“It is estimated that 1.0% to 4.2% of women have suffered from anorexia in their lifetime” (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research”). Many people do not see anorexia as a disease, while there are many people who suffer from it. Anorexia is a serious eating disorder. The background of anorexia shows that it is a serious problem while many people have different views of anorexia and there are many case studies proving its existence. To begin with, anorexic background shows that it is a serious eating disorder.
Anorexia can be examined from many different perspectives. The History of Anorexia Nervosa and Other Eating Disorders states that, “Anorexia Nervosa means “nervous loss of appetite”(“The History Of Anorexia Nervosa and other Eating Disorders”). Evidence suggests that anorexia existed since 700 BC. The first diagnosis of anorexia took place in England in the 1680s. Historical Understandings According to Historical Understandings, “Historical documents show that Dr. Richard Morton of London described his twenty-year-old patient in 1686 as "a skeleton clad with skin” (“Historical Understandings”). There are many different signs indicating that one is anorexic.
There are physical implications as well as psychological and behavioral symptoms. A few physical consequences are excessive weight loss, fatigue, low blood pressure, absent menstrual periods in women, and thinning of hair. Some psychological and behavioral signs are depression, refusing to eat, refusing to acknowledge the illness, and saying one is overweight when they are truly thin. Signals that one should watch for in a person who they believe is suffering anorexia are excuses to avoid eating, compulsive exercising, cutting food into tiny pieces, planning meals for others but not eating for themself, and many more. There are many causes of anorexia that doctors are still researching today.
No one knows exactly what causes anorexia. Anorexia Nervosa addressed, “Medical experts agree that several factors work together in a complex fashion to lead to the eating disorder” (“Anorexia nervosa”). Doctors believe trauma and stress may be a cause of anorexia. Abnormalities in brain chemistry, cultural environments that puts high value on skinny bodies, fear of being humiliated for a bigger body, and family history to the disease are a few more causes that lead to anorexia. Anorexia nervosa has noted, “About one fifth of people with anorexia have a relative with an eating disorder” (“Anorexia nervosa”). Another cause of anorexia is the media and how they portray the so-called “perfect body”.
The media puts a huge impact on people and how they view their body. Body Image in the Media finds that, “Television is not the only form of media that influences our body image, of course. We watch movies, see pictures online, read magazines and other periodicals, watch performances by rock stars, see ads for clothing (featuring ridiculously skinny models) and so on. In all these forms of media, we see images of very skinny women” (“Body Image in the Media”). Many people look at celebrities wishing that their body looked like theirs. For example, millions of viewers watch the annual Victoria Secret Fashion show wishing their bodies resemble. There is a lot of pressure put onto people especially young girls when they look at everyday media. Little do they know, the bodies shown in the media are not the models’ true bodies. These images are photo shopped and digitally enhanced to hide the models so called imperfections. However, people have the pressure of wanting to be just like the models, which causes adolescents as well as adults to not eat and become anorexic to acquire the “perfect body”. There are many varying views on anorexia. Some people say anorexia is not a real disease, while others say that it is. People who do not see anorexia as a disorder say that girls do it for attention. Several people see anorexia as a way of others to reach out for attention and get help from others just to feel better about themselves, or as a drama queen.
Many do believe that anorexia is a serious eating disorder. ANAD questions, “Did you know eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness?” (“ANAD”). This statistic proves that anorexia is a real disorder. It shows that it is one of the highest mental illnesses that people have. An investigation into harrowing online forums promoting extreme dieting acknowledges, “It isn’t only young women who get drawn in, though the highest incidence of anorexia is among females aged 12-28, many sufferers are older – and 11% are male 'Anorexia is a lifestyle, not a disease'” (“An investigation into harrowing online forums promoting extreme dieting”). Not only women but men also go through anorexia. Everyone can be affected by it, even adolescents.
