and supervised weight gain. It’s important to start treatment as early as possible to reduce the risk of serious complications, particularly if you’ve already lost a lot of weight. Treatment for anorexia is slightly different for adults and those under 18 years old.
Goals of treatment include restoring the person to a healthy weight, treating emotional issues, correcting distorted thinking patterns, and developing long-term behavioral changes. Treatment most often involves a combination of the following treatment methods. Psychotherapy, this is a type of individual counseling that focuses on changing the thinking and behavior of a person with an eating disorder. Medication, certain antidepressant medications such a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors might be used to help control anxiety and depression associated with an eating disorder. Some antidepressants may also help with sleep and stimulate appetite. Nutrition counseling, this strategy is designed to teach a healthy approach to food and weight, to help restore normal eating patterns, and to teach the importance of nutrition and following a balanced diet. Group and/or family therapy, family support is very important to treatment success. It is important that family members understand the eating disorder and recognize its signs and symptoms. People with eating disorders might benefit from group therapy, where they can find support from people who shared similar experiences. Hospitalization, hospitalization might be needed to treat sever weight loss that has resulted in malnutrition and other serious mental or physical health complications, such as heart disorders, serious depression and risk of suicide. In some cases the patient may need to be fed through a feeding tube or through an IV.
Untreated anorexia nervosa can lead to: Damaged organs, especially the heart, brain and kidneys. Drop in blood pressure, pulse, and breathing rates, Loss of hair, irregular heartbeat, thinning in bones.
Conclusion
This disorder has been occurring for a long time but according to my research, it wasn’t really viewed as a disorder until the 1900’s. Not until the 1930’s was it recognized as a mental/emotional disorder. Studies have shown that there is not a lot of sympathy for anorexia nervosa sufferers. Treatment is always determinant by how much the person wants to help themselves, and if they are in denial or not. When you have an eating disorder, you are playing with fire, gambling with your life and treading the thin line between the living and the dead, there is nothing beautiful, glamorous or enviable about it. This illness is evil, manipulative & cruel. It will cause you to destroy yourself without realizing it, stripping you of every part of your being until you are an empty shell of what once was. However, a bright future is possible if the person is willing to open up and accept that they have a problem and want to get better and change the way they think. Accepting the hard road to recovery and willingness to go through that to be a happy and healthy person is the most important thing and one of the main steps. They should believe that they are not worth less and that they deserve to live a happy and healthy life, and that they don’t deserve to die because of that awful illness.
References
(2017, April 20) https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/about/policies
(2018, April 1) https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/anorexia/
There is evidence from the 12th Century of religiously motivated self-starvation where eating food was looked at as a sin and restricting food meant paying devotion towards God. (Bishopp, 2018) In 1689 physician Richard Morton named the disorder the “wasting disease” which may be more accurate than the term “Anorexia” which Sir William Gull explained occurred in both males and females in 1873.(Bishopp, 2018) “Anorexia” is two Greek words meaning “without appetite” which is quite a misnomer as the main aspect of the disorder is going against hunger cues and dangerously restricting calories. (Harvard, 2009) “Nervosa” means nervous and speaks to the Stress Diathesis model where 94% of patients with Anorexia Nervosa (AN) also have a co-occurring Mood Disorder illness of Depression or Anxiety. (NEDA, 2019)
Around the late 1800’s and Early 1900’s AN changed from being looked at from the stance of folklore and tradition to an approach that included both fields of Medicine and Psychiatry.(Bishop 2018) By the 1940s many AN disorder patients were being seen by therapists and Freuds theory of Psychoanalysis was a popular form of treatment that yielded unsatisfactory results. (Bishopp, 2018)
Behavioral therapy including CBT and DBT which focus on changing thoughts and beliefs had some success but also fell short as one of the hallmarks of AN is an avoidant temperament with a rigidity and resistance to change. (Bishopp, 2019) The disorder itself is a form of habituation where not eating becomes a sort of conditioned response to hunger cues. (Bershad, et al. 2018)
By early 2000, the advancement and addition of new psychological therapies had led to a wholistic or integrationist approach to include the umbrella of biological, psychological and social approaches. (DeAngelis, 2002) The best and most widely studied therapy in the treatment of AN is FBT, or Family Based Therapy because it brings about the fastest and most enduring changes. (Hall et al. 2018) Out of the 13 published randomized control trials on effective therapies for AN, 11 have been done on some type of family-focused approach. (Hall et al. 2018) Maybe that is because the disorder is most likely to present during the most chaotic and susceptible of times, the teenage years. (NEDA, 2018)
