The Diana Effect provides a compelling case study of how cultural influences can elevate general public and clinical awareness around a particular issue-in this case, the eating disorder
(ED) bulimia nervosa (BN) in the United Kingdom between 1988 and 2000-particularly between
1992 to 1997. Evidence ofthe Diana Effect are witnessed in an unprecedented (and since unrepeated) trifold rise in the rate of reported bulimia incidences in the UK, significantly paralleling the trajectory of Princess Diana's relationship with the public surrounding her personal battle with bulimia. Moreover, the surge in rate of bulimia incidences in the UK peaked in 1996, declining each year following 1997, the year in which Princess Diana died.
By publically sharing her private struggle and recovery process with bulimia nervosa,
Princess Diana provided a personal narrative for a disorder previously reserved primarily to diagnostic deliberations and clinical analysis; she served as a source of support and advocacy for many sufferers who sought help. Particularly in the UK where it was most publicized, Princess
Diana's public presence and advocacy helped to destigmatize bulimia nervosa-effectively serving to advance general understanding and promote seeking medical treatment for the disease.
1 The American Psychiatric Association. "Homosexuality and Sexual Disturbance: Proposed Changes."
(Dec. 1973) Position paper p. 1.
Kump2
II. Bulimia Nervosa: A "problematic" diagnosis
Like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), bulimia nervosa (BN) is a relatively new medical diagnosis. While anorexia and bulimia were first introduced as medical terms to the DSM in 1980, anorexia has been referenced throughout British history (as early as 1689 by English physician Rich...
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Ever since 1979, the world became introduced to a different type of anorexia disorder called bulimia nervosa by Gerald Russell. In the similar attempt to lose weight like anorexia, bulimia nervosa is characterized by having episodes of binge eating, followed by intense efforts to avoid gaining weight. Some of the methods to avoid gaining the weight can be to induce self-vomiting, and consuming laxatives or diuretics. As a result of Russell studying theses eating disorders, he discovered that approximately 1/100 women in Western societies were affected in 1990 (Palmer, 2014). Ever since bulimia nervosa became a known eating disorder, more people have been able to effectively be diagnosed with it, and more useful information about the disorder
The National Institute of Mental Health: Eating Disorders: Facts About Eating Disorders and the Search for Solutions. Pub No. 01-4901. Accessed Feb. 2002.
Worsnop, R. L. (1992, December 18). Eating disorders . CQ Researcher, 2, 1097-1120. Retrieved from http://library.cqpress.com/cqresearcher/
Keel, P.K., Mitchell, J.E., Miller, K.B., Davis, T.L. & Crow, S.J. (1999). Long-term Outcome of Bulimia Nervosa. Archives of General Psychiatry, 56(1), 63-69.
...d with anorexia has increased a lot during the last 30 years which is very heavily influenced with the body image that is presented by the media. Bulimia nervosa was first used in 1979 by Russell to describe one of his patients. Later in 1988 Cooper and Fairburn described bulimia as “a profound and distressing loss of control over eating,” and “irresistible cravings for food”. Today these eating disorders are classified by the DSM V, which I mentioned earlier.
The motivation that has the bulimia population striving for is none other than for the reason of staying thin. Since the 1980s, this has been an increasing dilemma for both the U.S and Europe. There is no direct cause for this mental disorder but rather a combination of factors that increase...
Eating Disorders." Current Issues: Macmillian Social Science Library. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web. 20 Oct. 2015.
The three most commonly known eating disorders of today are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating. Anorexia nervosa is a disease connected with abnormal eating; it is not brought on by excitement, delusions, overactivity or a bad habit, it is a mental illness. Development of anorexia usually starts in the early teenage years, however it can go undiagnosed for thirty to even forty plus years. Another eating disorder is bulimia, people who are bulimic have no time to think about daily life; all that is on there mind is their next meal. Someone who has bulimia often l...
Hoek, Hans Wijbrand, and Daphne Van Hoeken. "Review of the Prevalence and Incidence of Eating Disorders." International Journal of Eating Disorders 34.4 (2003): 383-96. Print.
Bulimia nervosa is a slightly less serious version of anorexia, but can lead to some of the same horrible results. Bulimia involves an intense concern about weight (which is generally inaccurate) combined with frequent cycles of binge eating followed by purging, through self-induced vomiting, unwarranted use of laxatives, or excessive exercising. Most bulimics are of normal body weight, but they are preoccupied with their weight, feel extreme shame about their abnormal behavior, and often experience significant depression. The occurrence of bulimia has increased in many Western countries over the past few decades. Numbers are difficult to establish due to the shame of reporting incidences to health care providers (Bee and Boyd, 2001).
Anorexic: this word is an adjective, a label, and to some, a lifestyle. Medically speaking, it is someone who suffers from the deadly and heartbreaking disease, Anorexia Nervosa. This term translates to “nervous loss of appetite”, but anyone who has battled through this sickness is aware how that is anything but true. Eating disorder patients do not, in fact, lose their appetite; there is more to it than that. Many perceive eating disorders as a choice to be thin, a diet, or a cry for attention; they do not see the mental destruction going on inside of the mind. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness, yet only 30% of people fully recover (ANAD). The general mindset that society has about eating disorders walks hand in hand with these statistics, slowing down any advances patients may be able to make. Eating disorder patients are not getting proper treatment because of ignorant misconceptions about the illness.
Shapiro, C. M. (2012). Eating disorders: Causes, diagnosis, and treatments [Ebrary version]. Retrieved from http://libproxy.utdallas.edu/login?url=http://site.ebrary.com/lib/utdallas/Doc?id=10683384&ppg=3
Anorexia nervosa and Bulimia nervosa are described as psychological eating disorders (Keel and Levitt, 1). They are both characterized by an over evaluation of weight. Despite being primarily eating disorders, the manifestations of bulimia and anorexia are different. They both present a very conspicuous example of dangerous psychological disorders, as according to the South Carolina Department of Health, “Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness” (Eating Order Statistics, 1). While Bulimia and anorexia both psychological disorders primarily prevalent in women, anorexia tend to have different diagnostic complexities, symptoms and physiological effects as compared to bulimia.
Matthews, John R. Library in a Book: Eating Disorders. New York: Facts on File Inc. 1991
Rader, Jonathon. "Does the media cause eating disorders?." healthcarecommunication.com. N.p., 28 Aug. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2013.