More handpicked essays just for you.
Biological causes of anorexia
Biological considerations of anorexia nervosa
Biological component of anorexia nervosa
Don’t take our word for it - see why 10 million students trust us with their essay needs.
Recommended: Biological causes of anorexia
There are many plausible factors that can lead to the development of anorexia nervosa. There is some indication that supports the idea that some people are more genetically predisposed to developing eating disorders such as anorexia. Many signs that show that if there is a biological connection to someone suffering from anorexia, then others in the family are more than 10 times likely to develop the disorder. Some studies have even shown the heritably of eating disorders, including anorexia, to be over 50% (ADD CITATION). Another biological factor could be the cause of this disease is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA). The HPA is responsible for releasing certain neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine,
Anorexia Nervosa may be described directly as an eating disease classified by a deficit in weight, not being able to maintain weight appropriate for one’s height. Anorexia means loss of appetite while Anorexia Nervosa means a lack of appetite from nervous causes. Before the 1970s, most people never heard of Anorexia Nervosa. It was identified and named in the 1870s, before then people lived with this mental illness, not knowing what it was, or that they were even sick. It is a mental disorder, which distorts an individual’s perception of how they look. Looking in the mirror, they may see someone overweight
Many causes are attributed to anorexia, and scientists have studied the personalities, genetics, environments, and biochemistry of people suffering from this disorder. Women most often share various traits--although the more that is learned, the more complex each individual case becomes--low self-esteem, feelings of helplessness, and a fear ...
There is no known exact cause of either anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa, but many factors play a role in the initial onset, such as: personality traits, low self-esteem, and social and cultural influences (Costin, 21). Many anorexics have specific personality traits that urge them to refrain from eating. Many are perfectionists that will diet and exercise and not eat until their bodies are perfect. Unfortunately, however, he or she never thinks their body is perfect, and continues their destructive cycle. Anorexics that are perfectionists also tend to want to be in control at all times. Often , they feel as though others are trying to force them to do
Anorexia Nervosa (AN) is an eating disorder with the highest mortality rate of any other mental disorder. The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders characterizes the disorder as “a relentless pursuit of thinness and unwillingness to maintain a normal or healthy body weight”. (2014) Individuals also experience a “distortion of body image, intense fear of gaining weight and extremely disturbed eating behavior.” (National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Related Disorders, 2014) As a result, they experience complications physically, mentally and socially. About 80% of individuals with eating disorders suffer from cardiac complications with death due to arrhythmias being the most common cause. This paper will focus on the connection between AN and cardiovascular rhythm disturbances. Individuals with this disorder have an increased chance of sudden death due to cardiovascular abnormalities like bradycardia, myocardial modification including atrophy and refeeding syndrome. (Casiero & Frishman, 2006)
There is argument about whether or not Anorexia can be incited by environmental factors and whether the occurrence of Anorexia is increasing at all. The article “Not Our Stars But Ourselves” stated, “Some of these causes may overlap with one another, but biomedical researchers are virtually unanimous that Anorexia has physical roots” (Schwarz). The article also question whether growing a...
Anorexia has many negative effects as well. According to the University of Maryland Medical Centers article Eating Disorders, “Anorexia nervosa can increase the risk for serious health problems such as: hormonal changes including reproductive, thyroid, stress, and growth hormones, heart problems such as abnormal heart rhythm, electrolyte imbalance, fertility problems, bone density loss, anemia, and neurological problems.” Anorexia can severely affect a person internally. The continuous lack of nutrients can leave an anorexic person extremely frail. The heart in particular can grow so weak, that heart failure occurs. Eating disorders can lead too permanent health damages can stay with a person for the rest of their life.
The cause of anorexia is unknown, but people with this disorder believe that they will be happier and more excepted thin. These people tend to be perfectionist and have to have everything in their lives perfect. Many cases occur in good students that are involved in student activities and sports. Anorexics incorrectly believe that they need to lose weight to be happy. Body image distortions are common. Some cases of Anorexia occur from difficulties in relationships and unresolved conflicts or painful experiences from childhood.
Many scientific have concluded that neurotransmitter have an important role in the production of hormones. Some researchers have found that patient with anorexia nervosa also have abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitter. Lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin are connected to bulimia, depression and food disorders; lower levels of nor epinephrine was found on anorexic patients. It is possible that abnormal levels of the nor epinephrine neurotransmitter could cause weight loss on anorexic patients. These are some examples that support the scientific researches. (Encyclopedia of Obesity and Eating disorders,
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa affect millions of people each year in the United States (1). Popular thought holds that these disorders are caused by women trying to fulfill a culturally imposed ideal body image which stresses thinness. As anorexia and bulimia have proven difficult to treat solely with a psychological-based treatment plan it is likely that there are many factors contributing to these disorders. Research has shown, however, that there is a significant biological component which leads to a manifestation of these disorders (2). Current ideas on the biological origins of anorexia and bulimia will be explored in this paper. These include areas ranging from genetic factors to neurotransmitter and hormone imbalances. Genetics appears to play a significant role in predisposing a person to developing an eating disorder. Abnormal neurotransmitter levels have been shown to exist in people with both bulimia and anorexia. Hormone functioning and levels are also atypical in people with eating disorders. While most studies focus on one area, and usually on just one neurotransmitter or hormone, the different biological causes of eating disorders seem to be related to one another. How these possible biological causes influences the I-function (which is the term for the components of the nervous system which give a sense of being oneself) will be examined as well in this paper. Anorexia nervosa is described as a disorder in which women and men intentionally starve themselves, losing at least fifteen percent of their normal body weight. This self imposed emaciation usually begins during puberty and is most common among middle to upper class Caucasian women, affecti...
