Anorexia, Dying to Fit In - Essay Example

The media sends mixed messages regarding body image and food intake which only acts to confuse the public. Although all types of people, men and women, old and young, rich and poor suffer from Anorexia it is young women that are the most vulnerable. Anorexia is a complex eating disorder caused by several factors and can be effectively treated with the help of dieticians and therapists. A person is characterized as anorexic if they will not sustain their body weight to within 15 percent of what their normal weight should be. An anorexic is also identified as a person who has a distorted body image and an abnormal fear of weight gain, even the slightest amount. Other important features of Anorexia include denying the significance of the disorder, weight loss, starvation, and the associated health complications are severe and can cause death. People who are experiencing a continuing preoccupation with their weight and amount of food intake food even when they weigh less than what is considered normal would likely benefit from seeking a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. The word Anorexia means “loss of appetite,” but that is not an accurate definition. Persons with Anorexia frequently ignore their body’s hunger signals therefore control their food cravings. An anorexic might love to cook, experimenting with different recipes and food combinations but will not eat what they have prepared. It’s not a disdain for food, Anorexia is a negative body image issue. The anorexic may also be obsessed with exercise which accompanies the starvation habit. This can lead other people to falsely assume that the anorexic is thin and healthy. Anorexia is a more severe form a weight control than Bulimia, an associated eating disorder. The Bulimic is obsessed with maintaining their weight but cannot keep themselves from overeating so they “binge and purge” their food. They eat to excess them vomit. Anorexics are averse to eating and have a distorted body image; they think they are always too fat no matter how skeletal they appear to others. (Susic, 2012). Though obsession regarding body weight is the source for eating disorders, no one cause can be identified to fit all afflicted persons. Many factors can play a role including social and cultural, psychological and behavioral in addition to neurobiological and genetic reasons. Theories that parenting causes eating disorders persist but no clinical evidence yet conclusively supports the argument although common sense assessments do. Numerous studies have confirmed a genetic link. “Anorexia is eight times more common in people who have relatives with the disorder.” (“Anorexia Nervosa,” 2010) Research involving twins demonstrates a propensity to share specific eating disorders including obesity, Bulimia and Anorexia. In addition, scientists have recently identified particular chromosomes that are known to be linked with Anorexia and Bulimia. Biology, irregularities is the body’s functions; specifically the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA) can be a major factor for some who are struggling with the disorder. This complex structure within the brain involves the hypothalamus which controls behavior, such as sleeping, sexual conduct, regulation of body temperature, hormone secretion in addition to hunger and eating functions. The second part of the axis is the pituitary gland which controls the adrenal glands, thyroid functions, sexual maturation and growth. The third is the ... Read More