Eating Disorders for High School Students - Essay Example

? Number: Eating Disorders for High School Submitted: This research is developed to give correct information regarding eating disorders in relation to intervention, prevention and treatment. This is due to the growing requests from teachers and other school stakeholders to acquire information regarding eating disorders. The purpose of the research is to form an eating disorders resource for high schools, which assists coaches, teachers and other members of the school community to intervene and prevent eating disorders. The research will provide accurate information that will enable teachers and coaches to respond immediately to situations. The research seeks to sway school communities to create a whole new approach to the prevention of eating disorders, through focusing on creating resilience in learners and reducing risk issues in the school society. The research will explore teachers and adolescents in rural, high schools, in relation to their knowledge and prevalence of eating disordered behavior. 350 students, as well as 110 teachers, will be surveyed. The findings of this research imply that eating disordered behavior might be a prevalent issues affecting the current rural youth. It was also established that educators are more informed of eating disorders than assumed. Nevertheless, the data propose that teachers feel unqualified to identify and appropriately help a student with an eating disorder. Hence, a literature analysis of modern prevention and intervention efforts in the area of eating disorders has been completed by this research. The research focuses on prevention efforts in educational environs and clarifies that prevention of eating disorders is best tackled by creating a positive and supportive school surrounding. Recommendations for further research and study are discussed in the paper. Introduction In the youth population, the occurrence of eating disorders along with eating disordered behavior has gone up. Studies have proven that anorexia among young girls around the age of 15 to 19 has significantly gone up each decade since 1930. As from 1988 to 1993, the occurrence of bulimia tripled in girls around the age of 10 to 39 (Kinoy, 2001). Anorexia refers to an eating disorder characterized by an idealistic panic of weight gain, extreme deformation of body image and self-starvation. Sometimes individuals with anorexia work out excessively or purge by the use of diuretics, laxatives, or vomiting to avoid adding weight (Swain, 2006). Bulimia is also an eating disorder in which people of near-normal or normal weight engage in periodic binge-eating, which is instantly preceded by feelings of depression and guilt. Actions are then taken to eliminate the calories, for instance laxative use, self-induced vomiting, excessive dieting, or fasting (Kinoy, 2001). A recent study by the National Mental Health Institute exposed that roughly 15% of teenagers in high school take part in these disordered eating behaviors. Bulimia, anorexia and other eating disorders are crucial health worries. Some of the medical effects of eating disorders consist of infertility, osteoporosis, hypokalemia, acute electrolyte disturbances and renal failure (Stewart, 2010). Anxiety, depression, impaired relationships, repeated self harm and restrictions on social functioning are a few of the psychological effects that can occur in people who have constant eating disorders. Maybe the most worrying truth about eating disorders is that they are the most lethal of all psychopathologies. Nearly 20% of individuals with an eating disorder die from their physiological sequelae (Alfano, Hodges & Saxon, 2010). This paper will research on the causes of eating disorders for high school students and how they can be mitigated. Literature Review Turning to food as a way of dealing with low self-esteem is a key psychological factor in the growth of an eating disorder (Alfano, Hodges & Saxon, 2010). If a young person feels powerless, he or she can focus on food ingestion to gain control in other aspects of her life. The weight placed on women to be physically good-looking in order to be "pleasing" in our culture multiplies the tendency to look for the answer in eating disordered behaviors (Foundation of Victoria, 2004). Finding themselves incapable of coping with feelings of rejection or inadequacy, women may focus on a momentary "fix", the assurance of gaining positive approval and attention, through attaining the "perfect body". In the United States, there is a lot of weight put on body size, appearance and weight. People are habituated from an extremely young age to consider that self-worth is derived from these outer factors. For instance, being slim and/or well-built is connected to being “successful, hard-working, beautiful, popular, strong, as well as disciplined” (Thompson, 2012). Being “fat”, on the other hand, is connected to being “ignorant, lazy, ugly, hated, lacking will-power and weak.” These people are common in the society. In addition, these factors are reinforced by the media houses, families, and friends. They are even well acknowledged by health experts. As a result, people often unjustly judge others and themselves regarding their size and weight alone. People feel great pressure and anxiety to attain and/or sustain an exceptionally lean body type. They incorrectly believe that if they can just be more muscular or thinner, they can be more successful, happier, and more acknowledged by the society (Swain, 2006). Media houses set unrealistic regulations for what appearance and body weight is measured as “normal.” Both boys and girls are trained at an extremely young age that the “Muscle