Preview

Dyig to Be Thin

Better Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1447 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Dyig to Be Thin
Dying to Be Thin

A Look Into the Life of an Anorexic and the Health Risk That Come With It

By: Andrew Peterson

1. What did you see regarding ideal body weight? What other attitudes exist about weight?

When watching the video, I realized that anorexics don’t want to eat. They don’t feel hungry; they don’t think that they are destroying themselves. When they look at themselves, they see themselves as fat and overweight. To try and fit the image of what they think they should look like becomes an obsession. This eventually leads the large percentages of weight loss. Most anorexics, it seems, ideal body weight was 15 to 20 percent below their recommended body weight (according to their age and height).

2. List some medical complications associated with prolonged starvation.

Anorexia can come with numerous complications. Death is the worse complication that can occur from the disorder, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be caused by being severely under weight, it may result form abnormal heart rhythms or an imbalance of electrolytes that maintain the balance of fluids in your body.

Complication of Anorexia:

~Death

~Anemia

~Heart problems, such as mitral valve prolapse, abnormal heart rhythms and heart failure

~Bone loss, increasing risk of fractures later in life

~In females, absence of a period

~In males, decreased testosterone

~Gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, bloating, nausea.

~Electrolyte abnormalities, such as low blood potassium, sodium and chloride

~Kidney problems

If a person with anorexia becomes severely malnourished, every organ in the body can sustain damage, including the brain, heart and kidneys. This damage may not be fully reversible, even when the anorexia is under control.

Some people commonly also have other mental disorders as well.

Other Common Mental Disorders Experienced By Anorexics:

~Depression

~Anxiety Disorders

~Personality Disorders

~Obsessive-compulsive disorder

~Drug abuse

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Best Essays

    According to The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD), Anorexia Nervosa (AN) occurs when an adolescent refuses to maintain body weight at or above a minimal normal weight for age and height. The weight loss is usually self-imposed and the adolescent usually weighs less than 85% of their expected weight. The condition occurs most frequently in females; however, it can occur in males. (2010)…

    • 2149 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Good Essays

    It kills your kidneys for how little food you are consuming, you get rid of your good fat cells that keep your skin healthy, It also is adding hair all over your body from decrease in body temperature. Not as many people are admitted to the hospital as people with anorexia. This does mean that we should only know about anorexia, we should be watching all around us for warning signs of all types of eating disorders.…

    • 664 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Having stemmed from Greek, ‘anorexia' litreally means lack of appetite. Such a symptom of illness is however, common to many afflictions that differ in type of sickness. People with terminal illness are often subject to it as well as schizopfrenics and in cases of depression. It is therefore of great difficulty to distinguish between other such illnesses and a singular disease as anorexia. In Freigners and his associate's symptoms it is simply stated, "no known medical illness that could account for the anorexia and weight loss," which is hardly a helpful description. It is more overly an open ended definition of something they cannot quite place their fingers on.…

    • 812 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “An estimated 8 million Americans have eating disorders.” Anorexia nervosa (anorexia) is a serious eating disorder that causes people to often drop “below 85 percent” of their body weight (Graves, “Chapter One”). Anorexia is about perception, what victims see in the mirror is someone who is “fat”. Anorexia can cause serious health problems; although, it can be cured. To understand the terrible disease anorexia one must understand what causes it, the effects it has on the mind, and the effects it has on the body.…

    • 549 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Why Anorexia Is Bad

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Sub Point A) Physical Effects. Lack of essential energy requirements and nutrients tax the entire body and can result in electrolyte disturbances such as hypokalemia (low blood potassium) and hyponatremia (low blood sodium), among others. Electrolyte disturbances, in turn, can cause heart arrhythmias, irregular heartbeats, and even heart attacks. The heart is not the only organ in the cardiovascular system that may be affected by anorexia. The blood itself may also be damaged. Abnormal blood counts and anemia (low red blood cells or abnormal red blood cells with impaired oxygen-carrying capacity) are not uncommon. The digestive system is affected as well. Besides experiencing constant hunger pangs, constipation or bloating may occur. The stomach may shrink in size, making the reintroduction of food troublesome. The kidneys are not immune either. Further effects of anorexia nervosa may include kidneys stones and even kidney failure.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Eating Disorders & Cbt

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages

    Patients with an eating disorder of any type have a significantly increased risk for death, but anorexia nervosa appears to be particularly deadly and linked to the highest mortality and suicide rates, similarly elevated mortality rates were found for those with bulimia nervosa and eating disorder not otherwise specified (EDNOS). However, the rate was even higher for those with anorexia nervosa, with a weighted annual rate of 5 deaths per 1000 person-years. Of those who died, 1 in 5 did so by committing suicide.…

    • 2237 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Eating Disorders

    • 2012 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Merriam Webster defines anorexia as “a serious physical and emotional illness in which an abnormal fear of being fat leads to very poor eating habits and dangerous weight loss.” (Merriam Webster). Anorexia can additionally be defined as being 15% under the average weight for your gender, age and height. (Help Guide). “2,000 calories is a rough average of what people eat in a day. But your body might need more or less than 2,000. Height, weight, gender, age and activity level all affect your caloric needs.” (HowStuffWorks). People who suffer from anorexia consume a restricted diet, less than 2,000 calories per day, which causes the body to go into starvation mode and leads to fatal consequences. For the purposes of this essay “starvation mode is defined as a concept where your metabolic rate declines during the process of caloric…

