Anorexia nervosa
• Often hungry, but refuse to eat normally
• Preoccupied with food and weight control
• Very guarded about their behavior
• Abuse alcohol or other chemical substance
• Intense fear of becoming obese, which does not diminish as weight loss progresses
• Seeing oneself as fat even when one is bone thin or emaciated
• Weight loss of at least 15 percent of expected body weight adjusted for height
• A cessation of the menstrual cycle, which may occur before an appreciable weight loss
• Hyperactivity
• Often, the appearance of depression
• Withdraw from social situations and often find excuses to eat alone
• Level of daily activities is often related to caloric intake
Bulimia nervosa
• Binge eating and purging through vomiting
• Excessive exercise
• Laxative and diuretic use
Causes
• Families in which there is rigid adherence to rules and conservative values, avoidance of open conflict, and lack of conflict resolution seem to produce more patients with anorexia nervosa
• Families with severe parental conflict and inconsistency of rules and values also threaten the adolescent process of identity formation
Media
Media has also associated thinness and beauty with success and popularity. Thinner women are often made into the more desirable and successful characters, while heavier actresses are given the less desirable, lonely roles. Almost 70% of girls who read magazines admitted that the pictures in them influenced their idea of the perfect body shape (Field et al. 1999). Teens who developed eating disorders reportedly read more teen magazines and listened to more teen-related radio programs than those who didn’t develop eating problems (Martinez-Gonzalez et al. 2003).
Multifactorial Theory
This theory believed that risk factors add up to cause anorexia in susceptible individuals. Those who are genetically susceptible to developing anorexia and are then exposed to a combination of chronic behavioral, biological, emotional, interpersonal, cultural and social factors are most likely to become ill. According to the theory, susceptible individuals with multiple risk factors who decide to diet are the ones who develop anorexia nervosa while those with similar influence and societal pressures but without the genetic profile do not become ill.
Symptoms/ Negative Effects
• Up to 95% of people with anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa are women
• 1-4% adolescent and young adult women suffer from these disorders
• Anorexia nervosa is 15 times more common in women than in men
• Conservatively estimated as affecting 0.1% of women between 13-25 years of age, and 0.5% of women between 15 and 18
• 1-2% of women suffer from bulimia nervosa, but it is very probable that the prevalence is greater, for many people do not seek intervention for this disorder
Methods to solve eating disorders
Programs
• Development of socializing skills to improve social interaction, especially while consuming meals
• Education component geared to greater understanding of nutritional requirements
Personal
• Prepare shopping lists to fill the time when compulsive eating may be tempting
• Planning rewards to be enjoyed if bingeing has been avoided
• Establishing a well-balanced eating pattern (3 meals a day but include snacks if underweight)
Healthy eating
In general, food should be varied and healthy. Specific food should not be forbidden but instead should be eaten in moderation. Parents also have to educate their children about the unrealistic female ideal that is portrayed in all types of media as there are many methods such as cosmetic surgery, airbrushing, computer manipulation used to enhance the photos before they are displayed in the media.
Parents need to be positive role models. They need to think about their own attitudes, beliefs and behaviors and try to change those that are unhealthy. In addition, they must eliminate all preconceived perceptions of how they want their child to look or how much they want their child to weigh. All types of food should be allowed into their home and parents have to encourage their children to eat when they are hungry and refrain from using food as a reward or punishment. They can also focus on building self-esteem and a sense of self-worth. It is important to stress the inner attributes of oneself. Children have to be taught to think critically and not to conform to peer pressure. The most important fact is that dieting almost never works as 95% of dieters end up back at their initial weight or heavier.
