Anorexia Nervosa Essay - 1568 Words

Anorexia nervosa is a life threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal to maintain fifteen percent of a normal body weight through self-starvation (NAMI 1). Ninety-five percent of anorexics are women between the ages of twelve and eighteen, however, â€Å"†¦in the past twenty years, this disorder has become a growing threat to high school and college students†(Maloney and Kranz 60). Anorexia produces a multitude of symptoms, and if not treated, anorexia can lead to permanent physical damage or death. Anorexic behavior is complex because it is all about the need for control. Someone suffering from anorexia has a distorted body image of himself or herself. He/she believes to be overweight, even though twenty percent of the time he/she is†¦show more content†¦Severe symptoms of anorexia are classified as such because they result in devastating physical side effects and death. The dropping of body fat due to self-starvation can cause amenorrhea, an absence of the menstrual cycle. Amenorrhea can put stress on tiny bones that result in breakage if untreated and can interfere with fertility as well as estrogen, the reproductive hormone that protects the body against heart diseases and osteoporosis. The absence of the menstrual cycle from starvation can cause loss of bone density. Osteomalacia, the outcome of poor nutrition in anorexia, causes breakage of bones, and the lack of calcium intake to the body results in brittle bones. Kidneys will shut down if the body weight becomes low enough. The anorexic will go into kidney failure and die. Kidney failure is also caused by dehydration because inadequate fluid flowing to the kidneys can lead to cardiac arrhythmia. A normal heartbeat is also essential to the human body. A change in the normal pattern of the heartbeat may be a complication of an electrolyte imbalance produced from anorexia. The principal reason for potassium loss and an irregular heartbeat is an electrolyte imbalance. As a result of potassium deficiency, it is common to have muscle spasms, muscle atrophy, and pain. Muscle spasms and muscle atrophy are typical symptoms of a musculoskeletal problem, and if not treated, permanent damage can occur. Other severe physicalShow MoreRelatedAnorexia Nervosa1947 Words   |  8 Pagespeople who do. If we were to look the world as a whole, we would realize that from every 100 teenage girls, 1 to 5 suffers from Anorexia(EDV). As defined by the National Eating Disorders Association, â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.† (NEDA). The term â€Å"Anorexia Nervosa† literally means â€Å"neurotic loss of appetite†, and could be more generally defined as the result of a prolonged self-starvationRead MoreEssay on Anorexia Nervosa 1763 Words   |  8 PagesDavis 1 Anorexia nervosa is defined as a refusal to maintain a minimally normal body weight, in addition to a disturbance in perception of body shape and weight( DSM-IV-TR, 2000). In this paper we will examine Carolyn Costin’s battle with anorexia nervosa from a biopsychosocial perspective and what reinforced her disorder. This will be followed by diagnostically using the DSM-IV-TR in Carolyn’s case and conceptually using the sociocultural dimension. The implications for both Carolyn,Read MoreUnderstanding Anorexia Nervosa1008 Words   |  5 PagesAnorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder, with more than 10% of those that suffer from it will die. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is categorized by severe food restriction, excessive exercise and body dysmorphia, which leads those that suffer from it to believe that they are overweight. Anorexia nervosa is commonly misunderstood by the general public. Research has disproved many of the previous thoughts about anorexia nervosa. According to the scientificRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa Essay1392 Words   |  6 PagesAnorexia Nervosa I have chosen to study about Anorexia Nervosa because I would like to know more about this topic and why people do it to themselves. I wonder why young people in particular feel that they need to be so thin. In this assignment I would like to study mainly on why teenage girls feel so conscious about their bodies, what they feel about the way that women are portrayed in the media and the effects of Anorexia Nervosa. To be able to cover thisRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa Essay2312 Words   |  10 PagesAnorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is most prevalent in adolescent girls and young women. It is distinguished by the loss of at least 15% of the expected body weight (Long). The disease is characterized by the obsessive fear of gaining weight; through this fear, the person engages in dangerous dieting habits that prevent weight gain. According to statistics in 2011 anorexia is categorized as the third most common chronic disease among adolescents, in addition, eating disorders also haveRead MoreAnorexia Nervosa Essay1758 Words   |  8 Pagesare either overweight or just not good enough. With implying that it might result in some type of eating disorder, such as anorexia nervosa. This obsession of being thin has rapidly increased over the years and is still accelerating.(DSM) This type of disorder, mainly appearing in females has over five million cases and one million in males.(family dr ) Most kids with anorexia are usually perfectionist, or the kids who do extremely well in school and focus on pleasing others. (guide) Most people denyingRead MoreThe Trauma Of Anorexia Nervosa953 Words   |  4 PagesThe trauma of anorexia Let’s start saying that in my family two of them had or still have anorexia: my cousin and my aunt. It has been a pain in the heart. For years, I was afraid of the magnitude of this mental disorder. Anyway, this disorder is something that intrigued me for a long time, so I am going to try to transmit the pain it can release this disorder to the family and mainly to the person who actually has it. The mental disorder, called: anorexia nervosa, is a disorder characterized byRead MoreBackground History of Anorexia Nervosa1452 Words   |  6 PagesHISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA Anorexia nervosa’s (AN) first descriptions began during the twelfth and thirteenth century with the historical Saint Catherine of Siena (Deans, 2011). It is related to participating in religious functions and medieval practices of self-starvation (Deans, 2011). Furthermore, the death of popular singer, Karen Carpenter in 1983 created the societal awareness about the effect of anorexia nervosa and become widely known at the end of the twentieth century (RaderRead More Anorexia Nervosa Essay examples657 Words   |  3 Pages Anorexia Nervosa is characterized by a refusal to maintain a minimal normal body weight. A disturbance in perception of body shape and weight is an essential feature of anorexia nervosa. It appears to be far more present in industrialized societies, in which there is an abundance amount of food and in which being considered attractive is linked to being thin. The disorder is most common in countries like the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia and Japa n. More than 95% of cases of anorexia nervosaRead MoreThe Eating Disorder And Anorexia Nervosa1555 Words   |  7 PagesThe eating disorder anorexia nervosa is one of complex nature that is caused and sustained by many interconnected factors of life. Characterized by strict dieting, an unrealistic perception of body image, excessive exercise, depression, and OCD, this disorder has the ability to boycott the lives of many individuals (Pinel, 2014). In order to understand the effects that this disorder has, it is essential to look at the socio-cultural, psychological, and physiological factors this disorder can entail