    • 2012 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Joel Yager and Arnold Andersen state that the “medical complications resulting from semi-starvation . . . affect virtually every organ system” (1482). The physical effects are not limited to just weight loss, but when an anorexic starves herself, she is robbing her body of the vitamins it needs to operate accurately (Wexler 51-52). This results in many noticeable symptoms, some only lasting until weight is regained. Heart rate, blood pressure, and metabolic rate are all lowered as the body attempts to counteract not receiving adequate energy from food (Walsh 1387). Other physical effects of anorexia include the nails and hair becoming brittle, skin drying out as the body takes nutrients from it because it is not receiving them from food, and muscle mass reduction (Wexler; Kelly 52;2). Amenorrhea, the absence of the menstrual cycle for at least three consecutive months, will occur in females as well as the growth of lanugo, a thin hair that grows to keep an anorexic’s body warm because it has lost almost all of its fat (Klumph; Wexler 2;52). One of the most substantial effects is an anorexic’s “heightened desire to lose more weight” (Yager and Andersen 1482) When weight loss becomes evident, it is an achievement to an anorexic, but this thought process leads to the desire of more weight loss which creates the downward spiral of the destruction of the physical body…

    • 2374 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    In 1978, Brunch called anorexia nervosa a "new disease" and noted that the condition seemed to overtake "the daughters of the well-to-do, educated and successful families." Today it is acknowledged and accepted that anorexia affects more than just one gender or socio-economic class; however, much of the current research is focused on the female gender. "Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme dieting, intense fear of gaining weight, and obsessive exercising. The weight loss eventually produces a variety of physical symptoms associated with starvation: sleep disturbance, cessation of menstruation, insensitivity to pain, loss of hair on the head, low blood pressure, a variety of cardiovascular problems and reduced body temperature. Between 10% and 15% of anorexics literally starve themselves to death; others die because of some type of cardiovascular dysfunction (Bee and Boyd, 2001)."…

    • 1689 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anorexia In Teenage Girls

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Anorexia nervosa carries an excessive amount of health risks towards its victims. Some health symptoms are temporary while others are permanent. The following physiological symptoms of anorexia lists include: stopping of menstrual cycle, low energy, damage of mouth cavity and throat due to purging as well as rotting teeth, malnutrition of the body, decreasing levels of vitamins and supplements important for the body’s survival such as iron, calcium, vitamins A-D due to limiting and fasting of…

    • 531 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Essay On Dying To Be Thin

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Social media, magazines, television shows, and commercials on TV are just a few examples of ways society implements the expectations of an “ideal body” for a man or woman. Famous figures have used the “ideal body” to streamline their careers and bate individuals in believing they need to look a certain way in order to be beautiful. Today, individuals will of the extra mile to have the “ideal body” and certain people go to extremes to meet this body image. Men and women that do not feel they match the criteria for the perfect body can feel shameful and embarrassed of their appearance and develop eating habits, patterns, and disorders that are dangerous and not beneficial to any of these individuals. Unfortunately, these eating patterns, habits,…

    • 486 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Eating Disorders

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Anorexia nervosa is found mostly in teenaged females. Individuals have an obsession to keep a certain body weight. “Sometimes it may start off as dieting, but it easily gets out of control” (WebMD.com, 2011). The individual may have a fear of extreme weight gain, being considered fat, or judgment on their body image. Many who suffer from anorexia lose their menstrual cycle, gain fuzzy hair, and have irregular body temperatures. Since the individual is not eating and most likely exercising to keep the “ideal image”, their body may suffer from dehydration, osteoporosis, electrolyte imbalances, kidney damage, heart problems, or even death. Emotional support, dietitian, and a counselor can treat anorexia. If the weight drop is too severe, hospitalization may become necessary. Early recognition of anorexia is the best way to recovery for a suffering patient (WebMD.com, 2011).…

    • 688 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Anorexia In America Essay

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages

    As I said before, anorexia is a triggered mental illness.This eating disorder has various contributing factors. One of the factors is being unhappy with your body. If you're dissatisfied with your body, then you will most likely attempt to change it. Aspiring to change your body leads us to the next factor which is dieting, failing, and then dieting again. It’s a cycle that goes on and on, for a very long period of time. Other factors that can trigger anorexia include reading a teen fashion magazine, being chubby as a child, and the desire to look like a model. As you can see anorexia isn’t triggered by only one single factor, it’s triggered by multiple ones. Recently a scientific study was made and came to the conclusion that 1 in 200 women in America struggle with anorexia. The study also found out that 10-15% of people that struggle with anorexia are males. As you can…

    • 679 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Eating Disorders

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Anorexia is a disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat. Anorexia’s characteristics include dry/flaky skin, excessive exercise, dizziness, weakness, heart problems, organ weakness/failure, low heart rate, or mood swings. In the video, some girls who were already dangerously thin saw themselves as ‘fat’ and felt the need to get even thinner. Studies have shown that anorexia affects one half to one percent of people in the US. Anorexia can be caused by social/psychological/cultural influences or if a individual places too much importance on their looks.…

    • 332 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    According to the something fishy web site anorexia is defined as those who are suffering with this illness have a low self-esteem and often a tremendous need to control their surroundings and emotions. (http://www.something-fishy.org/whatarethey/anorexia.php). People with this disorder usually have internal and external conflict with themselves. New research shows that for some people they suffer from a genetic predisposition which may have a role in developing anorexia. People with this disorder are very sensitive about people thinking they are fat or they have a huge fear about becoming fat in the future. Some behavioral signs of anorexia are obsessive exercise, calorie and fat gram counting and…

    • 477 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays