Psychological explanations of Anorexia and Bulimia
Based on the idea that woman experience more pressure to be thin that
men, Behar et al. investigated the effect of gender identity on eating
disorders. Behar et al. aimed to compare some traits of gender
identity between females with eating disorders and a control group.
126 participants, 63 of whom had either anorexia nervosa or bulimia
nervosa, and 63 who did not, were given a structured clinical
interview based on the DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for eating disorders
and the Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) for gender identity. Behar et
al. found that 43% of patients in contrast with 23.8% of controls were
classified within the feminine category. Likewise 19% of patients and
31.7% of controls were qualified as Androgynous (showed a mixture of
feminine and masculine traits) 27% of patients and 43% of controls
were qualified as Undifferentiated (not fitting either the feminine,
masculine, or androgynous categories).
Femininity emerged as the main trait of gender identity in patients
suffering of eating disorders compared with the control group who did
not have eating disorders therefore supporting the idea that woman
have more pressure than men to conform to media images of femininity,
therefore are more likely to develop eating disorders and that
Androgyny showed by the control group could result in a better
adaptability and flexibility to face difficult life circumstances.
The study however can be said to be oversimplified and reductionist as
it only considers the behavioral explanation and does take into
account the other explanations such as cognitive, psychodynamic and
biological, it therefore ignores the role of genetic factors causing
eating disorders despite the strong evidence of genetic involvement.
The study is not a true experiment; it is a natural experiment where
the independent variable was not under control. As the independent
variable was not directly manipulated it cannot be said that eating
disorders and gender identities are directly related or that gender
identity caused easting disorders to develop. This experiment was
carried out after the eating disorder had developed and it was assumed
Anorexia Nervosa has been a problematic disease many women suffer from. The article “The Slender Trap” was composed by Trina Rys who is a stay at home mother with a husband and one daughter. Rys writes the main reasons a woman may develop anorexia from. She states that the psychological pressures, expectations of friends and family and influences of the media all are factors when a woman is inflicted with the disease. I strongly agree with Rys persuading argument that anorexia could be caused by an unknown identity and the overall main focus of the ideal image of a woman. Although, I believe Rys requires a stronger argument on whether food restrictions executed by parents are a major step to developing the harmful illness. She seems to put emphasize on mainly women but does not shine any light on men.
Biological Explanation for Anorexia Nervosa Evidence for a faulty gene. AIMS: to see if concordance rates for anorexia are higher in MZ twins compared to DZ twins. This would provide evidence for a faulty gene causing the disorder because if one MZ twin develops anorexia, there should be 100% concordance (agreement) with the second MZ twin also suffering from it, since they share the same genes. The rates for DZ twins should be much lower because they share only 50% same genes. PROCEDURE: · Natural experiment: because the IV (genetic relatedness) occurs naturally and cannot be changed by the investigator.
Anorexia nervosa is a psychosociological disease which affects young women. Anorexia is mainly a female's disease which has been evident for centuries-however, in the past twenty years, the incidence of this disorder has risen to horrifying proportions. It is characterized by the refusal to maintain body wight over a minimal normal weight for age and height; intense fear of gaining weight; a distorted body image; and, amenorrhea. (http://www.pgi.edu/hagopian.htm) This disorder becomes a disease when the mind starts to cause problems with one's physical well-being. A connection has been found between sociocultural pressures to achieve, familial characteristics, and individual personality traits.
compelled to visit and belong to these groups. This documentary will include statistics about the typical age and background of the
As many as 20% of females in their teenage and young adult years suffer from anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa (Alexander-Mott, 4). Males are also afflicted by these eating disorders, but at a much lower rate, with a female to male ratio of six to one. Those with anorexia nervosa refuse to maintain a normal body weight by not eating and have an intense fear of gaining weight. People with bulimia nervosa go through periods of binge eating and then purging (vomiting), or sometimes not purging but instead refraining from eating at all for days. Both of these disorders wreak havoc on a person's body and mental state, forcing them to become emaciated and often depressed.
A variation of Anorexia, Bulimia ranges from excessive food intake, to an out of control compulsive cycle of binge eating where extraordinary amounts of any available food, usually of high carbohydrate content, may be consumed. Once having gorged, the victims are overcome with the urge to rd themselves of what they hate eaten by purging themselves, usually by vomiting, and sometimes by massive doses of laxatives. Between these obsessive bouts, most are able to accept some nutrition. Whereas the anorexic sufferer fears fatness from anticipated loss of eating control, and unlike the anorexic sufferer the typical bulimic individual is not emaciated, but usually maintains a normal body weight and appears to be fit and healthy.