There may be murmurs about that girl who only fixes herself a salad with only vinegar at dining services or suspicious glances at someone who spends 45 minutes on the treadmill and then switches to the stair stepper at the rec. On-campus eating disorders are talked about everywhere and yet are not really talked about at all. There is observation, concern, and gossip, but hushed conversation and larger scale efforts to help and change never seem to earn public attention.
Out of all mental illnesses found throughout the world, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate. Anorexia nervosa is one of the more common eating disorders found in society, along with bulimia nervosa. Despite having many definitions, anorexia nervosa is simply defined as the refusal to maintain a normal body weight (Michel, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is derived from two Latin words meaning “nervous inability to eat” (Frey, 2002). Although anorexics, those suffering from anorexia, have this “nervous inability to eat,” it does not mean that they do not have an appetite—anorexics literally starve themselves. They feel that they cannot trust or believe their perceptions of hunger and satiation (Abraham, 2008). Anorexics lose at least 15 percent of normal weight for height (Michel, 2003). This amount of weight loss is significant enough to cause malnutrition with impairment of normal bodily functions and rational thinking (Lucas, 2004). Anorexics have an unrealistic view of their bodies—they believe that they are overweight, even if the mirror and friends or family say otherwise. They often weigh themselves because they possess an irrational fear of gaining weight or becoming obese (Abraham, 2008). Many anorexics derive their own self-esteem and self-worth from body weight, size, and shape (“Body Image and Disordered Eating,” 2000). Obsession with becoming increasingly thinner and limiting food intake compromises the health of individuals suffering from anorexia. No matter the amount of weight they lose or how much their health is in jeopardy, anorexics will never be satisfied with their body and will continue to lose more weight.
Among them are genetics. Recent research shows that scientists are finding a link between genetics and anorexia; it is possible that genetics can cause anorexia. In the article Anorexia and Bulimia, Cracking the Genetic Code Gina Shaw writes about how a private European foundation conducted research into the genetics of anorexia. “Their early results found a couple of "likely suspects": areas on chromosomes 1 and 10 that appear to be significantly linked with anorexia and bulimia. Follow-up studies of candidate genes have identified several genes that may increase a person's vulnerability to these disorders.” Although research studies show that genetics may have some effect on the likelihood of admitting anorexia, it has not yet been proven that genetics is indeed hereditary. In the same article, author Gina Shaw later quotes Craig Johnson, PhD, director of the Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic saying, “I don't think any of us feel that we're going to find a single gene that will account for anorexia nervosa and bulimia, such as with the gene for Huntington's disease, we're convinced that instead there will be a number of genes that, to small effect, line up to create susceptibility.” This research finding explains that although genes maybe increase one’s chance of getting anorexia, it is not definite that it is. In the same article Gina Shaw quotes, “ I think what we're learning is that the genetic predisposition interacts with the culture to bring about anorexia and other eating disorders, you're born with the gun, and society -- your cultural and environmental circumstances -- pulls the trigger.” Biological factors such as genetics may have a degree in which it affects the likelihood of getting anorexia, but recent studies show that the link between genetics and anorexia is not strong enough to validate that anorexia is genetically inherited. Until scientists prove that
For the last several decades, our society’s desired body image has been getting thinner and thinner. These changes in what is accepted by popular beauty standards have caused women, especially college-aged women, to use unhealthy methods to lose weight, such as over-exercising, under eating, and binge eating. According to Pyle, Mitchell, Eckert, Halvorson, Neuman, and Goff (1983) in their survey of women at a midwestern state school, “nearly one-half of the women (47%) admitted to having attempted specific weight-control methods” (77). This shows that eating disorders have been a problem in our country for a few decades, and they are definitely still a prevalent issue that needs to be addressed in our society today. Luckily, researchers are
Anorexia is a type of eating disorder who has an intense fear of gaining weight. They severely limit the amount of food they eat and can become dangerously thin (1). Anorexia affects both the mind and body and can even become deadly. Anorexia usually starts in the teen years and can go into adult hood. Untreated anorexia can lead to starvation and serious health problems, such as osteoporosis, kidney damage, and heart problems. Some people die from these problems (1). The cause of anorexia is not fully understood. It is thought to be from a mix of physical, emotional,, and social triggers (2). Extreme dieting changes how the brain and metabolism work, and it stresses the body. Genetics play a big part in anorexia. A combination of certain personality traits such as low self-confidence along with perfectionism and cultural and social pressures can play a big part in anorexia. For some teens, anorexia can be a way of coping with stressful events, such as moving, divorce, or the death of a love one (2).
Both the videos in module 9 spoke upon the same message, eating disorders–the signals, the reason, the types and the solutions. The first video, “Introduction to Eating Disorders” spoke mostly about the various types of eating disorders and their associated behaviors. The video also shares how to identify types of eating disorders, which I thought was enlightening. The second video “Eating Disorders and the Athlete” expressed a similar overall message about eating disorders but, then switched focus to the female athlete triad syndrome.