In America, girls are given the message at a very young age that in order to be
happy and successful, they must be thin. Given the value which society places on
being thin, it is not surprising that eating disorders are on the increase.
Every time you walk into a store, you are surrounded by the images of emaciated
models that appear on the covers of fashion magazines. Thousands of teenage
girls are starving themselves daily in an effort to attain what the fashion
industry considers to be the "ideal" figure. The average model weighs
23% less than the average woman. Maintaining a weight 20% below your expected
body weight fits the criteria for the emotional eating disorder known as
anorexia. Most models, according to medical standards, fit into the category of
being anorexic (Thompson, Colleen). Anorexia has been known and recognized by
doctors for at least 300 years. Most researchers agree that the number of
patients with this life threatening disease is increasing at an alarming rate.
The Rice Counseling Center defines anorexia as "an emotional disorder
characterized by an intense fear of becoming obese, lack of self-esteem and
distorted body image which results in self-induced starvation". In
accordance with information given by the Counseling Center at the University of
Lawson 2 Virginia, the development of this disease generally begins at the age
of 11 or 18. Significantly, these ages coincide with new phases of a girl's
life, the commencement and ending of adolescence. Recent estimates suggest that
out of every 200 American girls between this age span, one will develop anorexia
to some degree. The disease develops over a period of time during which the
sufferer changes her eating patterns from normal or near normal to a very
restricted diet (S.C.A.R.E.D. Website). This process can take anywhere from
months to years. Clinically, an anorexic is diagnosed by having a body weight
20% below the expected body weight of a healthy person at the same age and
height of the eating disorder patient. The anorexic often becomes frightened of
gaining weight and even of food itself. The patient may feel fat, even though
their body weight is well below the normal weight for their height. Some also
feel they do not deserve pleasure out of life and will deprive themselves of
situations offering pleasure, including eating. The fears of anorexics become so
difficult to manage that the sufferer will gradually isolate him/herself from
other people and social activities (S.C.A.R.E.D. Website). This happens so the
sufferer can continue the exhausting anorexic behaviors. Although 30% of
anorexics eventually die from the disorder, approximately one third overcome the
disease with psychiatric help. While the cause of anorexia is still unknown, a
combination of psychological, environmental, and physiological factors is
associated with the development of this disorder (Cove, Judy). The most common
cause of anorexia in a girl is perception of Lawson 3 her weight. Anorexics feel
as if they are heavier than the others around them, and believe the quickest way
to lose weight is to simply stop eating. "I became obsessed with body
image. I kept journals and in one pathetic passage I described how I went for
sixteen days on water, and only about two glasses a day" says former
anorexic Nanett Pearson, Miss Utah 1996. Ironically, when a person stops eating,
their body goes into starvation mode losing very small amounts of weight. When
the body receives food, it is then stored away until the next time food is
obtained. At first, this method may seem to work and the subject loses weight,
but as the body soon adjusts to the lack of food it learns to use the energy it
is given stingily. Another cause of anorexia is the need to obtain perfection. A
perfectionist desires excellence in all aspects of their life. When they cannot
achieve perfection in their endeavors, they "punish" themselves by
restriction or starvation. A perfectionist likes to be better than everyone
else, if she sees someone with a waist an inch smaller, her waist must be two
inches smaller. Anorexics sometimes desire control over their lives, including
their physical and emotional surroundings. Miss Pearson explains "I loved
the power I felt in starving myself". People who fall towards anorexia
often times feel they have a lack of control in their lives and the only thing
they can control is what they eat. They have control over their body and eat
exactly what they want or eat nothing at all. It is not uncommon to find an
anorexic that feels "high" after periods of starvation. Overall,
eating disorders can have a very "numbing" effect and give victims a
feeling of power over their own emotions. Deep emotional conflicts can also
contribute to the disease. When a child is told that she is fat, ugly, or
stupid, often enough she Lawson 4 believes those comments. As she grows into an
adolescent, her hips begin to widen, acne appears on her face, and fat begins to
deposit in places it never had before. The names she was called as a child begin
to seem true in her mind. She looks in the mirror and sees a fat girl. She
begins dieting at first and soon decides to stop eating to acquire small
features similar to when she was younger. The effects of anorexia nervosa are
severe and sometimes irreversible. It can cause changes externally, internally,
and psychologically. The external changes can be dramatic weight loss,
headaches, kidney infections, dry skin, hair loss, and growth of fine body hair.
The internal changes include loss of menstrual cycle, low blood pressure,
swelling, loss of bone density, liver damage, dental problems, constipation,
infertility, extreme temperature sensitivity, cramps, poor circulation,
diarrhea, dehydration, slowed or irregular heart rate, and dilation of
intestines. Psychologically, the anorexic suffers with isolation from others,
impaired neuromuscular functions, mood swings, fainting spells, insomnia,
weakness, hyperactivity, low self esteem, fatigue, depression, self-hatred,
electrolyte imbalance, loss of sexual desire, psychological, physical, and
biochemical disturbances, and eventually death. It is said that up to 30% of
anorexics either die from complications due to the eating disorder or commit
suicide as a result of the emotional turmoil in their lives. Treatment for
anorexia nervosa usually consists of nutritional therapy, individual
psychotherapy, and family counseling. A team made up of pediatricians,
psychiatrists, social workers, and nurses often administer treatment. Some
physicians hospitalize anorexia patients until they are nutritionally stable,
while others prefer to work with Lawson 5 patients in a family setting. The most
urgent concern of the physician is getting the patient to eat and gain weight,
this is accomplished by gradually adding calories to the patient's daily intake
(Cove, Judy). When hospitalized, privileges are sometimes granted in return for
gaining weight. Individual psychotherapy is also necessary in the treatment of
anorexia to help the patient understand the disease process and its effects.
Therapy focuses on the patient's relationships with her family, friends, and the
reasons she may have fallen into a pattern of self-starvation. As a patient
learns more about her condition, she is often more willing to try to help
herself recover. In treating anorexia nervosa, it is extremely important to
remember that immediate success does not guarantee a permanent cure. Sometimes,
even after successful hospital treatment and return to normal weight, patients
suffer relapses. Follow-up therapy lasting three to five years is recommended if
the patient is to be completely cured (Cove, Judy). Lawson 6
Bibliography
Thompson, Colleen. "Society and Eating Disorders." Mirror Mirror
19, October 1998. Online. Available http://www.mirror-mirror.org/society.htm
Accessed 23, October 1998. Saunders, Janice. "Anorexia and Bulimia."
S.C.A.R.E.D. Online. Available http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Spa/3901/index.html
Accessed 23, October 1998. Cove, Dr. Judy. "Anorexia Nervosa General
Information." Mental Health Net Online. Available http://www.cmhc.com
Accessed 23, October 1998. Pearson, Nanett. "A Personal Recovery Story:
Starving for Attention." Attention Online. Available http://www.laureate.com/attention.html
Accessed 31, October 1998.