anorexia
Anorexia
Magdalini Kasimis
Molloy College
ANOREXIA
Proper nutrition is an important concept that is enforced over and over by parents, teachers, coaches and the government. Nutrition effects every system in the body and can dramatically alter someone’s personal state of health. However, society presents a picture of bodily perfection that combined with genetic predisposition can result in the manifestation of an eating disorder. Anorexia is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. It is a serious psychological disorder characterized by either a significantly reduced appetite or complete aversion to eating. This disorder has no single cause. The majority of experts believe the mental disorder is caused by a combination of biological, environmental and psychological factors (Bryant-Waugh, Rachel, 2012). People with anorexia often use food and eating as a way to gain a sense of control when other areas of their lives are very stressful or when they feel overwhelmed. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness also might contribute to the development of the disorder. In addition, people with eating disorders might have troubled relationships or have a history of being teased about their size or weight. Pressure from peers and a society that equates thinness and physical appearance with beauty also can have an impact on the development of the disorder. Anorexia also might have physical causes. Changes in hormones that control how the body and mind maintain mood, appetite, thinking, and memory might foster eating disorders (Bryant-Waugh, Rachel, 2012). The fact that anorexia tends to run in families also suggests that a susceptibility to the disorder might be inherited. This disorder is life threatening because it weakens the bones and the heart. Although the heart and the bones often take the brunt of the damage anorexia is a multisystem disease. Virtually no parts of
Magdalini Kasimis
Molloy College
ANOREXIA
Proper nutrition is an important concept that is enforced over and over by parents, teachers, coaches and the government. Nutrition effects every system in the body and can dramatically alter someone’s personal state of health. However, society presents a picture of bodily perfection that combined with genetic predisposition can result in the manifestation of an eating disorder. Anorexia is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. It is a serious psychological disorder characterized by either a significantly reduced appetite or complete aversion to eating. This disorder has no single cause. The majority of experts believe the mental disorder is caused by a combination of biological, environmental and psychological factors (Bryant-Waugh, Rachel, 2012). People with anorexia often use food and eating as a way to gain a sense of control when other areas of their lives are very stressful or when they feel overwhelmed. Feelings of inadequacy, low self-esteem, anxiety, anger, or loneliness also might contribute to the development of the disorder. In addition, people with eating disorders might have troubled relationships or have a history of being teased about their size or weight. Pressure from peers and a society that equates thinness and physical appearance with beauty also can have an impact on the development of the disorder. Anorexia also might have physical causes. Changes in hormones that control how the body and mind maintain mood, appetite, thinking, and memory might foster eating disorders (Bryant-Waugh, Rachel, 2012). The fact that anorexia tends to run in families also suggests that a susceptibility to the disorder might be inherited. This disorder is life threatening because it weakens the bones and the heart. Although the heart and the bones often take the brunt of the damage anorexia is a multisystem disease. Virtually no parts of
References: Bryant-Waugh, Rachel, “Annotation: Eating Disorders in Children”, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, (2012): 191-201