This sample research paper about eating disorders contains approximately 4600 words. 15 pages. An outline is included. There’s also a bibliography that includes 8 sources. You can also look at other examples of research papers for inspiration. Our expert writers are always available to help with your research paper. This is how you can earn an A for your paper! Contact our professional writing service for assistance. We provide high-quality assignments at affordable rates.
The most well-known eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. The term “eating disorder” encompasses a variety of psychological/psychiatric disorders involving disturbed eating patterns and attitudes toward food and body image. Eating disorders are characterized by unhealthy weight control and extreme body image distortion.
OVERVIEW OF EATING DISORDER TERMS
“NERVOSA” is the name of each disorder. These disorders may be caused by psychological problems. The eating-disordered behavior could also be contributing to them. Anorexia is defined as “lack appetite.” Anorexia nervosa, or “lack of appetite,” is characterized by a loss of body weight. Bulimia can be translated as “ox hungry” or “hungry to death”. Bulimia nervosa or BN is characterized with recurrent episodes and binging. This refers to eating large amounts of food, coupled with a feeling that you are losing control, and compensatory behaviors like fasting, purging, exercise, and fasting. Some people may experience overlap between these symptoms. Additionally, some individuals may exhibit disordered eating and/or severe body image disgracement. But they don’t necessarily fit the full criteria for either anorexia nor bulimia. This research paper provides more information on diagnostic criteria. It is important to remember that eating-related behaviours can be thought of as being on a continuum. This includes eating habits and body images.
CONTINUUM HEALTH RELATED EATING DISORDERS
Female sex stereotypes include a preoccupation with beauty and a constant pursuit of it. It is possible that women have more influence over their self-concept than men on the basis of how attractiveness and body image affect them. Although beauty standards are not uniform across cultures or time periods, they have become more common with the advent of mass media.
The media portrays unrealistic shapes and weights for many women in current media images. Garner and co-authors found a steady decline of body weights and measurements for two standards of beauty over the period of 50s to 1970s. Models are now 23 percent thinner that average women than they were three decades ago. Models who sport the “waify” look are more likely to be at anorexia.
It is no surprise that many women feel their bodies are inadequate because of the abundance of media images that portray thinness as the ideal beauty. Even people of normal weight might consider themselves overweight because women have more body fat that men. Over 40% of females said they had a poor body image in a national survey. One survey found that only 4% of teenage girls actually wanted to lose weight. The majority of women are much more likely than men that they would rate their ideal body as significantly smaller than its actual size.
Women may feel more stressed if they believe they are overweight. They may also try to slim down by trying diets. College students who are female report a higher rate of dieting than their male counterparts. According to a recent national survey conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and involving over 60,000 adults, 38% and 24% (males and females) reported that they are trying to lose fat. Female college students report trying to lose more weight than their male counterparts.
“Normative discontent” is the term used to describe the high rates of negative body image and poor dietary habits among females. It may be normal, even though it is not always healthy.
It is common for Western women to be negative about their bodies and engage with activities to alter their weight or shape. Eating disorders can be caused by body image and diet issues. Studies of girls ages 12 to 18 have shown that a high level of body dissatisfaction can predict an increase in eating disorder in later life. In female athletes, eating disorder reported by athletes is also linked to body image. A study on adult ballet students found that body dissatisfaction was associated with eating disorders.
People who are unable to see their bodies as beautiful may be at higher risk of developing an eating problem. People who have eating disorders are more likely to accept and believe that thinness is the only way to be attractive. Excessive diet restriction, used often to change body shape and weight to conform to a thin image of beauty, is thought to increase the risk of binging. Extended dietary restriction or fasting can cause secondary symptoms such as increased preoccupation with eating and the urge to binge-eat. While many women have concerns about their body image and diets, eating disorders may be more common in extreme cases.
Diagnostic criteria are _____.
Although there are many symptoms of all the eating disorders, they often overlap and are often referred to as a continuum. However, specific eating disorders can be classified based on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
1. ANOREXIA NERVOSA
Anorexia nervosa (AN), is a refusal to maintain a minimally healthy body weight. Individuals suffering from AN fear losing weight despite being extremely overweight. They often feel dissatisfied with their body’s appearance and weight. The primary determinant for self-esteem is often body weight and shape. An AN diagnosis is made if there are no three consecutive periods (i.e., amenorrhea). This is perhaps the most challenging aspect in diagnosing and treating AN. Individuals with anorexia nervosa might also resort to recurrent eating and purging (i.e. abuse of diuretics or self-induced vomiting). This is the binge/purging subtype. The restricting type AN doesn’t allow for recurrent eating or purging.
2. Eating disorder characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by purging behaviors such as self-induced vomiting.