There have been countless case studies on anorexia. One case study is about a twenty-five year old girl named Sarah. Sarah was 5’3” and 95 pounds when she was going through anorexia. While she was going through anorexia, she stopped menstruating and her body was very brittle. Sarah’s body being so frail, she broke her foot during rehearsal. "I'm glad my body fell apart, otherwise I would have refused treatment until I dropped dead," she says (Segall). Many people do not recognize that they have an eating disorder, or they are scared to admit that they suffer from the disease. Segall claims, “College of Medicine, examined 397 eating disordered patients, 66 of whom were admitted involuntarily” (Segall). Once something happens to their body like an injury, they realize something is wrong with their body and seek for help. Anorexia can be caused by many different things. Eating disorders like anorexia have traditionally been attributed to environmental cues: rigid beauty standards, strict homes, rigorous sports and competition. Scientific evidence that they commonly run in families has only reinforced this view. Segall says, “Another report in the American Journal of Psychiatry suggests that a genetic trait may actually be the source of such disorders” (Segall). Anorexia is not just from competition or wanting to be like others, but may rooted to a genetic trait.
Another case study on anorexia was about fourteen year old named, Katie Metcalfe. Katie went to a school with three other boys in her class. She was pressured a lot when it came to being the only girl in class. Katie had no self-confidence and her body became something that she was incredible paranoid about. To add more pressure, Katie’s parents were having economic problems and were forced to move. Anorexia nervosa – Katie’s story writes, “I started to think that perhaps if I lost some weight and improved my fitness, things would change for the better. I assumed that thin people had fantastic lives and I could too” (“Anorexia nervosa – Katie's story”). Katie thought she could lose weight to cope her stress. She made a New Year’s resolution and cut out fats, carbs, and dairy out of her diet. Her diet consisted of lettuce, apples, and rice cakes. Katie explains what she was going through, “As I began to lose weight I started to feel that life was worth living. At last I seemed to be achieving something. A voice began to whisper in my ear and as I lost more weight, it became louder. Eventually, it was all I could hear. Nothing mattered more than satisfying the voice's need for weight loss and, ultimately, perfection” (“Anorexia nervosa – Katie’s story”).
Losing weight does not seem like it is a big deal when one is accomplishing it. Anorexia nervosa- Katie’s story writes, “When I looked in the mirror, a mound of blubber stared back” (“Anorexia nervosa – Katie’s story”). Losing weight feels like an accomplishment even when one is over working themselves. Katie’s periods stopped, her hair started to fall out, her skin cracked and bled, and her bones started to ache. When Katie’s periods stopped, her mother took her to the gynecologist. She was sent home with a diet to eat more. Katie continued with her workouts. Anorexia nervosa – Katie’s story states, "Eventually, I collapsed and ended up in hospital after having a minor heart attack while riding my bike. I was kept on a heart monitor for two days. I was sent home with another diet plan and the simple instruction: ‘eat'” (“Anorexia nervosa – Katie's story”). One does not notice how far their body can work on such a small diet, until they are sent to the hospital. Katie’s gynecologist sent her to a psychiatric ward hospital in Middlesbrough where she stayed for nine months. At the psychiatric ward, she was put on bed rest for five months and cognitive therapy sessions once a week. Katie has relapsed a couple of times, but after five years she had finally recovered. Katie now takes away her depression by writing about her experiences and exercising, but for pleasure, not punishment. Katie also writes about her experiences to help others who are going through the same problem, anorexia.
In conclusion, anorexia is a serious problem that many people over look. Involuntary hospitalization of patients with anorexia nervosa in extreme situations can save their lives claims, “Anorexia nervosa affects 0.5%-1% of women during their lifetimes, and about one tenth that number of men, putting the lives of patients with anorexia at risk in severe cases of the illness” (“Involuntary hospitalization of patients with anorexia nervosa in extreme situations can save their lives”). To begin with, the background of anorexia explains how it is a disorder. There are psychological and physical signs that show how it is a disorder; feeling like one is too fat and refusing to eat. Moving on, many people have different views on anorexia. Some say it is not a real disorder while others say that it is. To sum it up, there are several case studies on anorexia. Many different victims have gone through the same experience or even different experiences while they were anorexic.