Anorexia Nervosa Study
Eating disorders are devastating behavioral maladies brought on by a
complex
interplay of factors, which may include emotional and personality
disorder,
family pressure, a possible genetic or biological susceptibility
and a culture
in which there is an over abundance of food and an obsession
with thinness.
Eating disorders are generally characterized as bulimia
nervosa, anorexia
nervosa and eating disorders not other wise specified.
According to the World of
Psychology anorexia is defined as " an eating
disorder characterized by an
overwhelming, irrational fear of being fat,
compulsive dieting to the point of
self starvation and excessive weight
loss."(World of Psychology Page 317).
There are some causes, symptoms,
complications and treatment of anorexia
nervosa. There is no single cause for
the eating disorder anorexia but a number
of factors including emotional
disorders and cultural influences. Researchers
have shown that emotional
disorders such as depression collaborate in causing
anorexia nervosa. This is
because most anorexic patients have been found to have
abnormal levels of
certain neurotransmitters particularly serotonin, that are
associated with
depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. According to a
research
conducted bim to it for Spain. After Columbus s discovery of the new lands he
wrote a series of treatise as to what the European purpose there was. Columbus,
in his writings, said that the purpose of the New World was two fold. He said
that the gospel message of the church should be spread globally beginning with
his discoveries in the New World. Second, he stated that the riches discovered
in the New World should be dedicated to the recapture of Jerusalem from the
Moslems. Columbus saw the discovery of the New World as a prophesy coming true.
He saw the Indians that lived there as a labor source that should be
christianized and used for the greater good of the church.
Two papal
bulls were issued in the year of 1493 that established the Spanish position in
the New World. They also established the role that the church was going to play
in the New World. The first bull was issued on May 3 and it was called Inter
Caetera. It said that the lands discovered by Spanish envoys not previously
under a christian owner could be tisers heavily market weight reductions
programs and present anorexic
young models as the paradigm of sexual
desirability and on the other hand again,
the media floods the public with
ads for junk food. According to the World of
Psychology "over the past
quarter century, the 'ideal' female figure as
portrayed in the media and by
fashion and entertainment industries, has become
even thinner, often to the
point of emancipation"(World of Psychology Page
317). Due to cultural
influences in a country where obesity is epidemic, young
women who achieve
thinness believe they have accomplished a major cultural and
personal
victory; they have overcome the temptations of junk food and at the
same
time, created an image idealized by the media. This false sense
of
accomplishment is often reinforced by the envy of their heavier friends
who may
perceive anorexic patients as being stronger and more sexually
attractive than
they are. The media definitely plays a major role in the
cause of anorexia.
According to the World of Psychology "It is difficult
to pinpoint the cause
of this disorder. More anorexic individuals are
well-behaved and academically
successful"(The World of Psychology Page 371).
Some investigators even
believe that " young women who refuse to eat are
attempting to control a
portion of their lives, which they feel unable to
control in most
situations"(Psychology Today, May 98). The symptoms of
anorexia vary since
most women with the disorder keep it a secret but the
major symptom is the
change in size. According to an article from WebMd " the
primary symptom of
anorexia is major weight loss from excessive and continuos
dieting which may
either be restrictive dieting or binge-eating and
purging"(www.webmd.com).
The feet and hands of the anorexic patient may
be cold or swollen sometimes. The
stomach is often distressed after eating
and is often bloated. Thinking may be
confused or slowed, and an anorexic
patient may have poor memory and judgement.
Again all of these symptoms
vary from individuals as could be seen in young
women who have diabetes and
anorexia. Such people may have a normal weight or
even be overweight but
still anorexic. A study conducted by Harvard medical
school psychiatrist Dr.
Theodore .A. Stern concluded, "the most bewildering
symptom of anorexia is
the distorted body image"(Psychology Today May 96).
In another study
people with anorexia tended to have an accurate perception of
their upper
body, but over estimated the size of their abdominal and pelvic
area. There
are a lot of complications that could arise from anorexia. Studies
of
anorexic patients reported death ranging from 4% to 20% (The World
of
Psychology Page 317). According to the FDA heart disease is the most
common
medical cause of death for people with anorexia. This is because the
heart can
develop dangerous rhythms, including slow rhythms known as
bradycardia.
Electrolyte imbalances can occur as a result of anorexia.
Minerals such as
potassium, Calcium, Magnesium and Phosphate are normally
dissolved in the body
fluid. Calcium and Potassium are particularly critical
in maintaining the
electric currents that cause the heart to beat regularly.
The dehydration and
starvation of anorexia can reduce fluid levels and
mineral contents, a condition
known as electrolyte imbalance, which can be of
very serious and even life
threatening, unless the fluids and minerals are
replaced. Reproductive and
hormonal abnormalities can occur due to anorexia.
Anorexia causes low levels of
reproductive hormones, changes in thyroid
hormones, and increases the level of
stress hormones, which causes
amenorrhea. According to Psychology Today
"long term irregular or absent
menstruation is common which eventually may
cause sterility and bone loss.
The major scare of anorexia is that it can cause
death. According to the e
world of psychology " Unfortunately up to 20% of
those suffering from
anorexia nervosa eventually die of starvation or
complications from organ
damage"(The World of Psychology Page 371). The
World of Psychology
summarizes the complications that could arise from anorexia
and concludes
that " anorexics may also develop low blood pressure,
impaired heart
function, dehydration, electrolyte disturbances, and/or
sterility"(The World
of Psychology Page 371). This is in clear similarity
to the other researches
conducted by psychologists and shows the complications
that could arise from
anorexia. The major difficulty in treating an eating
disorder like anorexia
is often the resistance of the anorexic patient, who
believes that the
emancipation is normal and even attractive. According to the
World of
Psychology "Anorexia is very difficult to treat. Most anorexic
patients are
steadfast in their refusal to eat, while insisting that nothing is
wrong with
them"(The World of Psychology Page 371). Most moderately to
severely ill
anorexic patients should be admitted to the hospital for immediate
treatment.
In addition to immediate treatment of any serious medical problem,
the goal
of the anorexic patient is to increase weight. To do this therapy could
be
used until the anorexic patient succeeds in overcoming this
difficult
disorder. Anorexic patients who are severely malnourished should
begin with a
calorie count as low as 1500 calories a day, in order to reduce
the chances for
stomach pain and bloating, fluid retention and heart failure.
The World of
Psychology summarizes the treatment of anorexia. According
to Samuel Wood and
Ellen Green " the main thrust of treatment, therefore
is to get the
anorexic individual to gain weight. The patient may be admitted
to a hospital, a
few controlled diets, and given rewards for small weight
gains and increase in
food intake. The treatment usually includes some type
of psychotherapy and/or a
self-help group"(The World of Psychology Page 371).
Since anorexia nervosa
has no real treatment, the only real treatment for now
could be eating healthy,
exercising moderately and also doing constant
medical checkups.