Bulimia nervosa was first recognized in clinical disorders within the last 20 years. Recurrent bingeing is the most common symptom of BN. This involves eating large amounts in a short amount of time and feeling like you are losing control. Purging, which can be self-induced vomiting, the use of laxatives or triets, as well as fasting and exercise, are examples of compensatory measures. Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating and compensatory behaviors that occur on average twice per week over a three-month period. BN diagnosis also requires self-evaluation that is not affected by body shape or weight. Persons with AN diagnoses are not eligible for a diagnosis. The type of recurrent compensatory method, also known as purging or nonpurging types, is used to subclassify BN.
3. EATING DISORDERS ARE NOT SPECIFIED
There are many people who engage in unhealthy eating behaviors. However, they may not fit the strict diagnostic criteria of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. If this is the case, an evaluation of an eating disorder not otherwise defined (ED-NOS), might be appropriate. Examples of symptom combinations that could be considered ED-NOS are bulimic behavior occurring less than twice per week, or purging without binge eating.
Binge eating disorder (BED), a type of ED-NOS that manifests as recurrent binging without compensatory behaviours, is another example. It has been included in DSM-IV’s appendix.
EPIDEMIOLOGY FOR EATING DISEASES
Although eating disorders have been increasing in prevalence and women are more aware of the problems, epidemiological research has not confirmed this. It is clear that eating disorders are very common, with most of those affected being women. These disorders are most prevalent in women. However, between 5% and 10% of people who experience anorexia-nervosa or Bulimia nervosa are male. According to BN and AN research, these disorders are more common in Caucasian adolescent females living in countries that follow Western culture. Recent data shows that AN is present in.10%-1.0% of young females. BN is more common in young women, with rates ranging from 1% – 3% depending on strict diagnostic criteria.
Certain professions, such as fashion models and ballet dancers, have higher rates of anorexia or bulimia. People involved in competitive sports, such as running, gymnastics and wrestling, have higher rates of eating disorders. These activities may be risk factors for an eating disorder. Others may turn to compulsive exercise to compensate for their low body weight.
– Psychological and social impairment
Anorexia nervosa is known for its central features, including body image disturbance. Efficiently, body size estimations in people with AN/BN have been demonstrated. There are marked changes in body image among individuals with AN/BN. These fluctuations may be caused or exacerbated by an intensified eating disorder.
Individuals with eating disorders often experience increased psychological distress. Anorexia nervosa patients have shown a high rate of comorbid psychopathology, especially affective disorders. Problems with substance abuse, past or current, are common among those suffering from eating disorders. Eating disorders sufferers may have cognitive abnormalities like a dichotomous thinking style. Eating disorders sufferers often complain of low self-esteem, interpersonal difficulties, and difficulty in forming relationships with their loved ones.
However, it is not clear how much these social and psychological issues may play in the development or eating disorders. Future longitudinal studies will help to clarify this. It is important that these symptoms can be managed with treatment that reduces or stops eating disorders.
MEDICAL COMLICATIONS
There are many detailed reviews that provide information on the adverse effects of eating disorders. Although anorexia nervosa’s (AN) prevalence rate is low, it can have serious medical consequences. The long-term mortality rate for AN is between 6% and 20 percent. An estimated one-quarter of those suffering from the disorder develop severe, permanent disabilities. AN can result in visible signs such as weight loss and dry skin. AN sufferers are often affected by cold intolerance and sleep disturbances. They also experience fatigue. Other symptoms that can be seen in laboratory tests include prolonged protein depletion as a result of chronic malnutrition. People with AN frequently report constipation and abdominal pain. Laxative abuse or starvation can also lead to constipation. AN can cause osteoporosis, stunted growth, and other serious complications.
Although bulimia nervesa has a low mortality rate, some deaths have been linked to gastric ulcers after binge-eating, esophageal ruptures (i.e. Boerhooves disorder), and cardiomyopathy from Ipecac. Fluid loss as a result of recurrent puerg can lead to electrolyte imbalance and dehydration, which can potentially cause cardiovascular problems.
Recurrent vomiting may result in esophageal erosion. Binge eating may lead to constipation, stomach bloating, or pain.
DETECTION and ASSESSMENT
Eating disorders can be secretive due to a variety of factors. Eating disorders are not often recognized and are difficult to detect. However, warning signs can often be present. If someone is having difficulty eating in public, such as secretive eating or refusing to eat, it could indicate that they have an eating disorder. This happens most often in people with anorexia and bulimia. Purging behavior can be characterized by excessive bathroom use or frequent trips to the toilet immediately after eating. Exercise may be used as a form or compensation for eating disorders if you engage in excessive or compulsive activity. A disorder of eating may be indicated by an extreme diet or prolonged fasting. An eating disorder may be characterized by significant weight changes, such as weight fluctuations or weight loss.