I did my research on eating disorders, specifically, Anorexia Nervosa (anorexia) and Bulimia Nervosa (bulimia). I chose anorexia and bulimia as my topic because eating disorders are common in today’s society and I often hear about girls suffering from it. I also have friends that have suffered from eating disorders and it makes me worry. I have even noticed that my little eight year old sister is concerned about her body. She asks me questions like “What do you think my butt looks like? Does it have the right shape?” Even at a young age girls have the impression of needing to look perfect. I think one of the biggest factors is how much pressure teenagers are under but especially how girls are getting the wrong impression from the media of what “perfect” is. Girls get this image of how they have to look from celebrities and also from magazines. Today almost every picture is photo shopped and it is impossible to look like girls that have been photo shopped to what society calls “perfect”. I have even seen a video on how an image of a girl on a magazine is made up of four different images of girls to make one “perfect” girl. I feel it is very sad how girls are judged on their bodies. I am hoping to learn about these eating disorders and understand better how to help my family and friends and also how to prevent them.
Eating disorders have become one of the most problematic issues in the world today. It is very common to hear that women are considered as the type of group who has the higher rate of eating disorders. Although that statement is true, many men also suffered from eating disorder as well. The development of eating disorders usually begins in the period of adolescents and continue until the period of adulthood. However, this does not limit to the fact that it may happen in an earlier period and continue until the latter period.
There are many forms of eating disorders in the world; however, the two most common disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Anorexia and Bulimia are found mostly in teens and young adult women (Amjad). Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person will starve them self in order to loose weight. (Amjad) Bulimia Nervosa is another common form of an eating disorder. In this case a person will go through periods of binge eating and then self-induce themselves to purge or vomit. (Amjad) Although we know many things about the physical aspects of these disorders, scientists still ponder on why people may develop one or both of these two eating disorders. Through much research, scientists may have found three possible explanations, which are pressure from society and friends, genetic links, or mental health related issues, as well as through pop culture media. There are also treatments available to those that fall victim and for those who want to be anorexic or bulimic there is support website that you give you tips and tricks to help you get started. Most people would say that in order to strive to be what society wants a person to look like, young females, in particular, teenagers and young adults, would starve or use self-induced purging in order to make themselves acceptable. Most people with these two eating disorders usually strive to make everything perfect in their lives. (Anorexia & Bulimia) The victims of these disorders usually get good grades and are highly involved in their community. (Anorexia & Bulimia) Usually they feel like one way to take control of their lives is to control what they eat. (Anorexia &Bulimia) In most cases, anorexics tend to be of normal weight and become withdrawn right before the...
This study has several goals. First, the authors compare men with eating disorders to women with eating disorders, specifically to find clinical similarities. Because eating disorders are considered rare in men, the authors set out to investigate the differences between the two sexes. Second, the authors wanted to find differences in men with eating disorders and normal men. The authors also set out to find a representative sample that would provide the greatest validity. Concentrating on men with eating disorders, the authors also were looking for a correlation between eating disorders and other psychological disorders, such as affective disorder, anti-social personality disorder, and substance abuse. On the subject of sexual orientation, the authors explain, "...although an obvious area of investigation, (sexual orientation) was deemed too sensitive a topic for a government-sponsored survey and unfortunately was not assessed".
Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness; 24 million people of all ages and genders suffer from eating disorders and only 1 in 10 of those 24 million are treated (ANAD). Eating disorders do not discriminate; all ages, genders, ethnicities and races can be victim to this mental illness. It’s important to be aware of the impact eating disorders have on societies across the globe and how the media plays a role if we want to fight the source and promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. I’ve known many people in my life who have some sort of eating disorder, whether it’s anorexia(not eating enough), binge eating(eating large amounts of food rapidly), bulimia (throwing up their food) or just struggling with an unsatisfying self-image. Becoming aware of eating disorders and how they are developed is important to me because in a perfect world, I would like to see this illness become less common or diminished completely among those that I love and anyone else in today’s society. Eating disorders hit home for many people, including myself. Raising awareness may decrease the rate of eating disorders by informing the population of the harm this illness causes and hopefully promote prevention and/or rehabilitation. With the 3 theoretical approaches used by sociologists, Eating disorders can be understood which will better inform society on how to raise awareness, prevent this illness and help those who suffer from eating disorders.
Eating disorders are largely considered to be a "female disease". Statistics seem to validate this perception – of the estimated five million-plus adults in the United States who have an eating disorder, only ten percent are thought to be male ((1)). Many professionals, however, hold the opinion that these numbers are incorrect – it is impossible to base the statistics on anything other than the number of adults diagnosed with eating disorders, and men are much less likely than women to seek help for such a problem ((2)). This means that the male population probably suffers more from eating disorders than the numbers show.
When considering the relationship between gender and eating disorders, more than 90 percent of t...
Differences and Similarities Between Bulimia and Anorexia In this essay similarities and the differences between anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are considered. Similarities in the explanations of the two eating disorders are discussed through psychodynamic, behavioural, genetic and biochemical explanations. Anorexia nervosa is a complex emotional problem characterized by an obsession with food, weight, and thinness. Victims actually starve themselves, eating fewer calories than their bodies need to function.
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.