Anorexia Essay, Research Paper

Anorexia

Anorexia is described in two ways, American and European. The American description is the refusal of food and the refusal to maintain the normal body weight for your height and age group. The European description for Anorexia is a disorder that most commonly occurs in girls in their younger years and it is determined by deliberate weight loss that also can be sustained or induced by the patient. They say that anorexia is technically a mental disorder but can lead to serious physical problems. The myth states that disorders like such result in more deaths than any other physical or mental disorder. Anorexia is now becoming popular in male’s victims also even though 90 to 95 percent of all eating disorders occur in females. Mental health professionals use a set criteria called The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or otherwise known as DSM. It is a guidebook to determine how serious the case maybe. There is a group called The American Anorexia / Bulimia Association or the AABA they state that everyone that suffers from anorexia has some kind of eating disorder due to physical, mental, and emotional consequences

There are many myths about anorexia but to all myths there are also the true facts. Some of the good myths and facts that people tell are things like, anorexia victims are abused at home. Well the truth is, some are abused physically, psychologically, or even sexually. There is no evidence that states that abuse causes anorexia but studies show that kids that are abused at home have had a higher rate of developed eating disorders. Another myth states that anorexia is a good way to lose weight if you know when to stop, but the truth is that it is a very dangerous way to lose weight. The facts say that one tenth of all people that try to diet this way die. The book, Understanding Anorexia Nervosa, says that people start out trying to lose just a few pounds, but what they don’t realize is that it effects certain parts of the body systems and then shuts them down, unfortunately, this can result in death. Some people say people with anorexia are insane but some anorexics undergo some type of emotional illness. The insanity or emotional illness is due to the fact that anorexics have such a different look to their body image and have obsessions with issues on food.

There are many other related conditions that are linked with anorexia, these include, binge eating disorder, bulimia nervosa, compulsive exercise, malnutrition, smoking substance abuse, depression, self-mutilation and obsessive compulsive disorder. So some people ask who has anorexia. Well, white females are the typical anorexics. My book sources state that females want to get 15 to 25 percent below their ideal weight. Also, it states that disorders like anorexia are long believed to affect white girls and also in some young white boys. They say that this disorder is very rare in different races and cultures. In the Mexican culture, the men prefer a more heavier female. The black race does not look as themselves needing to look like someone special they think that people will like them for who they are. Of course some are going to be different but he majority of the women in these cultures and races are going to be like this. Female athletes are among the top, there is an estimated 1 out of every 250 girls athletes who are anorexic.

The way anorexia starts is that it can be inspired by anything, or also by a blending of factors. It is most likely to happen to one in a stressful time, during a break up or when one is going through puberty. A change in school or family problems can also have a great deal to do with it. People often start by a diet or a cutback in food, but as people know that can lead to malnutrition. Studies from The National Institute of Mental Health show that people that suffer from anorexia tend to have above normal levels of cortisol. This can lead to a problem found in the brain known as hypothalamus. People with anorexia are known to be obsessive in their behaviors. The society today is one that thinks as themselves as the perfect height, blond hair, pretty eyes, perfect stomach, and the perfect body. That is why anorexia occurs so often in young girls they want to be like Brittany Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Calista Flockhart.

People that have anorexia need to seek help from a professional. Anorexia isn’t something that a person can’t just cure them selves. If they are young tell they could tell their parents the problems that could relive some of the tension that is put on them. The determining factor is work hard to reach your goals but in no way gamble your health to be number one.