Anorexia nervosa is often characterized by emaciation. An individual’s body weight can be measured to determine if they are below 85%. However, anorexic individuals may consume excessive fluids or conceal their weight in an effort to alter the assessment. AN patients are known to be overactive, e.g., pacing or body movement that is constant. Alopecia, lanugo, dry skin, and hair are some additional signs that can be seen in individuals with AN. Ammenorhea can also be a sign that there is AN. However oral contraceptives might make detection more difficult.
Bulimia nervosa is a condition where weight fluctuations can indicate a person has bulimia nervosa. However, many people who have BN appear normal in weight and are otherwise healthy. BN is more difficult to spot than anorexia nervosa but there are signs that can help. The appearance of calluses and scarring on the backside of the hands due to self induced vomiting is one sign. This symptom is not common in people who use non-purging BN (e.g., diuretic, laxative or enema) or who, after prolonged vomiting, have adapted to doing so reflexively. Hypertrophy of salivary glands may cause swelling of the neck or face, causing “puffy cheeks”. This symptom can be quite noticeable in women with BN, but it isn’t evident in most people. Conjunctival hemorhages, which may be caused by forceful vomiting, and small skin hemorhages (i.e. face petechiae) are additional signs. A sign of dental enamel loss is the most noticeable on the inner surfaces of the upper and lower teeth. This symptom is easy to spot during routine dental examinations. If you are a user of diuretics or laxatives, you may experience edema. People with BN may experience bloating, constipation, and lethargy. Although electrolyte imbalances are only detected in approximately 40% of people with BN, laboratory tests can be performed to confirm it.
What kind of treatment?
1. Therapy that focuses on mental health
Psychotherapy is often used to treat eating disorders. Cognitive behavioral Therapy (CBT) is the most well-studied form of psychotherapeutic interventions. CBT is a therapy that is present-focused and solution-oriented. It was developed from Beck’s research on depression treatment. This method is based on “collaborative optimism”, where the client and the therapist work together to solve a problem. The primary goal of this approach to eating disorders is to modify disordered eating habits and deformed cognitions about food and weight. This approach combines cognitive interventions with behavioral techniques. Relapse prevention is a key focus. Many studies on BN have confirmed the efficacy CBT. Five large, recent studies have reported favorable reductions in binging (ranging between 77% and 93%) as well as purging (74% 94%).
CBT can also incorporate methods from behavior therapy (BT) for those with eating disorders. Comparing BT and CBT has generally shown that cognitive interventions are associated with comparable or greater clinical benefits.
Interpersonal Psychotherapy, an alternative form of psychotherapy, recently proved its effectiveness in treating people with BN, and BED. IPT is short-term, solution-oriented, and present-focused. IPT is different from CBT because it focuses on modifying interpersonal interactions and not eating disordered behaviors or cognitions.
Another therapeutic approach that has been investigated is supportive-expressive therapy, a short-term, nondirective, dynamically informed modality that conceptualizes core conflicts in terms of interpersonal issues. Although supportive-expressive therapy was found to be effective in reducing binge eating in this study, CBT was found to be associated with greater improvements in many aspects of eating disturbance and psychopathology, and a higher rate of remission in bulimic symptoms.
Although there have been many studies that have shown the effectiveness of alternative psychotherapeutic methods for treating eating disorders, no controlled outcomes have been conducted. Given the lack evidence, it is hard to know how effective psychodynamic therapy really is. Clients who have not had success with CBT or more intensive therapies such as psychodynamic therapy may benefit from this approach. Feminist therapists argue convincingly that it is important to take into account sociocultural, political and other issues when developing interventions for clients with eating disorders. Future empirical research should examine the efficacy or psychotherapeutic interventions that include feminist perspectives.
Although positive results have been achieved with psychotherapy (especially CBT or IPT), there are still limitations that need to be addressed. These studies showed significant rates of symptom relief and remission. However, approximately one-third to half of the participants still had symptoms at the end. Inclusion criteria used in research studies such like these may limit the generalizability. These findings may not represent the majority people seeking treatment. There are no data available on the relative effectiveness of individual and group CBT/IPT administrations. Further research is needed to compare the relative efficacy and effectiveness of other psychotherapeutic methods. However, the literature shows that solution-focused psychotherapeutic interventions (CBT and IPT) are effective in treating BN patients.
Despite anorexia nervosa being a condition that has received a lot of attention over the past decades, few data regarding the effectiveness of psychotherapy are available. A large part of the difficulty in implementing controlled studies for AN is due to logistical issues. There have been only four studies on outpatient psychotherapy for AN, and some evidence of their effectiveness. Inpatient hospitalizations are a good time to consider behavioral modification programs. Some overlap with CBT interventions. Although there is limited evidence to support the use of family therapy over individual therapy for individuals with eating disorders in the treatment of eating disorders, some therapists have argued in favor of using family therapies. There is some evidence to support the use of family therapy for young people with AN. Research is ongoing to explore various psychotherapeutic treatments for individuals with AN.
