Anorexia Nervosa Essay, Research Paper

In America, girls are given the message at a very young age that in order to be

happy and successful, they must be thin. Given the value which society places on

being thin, it is not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase.

Every time you walk into a store, you are surrounded by the images of emaciated

models that appear on the covers of fashion magazines. Thousands of teenage

girls are starving themselves daily in an effort to attain what the fashion

industry considers to be the "ideal" figure. The average model weighs

23% less than the average woman. Maintaining a weight 20% below your expected

body weight fits the criteria for the emotional eating disorder known as

anorexia. Most models, according to medical standards, fit into the category of

being anorexic (Thompson, Colleen). Anorexia has been known and recognized by

doctors for at least 300 years. Most researchers agree that the number of

patients with this life threatening disease is increasing at an alarming rate.

The Rice Counseling Center defines anorexia as "an emotional disorder

characterized by an intense fear of becoming obese, lack of self-esteem and

distorted body image which results in self-induced starvation". In

accordance with information given by the Counseling Center at the University of

Lawson 2 Virginia, the development of this disease generally begins at the age

of 11 or 18. Significantly, these ages coincide with new phases of a girl’s

life, the commencement and ending of adolescence. Recent estimates suggest that

out of every 200 American girls between this age span, one will develop anorexia

to some degree. The disease develops over a period of time during which the

sufferer changes her eating patterns from normal or near normal to a very

restricted diet (S.C.A.R.E.D. Website). This process can take anywhere from

months to years. Clinically, an anorexic is diagnosed by having a body weight

20% below the expected body weight of a healthy person at the same age and

height of the eating disorder patient. The anorexic often becomes frightened of

gaining weight and even of food itself. The patient may feel fat, even though

their body weight is well below the normal weight for their height. Some also

feel they do not deserve pleasure out of life and will deprive themselves of

situations offering pleasure, including eating. The fears of anorexics become so

difficult to manage that the sufferer will gradually isolate him/herself from

other people and social activities (S.C.A.R.E.D. Website). This happens so the

sufferer can continue the exhausting anorexic behaviors. Although 30% of

anorexics eventually die from the disorder, approximately one third overcome the

disease with psychiatric help. While the cause of anorexia is still unknown, a

combination of psychological, environmental, and physiological factors is

associated with the development of this disorder (Cove, Judy). The most common

cause of anorexia in a girl is perception of Lawson 3 her weight. Anorexics feel

as if they are heavier than the others around them, and believe the quickest way

to lose weight is to simply stop eating. "I became obsessed with body

image. I kept journals and in one pathetic passage I described how I went for

sixteen days on water, and only about two glasses a day" says former

anorexic Nanett Pearson, Miss Utah 1996. Ironically, when a person stops eating,

their body goes into starvation mode losing very small amounts of weight. When

the body receives food, it is then stored away until the next time food is

obtained. At first, this method may seem to work and the subject loses weight,

but as the body soon adjusts to the lack of food it learns to use the energy it

is given stingily. Another cause of anorexia is the need to obtain perfection. A

perfectionist desires excellence in all aspects of their life. When they cannot

achieve perfection in their endeavors, they "punish" themselves by

restriction or starvation. A perfectionist likes to be better than everyone

else, if she sees someone with a waist an inch smaller, her waist must be two

inches smaller. Anorexics sometimes desire control over their lives, including

their physical and emotional surroundings. Miss Pearson explains "I loved

the power I felt in starving myself". People who fall towards anorexia

often times feel they have a lack of control in their lives and the only thing

they can control is what they eat. They have control over their body and eat

exactly what they want or eat nothing at all. It is not uncommon to find an

anorexic that feels "high" after periods of starvation. Overall,

eating disorders can have a very "numbing" effect and give victims a

feeling of power over their own emotions. Deep emotional conflicts can also

contribute to the disease. When a child is told that she is fat, ugly, or

stupid, often enough she Lawson 4 believes those comments. As she grows into an

adolescent, her hips begin to widen, acne appears on her face, and fat begins to

deposit in places it never had before. The names she was called as a child begin

to seem true in her mind. She looks in the mirror and sees a fat girl. She

begins dieting at first and soon decides to stop eating to acquire small

features similar to when she was younger. The effects of anorexia nervosa are

severe and sometimes irreversible. It can cause changes externally, internally,

and psychologically. The external changes can be dramatic weight loss,

headaches, kidney infections, dry skin, hair loss, and growth of fine body hair.

The internal changes include loss of menstrual cycle, low blood pressure,

swelling, loss of bone density, liver damage, dental problems, constipation,

infertility, extreme temperature sensitivity, cramps, poor circulation,

diarrhea, dehydration, slowed or irregular heart rate, and dilation of

intestines. Psychologically, the anorexic suffers with isolation from others,

impaired neuromuscular functions, mood swings, fainting spells, insomnia,

weakness, hyperactivity, low self esteem, fatigue, depression, self-hatred,

electrolyte imbalance, loss of sexual desire, psychological, physical, and

biochemical disturbances, and eventually death. It is said that up to 30% of

anorexics either die from complications due to the eating disorder or commit

suicide as a result of the emotional turmoil in their lives. Treatment for

anorexia nervosa usually consists of nutritional therapy, individual

psychotherapy, and family counseling. A team made up of pediatricians,

psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses often administer treatment. Some

physicians hospitalize anorexia patients until they are nutritionally stable,

while others prefer to work with Lawson 5 patients in a family setting. The most

urgent concern of the physician is getting the patient to eat and gain weight,

this is accomplished by gradually adding calories to the patient’s daily intake

(Cove, Judy). When hospitalized, privileges are sometimes granted in return for

gaining weight. Individual psychotherapy is also necessary in the treatment of

anorexia to help the patient understand the disease process and its effects.

Therapy focuses on the patient’s relationships with her family, friends, and the

reasons she may have fallen into a pattern of self-starvation. As a patient

learns more about her condition, she is often more willing to try to help

herself recover. In treating anorexia nervosa, it is extremely important to

remember that immediate success does not guarantee a permanent cure. Sometimes,

even after successful hospital treatment and return to normal weight, patients

suffer relapses. Follow-up therapy lasting three to five years is recommended if

the patient is to be completely cured (Cove, Judy). Lawson 6

Thompson, Colleen. "Society and Eating Disorders." Mirror Mirror

19, October 1998. Online. Available http://www.mirror-mirror.org/society.htm

Accessed 23, October 1998. Saunders, Janice. "Anorexia and Bulimia."

S.C.A.R.E.D. Online. Available http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/3901/index.html

Accessed 23, October 1998. Cove, Dr. Judy. "Anorexia Nervosa General

Information." Mental Health Net Online. Available http://www.cmhc.com

Accessed 23, October 1998. Pearson, Nanett. "A Personal Recovery Story:

Starving for Attention." Attention Online. Available http://www.laureate.com/attention.html

Accessed 31, October 1998.