Introduction Anorexia nervosa is a variation of eating disorders that can plague both men and women. Anorexia is defined as "extreme emaciation" and the refusal to maintain a healthy body weight (Oltmanns, & Emery, 2010)
1% of young women could possibly develop a disorder that have such a high mortality rate, and such a high risk of causing severe developmental trauma to the body, obviously more research needs to be conducted. With what research has been conducted since the 1980s, family therapy seems to be the best method for treatment and recovery, but only for adolescents (Rhodes, 2003)
(2004) in which Sim and her team replicated the Maudsley Model with two cases, a thirteen-year-old boy and an 18-year-old girl, and found that despite different sexes and ages the Maudsley Model was successful even when the cases were subject to both individual therapy and then family therapy. Previous to the family therapy model being used to treat anorexia, individual therapy was used which consisted of a collection of professionals working on one single case (such as a regular therapist, a group therapist, a family therapist, a psychiatrist, and a nutritionist), which has come to be known as "traditional treatment" for anorexics (Sim, et al
There is a high rate of reported child sexual abuse experiences in clinical groups of who have been diagnosed with anorexia. Although prior sexual abuse is not thought to be a specific risk factor for anorexia, those who have experienced such abuse are more likely to have more serious and chronic symptoms (Carter, et
The condition typically effects younger women, between 15 and 19 years old (40% of the cases), and has an incidence rate of about 12 cases per 100,000 persons per year. Approximately 90% of anorexia sufferers are female, and the majority of cases go either undiagnosed or untreated until other medical issues intervene (Coslin, 1999, 6-10)
Research into the neuropsychology of anorexia has indicated that many of the findings are inconsistent across studies and that it is hard to differentiate the effects of starvation on the brain from any long-standing characteristics. One finding is that those with anorexia have poor cognitive flexibility ((Jansen, et
It is possible that it is a risk trait rather than an effect of starvation. Anorexia may be linked to an autoimmune response to melanocortin peptides which influence appetite and stress responses (Kaye, et
This suggests that genes influencing both eating regulation, and personality and emotion, may be important contributing factors. In one study, variations in the norepinephrine transporter gene promoter were associated with restrictive anorexia nervosa, but not binge-purge anorexia (Klump, et
Social and environmental factors -Sociocultural studies have highlighted the role of cultural factors, such as the promotion of thinness as the ideal female form in Western industrialized nations, particularly through the media. A recent epidemiological study of 989,871 Swedish residents indicated that gender, ethnicity and socio-economic status were large influences on the chance of developing anorexia, with those with non-European parents among the least likely to be diagnosed with the condition, and those in wealthy, white families being most at risk (Lindberg and Hjern, 2003)
" Miss a remained under Gull's observation from January 1866 to March 1868, by which time she seemed to have made a full recovery, having gained in weight from 82 to 128 pounds. In fact, Gull's original description still forms the basis of modern day definitions of anorexia (Madden, 2004)
The person afflicted is hungry, and does want to eat, but eats out of compulsion rather than to satisfy hunger. There may be a number of rather serious medical symptoms attached to this; chronic gastric reflux, dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, oral trauma from forced vomiting, constipation, and peptic ulcers (Russell, 1979)
It is not thought responsible for causation of the initial illness but there is evidence that it may be an accelerating factor that deepens the pathology of the anorexia. A 1994 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial showed that zinc (14 mg per day) doubled the rate of body mass increase compared to patients receiving the placebo (Shay and Mangian, 2000)
Eating Disorders Anorexia nervosa has been known to cause various physical and mental health problems. Among physical health risks are stunted growth, lowered immune system functions, amenorrhoea which causes women to stop menstruating, tooth decay, thinning of the hair, coldness, an chronic headaches, (Stoppler 2008)
In the absence of adequate amounts of potassium in the body, there is a great increase in the constipation, muscle damage as well as paralysis. Some of the other important symptoms that are seen in the patients of anorexia nervosa include an open refusal towards the maintenance of body mass index (Fitzpatrick and Lock, 2011)
Recently, an epidemiological study was carried out on the Swedish population. More than a million Swedish residents were included in the study (Jensen, and Mejlhede, 87)
The initial weight loss is based on dieting which is supposed to be the triggering factor of Anorexia Nervosa. It occurs because the person has an initial predisposition towards Anorexia Nervosa (Otto et
On the other hand, a number of studies suggest that families who encourage independence enable their adolescents to develop a clear identity. Individuation and positive self-concept during adolescence can best be achieved by continuous attachment to parents who provide consistent encouragement of autonomy while emphasizing connectedness (Demidenko et al
The second suggests that high levels of eating disorder symptoms are associated with general self-perception of unfriendliness, unkindness, and lack of emotionality. In another study (Garcia, et
The negative effect of anorexia nervosa on patients' long-term physical health is well documented. This condition most commonly affects women during the period of development of peak bone mass and the effects on the skeletal system can be severe and debilitating (Sim et al
Most anorexia sufferers are female, and the majority of cases go either undiagnosed or untreated until other medical issues intervene. In contemporary culture: Over ae of adolescent girls feel negatively about their body Almost 1/2 teenage girls know someone with an eating disorder Almost 60% of girls want to lose weight Girls are three times more likely to think they are too heavy percent of young women worry "a lot" about how they look (Croll 536-7)