2. Medicine
Multiple studies on bulimia-nervosa have shown that antidepressant medications can reduce binging and purging. Four outpatient trials with serotonin-reuptake inhibitions (SRIs), compared to placebo, have shown that SRIs are superior in reducing bulimia symptoms. However one impatient trial was not able to prove the drug’s effectiveness. They are generally well tolerated. Prozac (fluoxetine hydrochloride) is often prescribed at 60 mg daily (a higher dose than the 20 mg recommended for major depressive disorder patients) and is therefore considered the best choice for pharmacotherapy of BN.
Research also supports the use monoamine oxide inhibitors and tricyclic depression medications. Even though side effects can be more serious for some than SRIs, these medications could be beneficial in treating those people who have not responded to SRIs. Because of their lower cost, some clinicians prefer second-generation tricyclics like despiramine to be the first intervention.
Despite the relative effectiveness of antidepressant medications in reducing bulimic signs, it is important for patients to know that the rate of bulimic symptom resolution at the end treatment can vary between 4 % and 20%. These rates are lower than the ones reported in psychotherapy-related outcome studies. Although some studies have shown mixed results, it may be possible to combine psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy. There has been no evidence that antidepressant therapy regimens can be added to psychotherapy to improve eating outcomes. One study found similar results. The combination of treatments may be beneficial for certain other conditions, including depression.
There are very few empirical data available on the effects of pharmacotherapy on weight loss in people with anorexia. A total of twelve controlled trials were done on various medications. These results were often inconsistent and unclear. Two studies have shown benefits from cyproheptadine and amitriptyline. However, the majority of placebo-controlled studies, investigiating the efficacy of these and other medications (e.g., antipsychotics, clonidine, cisapride, lithium, and tetrahydrocannabinol) have not demonstrated efficacy in promoting weight restoration.
3. Dietary advice
A lot of people consider nutrition counseling a necessary component in the treatment of eating disorders. This method focuses on helping people plan healthy meals. It provides objective information about nutrition to help them choose the right foods and how much they should eat. To increase your chances of adhering to nutrition recommendations, behavioral strategies can also be used. Anorexia Nervosa requires that you eat more calories to achieve weight loss. To stabilize binge eating and prevent it from becoming a problem, nutrition counseling is also helpful.
4. HOSPITALIZATION
Inpatient hospitalization can be required when there is enough medical risk (e.g. severe electrolyte imbalances or gastrointestinal bleeding, severe depression, suicidal ideastion), and dehydration. Hospitalization can be used to treat conditions such as depression, substance abuse, or other medical problems. If outpatient therapy is insufficient, hospitalization might be required. For severely obese individuals with impaired cognitive function due to starvation, this may be necessary.
Partially or fully hospitalized day treatment can be recommended for patients who have been discharged from an inpatient unit. This treatment allows patients the opportunity to receive therapy in the morning without having to stay overnight. This is a more cost-effective option than inpatient hospitalization. It is also less disruptive for the patient’s daily life. These types of treatments offer additional benefits such as the ability to work and study while receiving intensive treatment. They also provide a structured atmosphere for meals.
PREVENTION FROM EATING DISEASES
The importance of preventing eating disorders must be given more attention due to their prevalence and serious consequences. Many of these efforts involve psychoeducational information provided in schools-based settings. These messages are often critical analyses of mass media messages. There have been a variety of studies that examined the effectiveness or primary prevention programs in treating eating disorders. Unfortunately, one thing that has been consistent across all these studies is that, although eating disorder knowledge increases, behavioral changes (i.e. dietary changes) are not detected in participants.
One reason why primary prevention programs fail to achieve the desired behavior outcomes may be due to a number of methodological problems, such as the validity of selfreport assessments and low baseline rates of eating disordered behaviors (e.g. self-induced vomiting). It is possible, however, that prevention efforts should be directed at individuals younger than elementary school age in order to make a difference. It may be necessary for more thorough and effective prevention strategies to be developed. It is also not often studied how secondary prevention can be used to treat eating disorders. Therefore, it is important to continue to research effective strategies for helping to identify people who have eating disorders.
In summary,
A strict diagnosis criteria shows that there is a low prevalence of any particular eating disorder. However, if you combine the prevalence rates of different eating disorders, it is possible for up to 5-10% of women to be diagnosed with an eating disorder. These disorders can have serious social, psychological, medical and health consequences.
People with eating disorders need multifaceted treatment. This can include psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, nutritional counseling, or medical management. The team includes members from several disciplines, including psychologists and psychiatrists.
These disorders have seen significant improvement in treatment over the past decade, according to literature. Unfortunately, there is still a substantial sub-group of people who have anorexia, bulimia, or both, that don’t respond well to current therapies. It is important to predict treatment response and match individuals with treatments. Effective primary and secundary prevention strategies must also be created.