The field of Psychology is a science, and therefore, it performs clinical trails and experiments according to the scientific method to bust myths and problem solve. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p.97) There are five steps within this method, and it will be discussed in relation to a study that was done recently on Anorexia patients. In this case Columbia University asked the question, “Do the brains of healthy people and people with AN work the same with regards to food choice?”. Turning that into a hypothesis became, “The brains of those with AN work the same as the brains of healthy people in regard to food choices.” Steinglass and Shohamy developed an experiment where they administered a food choice task to a control group and to the group with AN during an fMRI scanning. (Bershad et al. 2018) Data collection was compiled with the computers that registered the areas of the brain that the participants accessed when making food choices. The data was analyzed, and it was discovered that the part of the brain associated with habit formation – the dorsal striatum was activated in the patients with AN, but not those without AN. The conclusion reached was that habit formation explains why some patients struggle for years to overcome AN. They also used the findings to help inform treatment and create new therapies in the treatment of AN. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p.30)
The four F’s are Psychology’s measuring system used to decipher what normality in human behavior and metal processing is. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p8) Frequency is the first F and has three subcategories; Amount of Time, Behavior and Curve. (Curtis, Kelly p10) Many people choose to go without food or restrict calories for a short amount of time to decrease a pant size or lose their love handles. But in AN, the desire to lose a little weight becomes an obsession and the behavior of restricting calories lasts an average of 5 years. (DeAngelis, 2018 p34) The person with AN has a severely distorted body image and even when they are starving and deathly underweight, they always see themselves as grossly overweight. (NIMH, 2019) The normative bell curve explains that while many people may struggle with yo-yo dieting and body image, those who develop the disorder of AN only amount to .3% of males and .9% of females of the population at large. (NEDA, 2018)
Function refers to the ability of the person with the disorder to meet the requirements of their life or to follow their passions. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p13) Is the person able to have relationships, do well in school, participate in social gatherings or hold down a job? (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p13). In a person with AN, the lack of calories in the diet, particularly fats, affects all the areas that contribute to a healthy life. (NIMH, 2019) The brain robbed of the fat it needs to function begins to take a toll not only on the ability to learn and perform once simple tasks, but also on the person’s ability to keep relationships while they turn further and further inward. (Bishopp, 2018) Keeping up the rituals of “meal preps” and deciding how best to restrict calories begin to dominate the life of someone with AN. (Bershad et al, 2018)
Feeling pain is a measure how the disorder causes someone to feel pain because of the thoughts, behaviors and emotions they are experience from the disorder. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p13) A person with AN has a voice inside their head which behaves much like an abusive relationship. (Waterhous,2018) It tells them what they can eat, to restrict, that they don’t deserve food, and that they are bad if they eat it. (Waterhous 2018) This “other brain” causes severe anxiety and thoughts of worthlessness. (Waterhous 2018)
Fatal refers to the eminent threat the disorder places on a person’s life or health. (Curtis, Kelly 2018 p.14) AN is the deadliest of all mental health disorders with a mortality rate of up to 10% where 1 in 5 deaths is attributed to suicide. (NEDA 2018) AN may be a disease of the mind, but the seriousness of the disease is largely because of the physical ramifications the disorder has on the body.(NIMH 2018) The advanced disorder can kill without warning, even when labs appear normal there may be an electrolyte imbalance the malnourished body cannot remedy, or sudden cardiac arrest from the chronic stress on the body’s systems. (NEDA, 2018)
Using the DSM-5 as a guide, the patient will present with behaviors of restriction of food intake leading to sudden weight loss, Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, and disturbance in the way one’s body or shape is experienced. (APA 2013) If Anorexia is suspected, evaluation by medical and psychological professionals is required. The body will be evaluated, and an EKG and blood panel will be taken. A psychological evaluation is needed and may include self-assessment questionnaires. (Mayo, 2019) It can be difficult to tell by looking at someone if they have anorexia. Many bodies and shapes are different and just because someone isn’t extremely thin, doesn’t mean their anorexia isn’t as serious. The detection and Diagnosis of AN has come a long way while further study is still needed.
