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Anorexia, it’s Not Just For Girls Anymore
Today Anorexia Nervosa is a well-known problem, but this was not always true. In
1970’s a widespread disease awakened people of its existence and became a warning of an
epidemic which had begun. “According to Dr. Hilde Bruch, Anorexia is the third chronic illness
among teenage girls, but it can occur in young adult women, and in older ones as well.”(Lucas
3). Anorexia is classified as one of several eating disorders. This is a mental and psychological
illness characterized with weight loss and psychological problems. It includes fear of weight gain
and a distorted self-image. Eating disorder frequently appears in pre-teen or young adulthood,
but it may also develop during childhood. There are different categories of eating disorders. They
include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder. Anorexia Nervosa is the
most common of these (Lucas 3-5).
Anorexia Nervosa is a difficult issue for many young people. Because of this, parents
wonder why teens become anorexic. According to the Mayo Clinic website article on Anorexia,
“The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown.” But, “As with many diseases, it's probably a
combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.” The article explains that
some people may be more likely to develop anorexia because of unbalanced levels of Serotonin
in their brains. Also, some people may have psychological issues like compulsive tendencies that
may lead to anorexia. Finally, constant images of thin people in the media may add to the
problem. Even with all of these explanations, there is not one thing that can be proven to cause
anorexia, but scientists are still trying to learn more.
People with Anorexia try to lose weight by reducing the amount of their daily food and
doing excessive exercise. The Mayo Clinic explains there are three different types of signs and
symptoms including physical, emotional, and behavioral symptoms. Physical symptoms can be
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extreme loss of weight, thin appearance, low blood pressure, dry skin, intolerance of cold,
dizziness, swelling of arms and legs, and many irregular sings in body shapes and metabolism. In
addition to physical problems, Anorexia brings many emotional struggles like extreme fear of
gaining weight, irritability and depressed mood. Then there are behavioral symptoms such as,
refusing to eat, denial of hunger, doing excessive exercise, and social withdrawal ("Anorexia
Nervosa.").
Anorexia is dangerous because it may happen in different ages or different genders.
Historically it is more common in female and it begins in young adulthood or teenage. However,
anorexia has been increasing in men in recent years. Medical professionals say this could be
because of societal pressures. Other factors that can increase the chance of becoming anorexic
are genetics and family history. Researchers have discovered biological evidence of a genetic
underpinning of anorexia nervosa which increases a person’s vulnerability to this disease. This
means that the disease could affect men or women through their genes. “Anorexia can be as
strongly genetically linked as many psychiatric disorders; In other words, people can get
anorexia from their parents” (Shaw 2).
Understanding the causes of Anorexia may be hard, but understanding the problems
related to it are simple. The human body needs nutrition to function. Long starvation can cause
serious damage and long complications, physical and mental, on a body. Becoming underweight
is not the only problem that the person deals with. In some cases Anorexia can cause abnormal
heart beats that can lead the person to die. Other complications related to Anorexia include
Anemia, heart problems, kidney problems, bone loss. It also can cause mental problems,
depression, anxiety disorders, and drug abuse. When a person becomes anorexic, every organ of
the body can be damaged. Even after anorexia is under control and the patient is getting
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treatment, the damage may not be fully revisable ("Anorexia Nervosa.").
If someone does develop anorexia, there are things that can help. However, the treatment
of anorexia is not an easy process because many people with anorexia refuse to go to a doctor
and get treatment. Since this illness involves both body and mind, a team of treatments including,
medical doctors, psychologist, and counselor may be involved. Because of the deep damages that
this illness causes, the patients usually need several medical care professionals to treat them. The
first goal for an anorexic patient is getting back to the health weight because the treatment cannot
be started without getting back to the normal weight. The second step is nutritional counseling to
help the person develop good meal planning skills. And the final step will be counseling and
therapy to help the patient deal with negative thoughts about him/herself and how to overcome
emotions, relationships problem, and stress ("Anorexia Nervosa.")
Many people think that Anorexia a girl problem and they think that men are not affected
by this problem, but men and boys are affected by Anorexia, too. According to a national survey
among 60,861 adults, 38% of women and 24% of men have eating disorder problems and try to
lose weight, and among 11,467 high school students, 44% of female and 15% of males were
trying to lose weight. Several studies in last years showed that up to 25% of anorexia cases are
men’s cases. This research indicates that eating disorders are increasing among boys and the fact
that one in four people suffering from anorexia are male make this a men’s issue as well as a
women’s issue. The idea that anorexia is a girl’s problem may actually make it worse for boys.
According to Dr. Hudson’s research the assumption that anorexia only affect girls, makes boys
feel ashamed to seek for help and that leads them to become even sicker because they come late
for treatments (Shiltz).
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Even though many people know about the dangers of Anorexia, they do not know that it
is affecting both women and men. Society still looks at it is a girl issue. Since people first
became aware of the disease over 30 years ago, medical professionals have learned a lot. They
have discovered information about the causes, learned about the symptoms and made treatments.
People know that Anorexia must be taken seriously because it can affect a person’s life and
health. It is more common in teenagers and young adulthood and it has been seen more in
women, but that does not mean that men are excluded from this illness. And, anorexia in men is
becoming more common. Unfortunately, eating disorders are increasing nowadays because of
many factors. But it is important to remember that people with anorexia need to be diagnosed
and medically and psychological treated, whether they are female or male.
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Works Cited
Hall, Will. "Male Anorexia Story. “YouTube. YouTube, 11 July 2013. Web.04 Oct. 2014.
"Anorexia Nervosa. “Risk Factors. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 05
Jan. 2012. Web. 04 Oct. 2014.
Lucas, Alexander R. "Demystifying Anorexia Nervosa: An Optimistic Guide to Understanding
and Healing." - 2004 by Alexander R. Lucas. Oxford University Press, 2004.Web. 04
Oct. 2014.
Shaw, Gina WebMD. "Anorexia and Bulimia: Cracking the Genetic Code." WebMD.
WebMD, 2005.Web. 04 Oct. 2014.
Shiltz, Tom. "Research on Males and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association.
“Research on Males and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association.4 Girls
Foundation, 2006.Web. 07 Oct. 2014.