Anorexia in Teens

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

Disordered eating can consist of anorexia, nervosa and bulimia. The images of being thin portrayed by media can result in teenagers feeling depressed, anxious and incline in self-worth. These feelings can then lead to depression, low self-esteem and anxiety, causing teenagers to lose self-worth.

This paper explores the proposed use of Dialectic Therapy (DBT) on adolescents between the ages of twelve and eighteen who are diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa (AN). It will address the nature and extent of the issue of AN in the target population, weigh the positive and negative aspects of different types of therapies on the target population and show the potential limitations of the use of DBT versus other forms of therapies.

Today there are many problems youths and adults go through daily. Many women and men listen to society, so opinions matter to them. Their body image is very problematic to those who listen to society more. Anorexia has triggered many youths, women, and men. Today anorexia has increased instead of decreasing mainly in teenage girls. Teenage girls go through this problem due to insecurity society gives them, stress, and sometimes family history also triggers them.

The study conducted had a sample size of 90 Polish women with AN and the control group was 120 females without any signs of an eating disorder. These females were studied to identify any substantial differences in behavior. The result of the study was that females with AN exhibited less control over cognitive function and emotional behavior. The conclusion reached was that being able to identify the symptoms typical of an eating disorder in females could help in improving treatments and could also prevent any dangerous habits developed by those with

Childhood experiences are very influential in molding the perspectives regarding body image among individuals. Emotional invalidation coming from ones parents has been shown to be positively correlated with an increased rate of eating disorders among male and female adolescents. Research conducted by Shisslak et al. (1995) showed that among a sample of university students 91% of the women reported attempting to control their weight through a variety of dieting strategies. There are many factors that have been suggested as being responsible for this negative perception of body image, but a major one often researched stems from the relationships within ones own family. Often time’s society is blamed for the development of eating disorders

This article relates to the general strain theory, which talks about how “people of all social classes and economic positions deal with frustrations in routine daily life,” (Schram and Tibbetts, 2018, pg. 216). Also, some key propositions this theory has is it “added the component of coping mechanisms and individuals’ ability to deal with stress in a healthy way,” (Schram and Tibbetts, 2018, pg. 226). This proposition related to the article in the way that the girls are having to cope and deal with stress that is brought upon them from the exposure

Sexually transmitted diseases are also not the only thing that adolescents obtain. The other phenomenon that occurs because of the media is that teenagers these days try to make their bodies perfect, just like the bodies of the stars on TV. There are many different ways how they can try to make their bodies perfect. As the website, MEDIA AWARENESS NETWORKS mentions it, fasting, skipping meals, excessive exercise, laxative abuse, and self-induced vomiting are all considered as unhealthy methods of maintaining weight. Some of these methods are also under the name of Anorexia. Girls are mainly the ones who turn

The culture and society people live in today tells people that in order to fit in then they have to be perfect. In order to become perfect people starve themselves, which can lead to anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Media also plays a huge part in causing eating disorders. TV, movies, magazines and the internet give unrealistic images on what a persons bodies should look like. Media uses airbrushed models as an image of the average woman but in reality the model weighs twenty- three percent less than the average woman (Self Image Media Influences). Women see these images and take unhealthy measures to try and fit the standards set by media. Researchers at Duke University took a survey and discovered that forty percent of nine and ten year old girls have admitted to being on a diet. In a study based on self-image three out of four girls said that they are overweight but only one out of them was, the Rader Programs did this study (self Image Media

In America, many teenagers are suffering with multiple eating disorders. Once they begin to monitor what to eat, they tend to perform many exercise routines followed by the lack of not eating, these situations should be alarming to the parent that something is not right. Thus, what can we do to resolve this situation among teens? Parents should first become informed towards the issue which their child is facing and take action immediately to save their child from the dangerous activities. It is important for them to realize that their child is in great danger once they begin to do any of these tasks. Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are psychological problems which mostly affect teenagers and causes them to become conscious about their

Eating disorders are subjective to each individual’s personal experiences, with that said; there are common influences which may contribute to the disorder. The transition into adolescents can be a confusing time for the individual, both physically and mentally. As the adolescent’s body begins to rapidly change during puberty, this physical transformation can lower self-esteem and raise self-consciousness. Adding to this confusing time for the adolescent is pressure from society. Adolescents are exposed to various media outlets where the ideal body image is promoted and often times reflect a thin or smaller appearance. This exposure leads to the adolescent comparing their changing physically appearance to the standard set in the media.

Another problem mentally and physically is eating disorders. An eating disorder is a psychological disorder characterized by serious eating problems (Google) ; there are three types of eating disorders Anorexia nervosa, Bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorders. An article written by Mayo Clinic talks about causes of an eating disorder and one of these causes is society, as you read on the Mayo talks about how the “modern Western cultural environment often cultivates and reinforces a desire for thinness. Success and worth are often equated with being thin in popular culture. Peer pressure and what people see in the media may fuel this desire to be thin, particularly among young girls.” (Mayo Clinic Staff ,Eating Disorders,MayoClinic.com) With that information shared to us by the Mayo Clinic shows that the Media plays a huge role in eating disorders. According to the American Psychological Association when you have an eating disorder you suffer from low self-esteem, feeling of helplessness, and intense dissatisfaction with the way they look. The article also talks about how eating disorders mostly affect teenage girls and woman.

Eating disorders in children and teens cause serious changes in their health. Eating disorders are characteristics and cause by eating behaviors, also people with this disorder use eating, purging or restructuring with their issues. Eating disorders is divided into three parts as anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, compulsive overeating, etc (Eating Disorders,n.d.).Eating disorders can overlap between and alternate of anorexia and bulimia. Eating disorders around the adolescence, but it can also start in childhood. Girls with bulimia nervosa fall within their normal range of body weight, but to them some girls feel that they are overweight. Almost 25 percent of females have bulimia in their lifetime. There are many celebrities who suffer from eating disorders while coming up in Hollywood or currently battling the disorder. Like, former pop singer/ performer Lady Gaga struggled with bulimia and anorexia while beginning her career. Another singer name Kesha, has recently been treated for an unspecified eating disorder (n.d.). Karen Carpenter, a former singer, died from cardiac arrest at the age of 32, for years she suffer from severe anorexia. Another singer name Demi Lovato, has become one of the most outspoken about her mental issues within her eating disorder (n.d.). Sharon Osbourne, wife of Ozzy Osbourne and former ‘The Talk’ host, Sharon has struggled with bulimia for over 30 years. Another famous daytime talk show host, Oprah Winfrey is a sufferer of disordered eating.

Bulimia and anorexia can be an issue that many teen girls go through today. Bulimia and anorexia are similar sicknesses except bulimia is when you eat large amounts of food then you throw it up, and anorexia is when you eat small portions of food and rarely eat at all. These are all caused because these teen girls want to have that beauty ideal. Their eating behavior starts to change dramatically wanting to get thin, and lose weight. In this case when these teen girls suffer from anorexia they tend to think that they feel fat or they hate their body when in reality their body isn’t healthy when they get to that point of having anorexia or bulimia. This can be dangerous to their body they’re thinking that vomiting or eating small portions

This paper is a critical analysis of how research into pro-anorexia websites effects is insufficient for determining their influence on body dissatisfaction, dieting and anorexia nervosa (AN) disorder. These unorthodox services have received outrage in recent New Zealand (NZ) news coverage because they are seen to advocate engagement in eating disorder behaviour, and disengagement from professional treatment (Hawkes, 2017).