References
American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, 2013 American Psychiatric Publishing taken from http://www.psychologycharts.com/list-of-mental-disorders.html
Bishop, Dr. Emmett; Let’s Get Real About the Future of Eating Disorder Treatment; How Far We’ve Come, February 26, 2018, Retrieved From https://www.eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/February-2018/lets-get-real-about-effective-eating-disorder-treatment-eating-recovery-center’s-dr-emmett-bishop
Bishop, Dr. Emmett; Let’s Get Real About the History of Eating Disorders; February 24, 2018, Retrieved from Eatingrecoverycenter.com/blog/February-2018/lets-get-real-about-the-history-of-eating-disorders
Curtis, Drew & Kelly, Leslie; Foundations of Abnormality, Myths, Misconceptions, and Movies. Published 2018 by Kendall Hunt Publishing Company IBSN: 978-1-5249-5571-7
DeAngelis, Tori, A Genetic Link, March 2002, APA journal, retrieve from https://www.apa.org/monitor/mar02/genetic
Hail, Lisa, Le Grange, Daniel, Developments in the treatment of Eating Disorders in Adolescents over the past 30 years, Eating Disorders Resource Catologue, Gurze/Salucore 2018 p4-5
Harvard Mental Health Letter, Treating Anorexia Nervosa, published August 2009 retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/Treating-anorexia- nervosa
King, Laura A., The Science of Psychology an Appreciative view, Fourth Edition. Published by McGraw-Hill Education, 2 Penn Plaza, New York, NY 110121 copyright 2017 IBSN 978-1-259-54437-8
Mayo Clinic, Anorexia Nervosa, 2019 Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20353597
National Eating Disorder Association, Anorexia Nervosa 2018 taken from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders
National Institute of Mental Health,(NIMH) Eating Disorders, March 2019 Retrieved from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders/index.shtml
Waterhous, Therese S. PHD, The Eating Disorder Voice, p22 Eating Disorder Resource Catalogue, 2018
In this article, twenty girls were put into the three categories of being pre-pubertal, pubertal, and post-pubertal when anorexia nervosa was diagnosed, (Warren,1968, pg 39). Warren examined the girls under a variety of factors, psychiatric symptoms, and their reaction to treatment while in the hospital. The prognosis of anorexia nervosa appears among young girls and boys, but mostly in girls, whether pre-pubertal, pubertal, or post-pubertal at the onset (Warren, 1968, pg.27). Anorexia nervosa is a common noxious eating disorder that develops over time by many giving situations. With anorexia, many behaviors and thoughts play a role when this eating disorder is diagnosed, there is no specific single diagnosis on how someone is anorexic. Many new norms in society, especially in the media, are influencing girls in rituals that are harmful to their bodies.
Anorexia nervosa is defined by the DSM 5 as an eating disorder which is the restriction of energy intake a low body weight in age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health (DSM-5: Feeding and Eating Disorders). One of the common concepts of anorexia is the fear of becoming fat, gaining weight, or any interference of gaining weight. The reported age average of girls diagnosed by Warren with anorexia was between ten to fifteen years old. Warren analyzed the background of 20 girls in his study, history, and current illness present. Within this group of girls, eight of them had already started having a monthly period these girls developed amenorrhea after this diagnosis was present the beginning of food refusal started. The next group of girls of four had already evidenced of puberty, but they have no one had their first period; eight were pre-pubertal. During the admission process, he took their weights and heights of all girls down and put them into percentiles.
The next leading concept in this article with developing anorexia was family difficulties, which affected the girls personally. In these cases, four of the girls had experienced a death in the family, three of the girls had experienced some bullying of her body image which made them take measures in their own hands by not eating to lose weight to be thin. One girl had gastroenteritis, which had the fear of having to vomit. One girl was upset about having her first period. The parents of these girls did not seek help right away it took them some time to notice their body changing and becoming too thin. Psychiatric findings showed a strong refusal to eat and gaining weight and showed no empathy for their eating disorders and how thin their body was. One of the most common symptoms found between all the girls can clinical depression it varied in between the girls. Each of the girls came from a different socio-economic status family most of the girl’s family had no money issue. Many of the parents had experienced some physical and psychotic help in their past. The treatment differs from being an out-patient or being an in-patient in a different location administered by a pediatrician or general physician. They gave the girls who were in their teenage years’ bed rest until they have met the required weight to take part in other activities. With mealtime, their eating was closely supervised once they meet the required adequate state of nutrition he would discharge them. Two of the girls from the group had later died, sixteen of them continue the treatment and ten of them had relapsed back into being anorexic.
In conclusion, the article did not go into the specific detail of the treatment given to each group of girls and did not mention more details on how the two girls died and from what? One weakness Warren did not mention what kind of therapy and medication was giving whether it was psychotherapy which is individual counseling that focuses on changing the thinking and the behavior of a person with an eating disorder. In this therapy, it teaches new skills to help build new healthy behavior about food and proper weight gain (Anorexia Nervosa: Management and Treatment). Even after rehabilitation of anorexia, some girls from Warren study relapse and others suffer from different psychiatric problems.