Man” and “Barbie” is how they are supposed to look. This means that excessive muscles are accepted by boys, and no fat anywhere is expected by girls. Perverts of the society also expect girls to have huge breasts (Le Grange & Lock, 2011). However, people should note that if Barbie was a life-size, then a girl would stand at 5’9”. She would also weigh 110 lb. This is only 76% of what is accepted as a healthy weight by medical practitioners (Le Grange & Lock, 2011). Hence, girls would not menstruate because of inadequate levels of fat on their body. Likewise, boys are given the feeling that men should naturally have muscles stuffed all over their bodies. Even as children, action figures that people played with were full of muscles signifying power. If theses action figures were life-size, they would have a 50-inch chest as well as a 27-inch bicep. This means that people’s bicep would be nearly as big as a waist. This is bigger than a majority of the competitive body builders available. These body standards are reinforced every day on television shows, magazine covers, movies and also video games (Herrin & Matsumoto, 2011). In high school, students may have immense pressure to be slim or super muscular so as to be accepted by their peers (Goodman & Villapiano, 2001). Some might also want to attract potential romantic partners. Other writers also support this (Stewart, 2010). Such scenarios have appeared all over especially in California and Texas. The two are considered as one of the most fitness, diet and weight-crazed states in the United States. In these living conditions, other teenagers are encircled by unhelpful “body talks” all the time, in the playing ground, in the dorm rooms and dining halls. Students cannot escape these comments. The comments can make crucial teenagers go crazy. They will start worrying about their own weight and make them feel awkward about their own body, even though they have never worried about their bodies before. Height and weight measurements are regularly done at health clinics. According to Bear (2006), this is one way of treating and reducing eating disorders. People are often given a certain label (“healthy weight, underweight, obese or overweight”) derived from these measurements. Doctors may even encourage people to lose weight, to consider surgery or drugs, or to see a dietitian, without even inquiring about their exercise and eating habits and considering their level of fitness. The doctor, however, has good intentions. Methodology Participants The research will incorporate samples from five rural, high schools in Waco Texas. Data should be collected in rural, high schools (Alfano, Hodges & Saxon, 2010). Rural schools are defined as those that do not lie inside an urbanized cluster or area. There were 350 student participants who agreed to take part in the research. They consisted of 120 males (34.3%) and 230 females (65.7%). The mean age of the students was 15 years (SD=1.4 Years). Their ages ranged from 13 to 18 years. 110 teachers, on the other hand, took part in the exercise. Instruments Students’ risk for being infected with bulimia and/or anorexia should be evaluated using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) (Alfano, Hodges, & Saxon, 2010). The EAT-26 is a survey/questionnaire created by Garner and Colleagues in 1982. The survey is a 26-entry questionnaire separated into three subscales, dieting, oral control and bulimia. The test is mainly used to monitor peoples’ eating behaviors and attitudes that are connected to eating disorders. A high score will indicate high disordered behaviors and attitudes. Scores of 15 to 26 signify a medium level of danger for contracting an eating disorder (Alfano, Hodges, & Saxon, 2010). Scores of 27 and above, on the other hand, indicate a high level of danger for contracting an eating disorder. The Eating Attitudes Test-26 has been validated in a couple of age and cultural groups. Teacher awareness of bulimia and anorexia should also be assessed using a survey that this paper develops. The survey should ask teachers to list a minimum of four physical signs of both bulimia and anorexia (Thompson, 2012). It should also ask them to explain the possible behaviors and attitudes that a student with an eating disorder may exhibit in their classroom. The survey will incorporated a yes or no design for teachers to specify whether or not they feel ready to help a student with an eating disorder. The utmost achievable score on this survey is 12 points, and the lowest is zero. A high score will indicate a better perceptive of bulimia and anorexia. Procedures Students will be asked to join the survey in their English classes by their respective English teachers. Signed consent should be acquired from adult students, teachers and the parents of minor learners who want to take part in the survey. Minor students should also be allowed to take part in the survey (Alfano, Hodges, & Saxon, 2010). Student partakers should be informed that the study is not an examination and would it reflect on their grades. This is because some might fear who they are getting into and that it might affect their results. Students should further be instructed that if they do not desire to participate in the research then they could back out. They should also be informed that if they wish to withdraw from the exercise at any time then they could leave at any moment. Each student who takes the survey should receive a list of psychologists and a variety of other mental health experts in the community available for contact if they feel troubled about their answers to the survey questions. Confidentiality should be offered to students. The students will be instructed not to write their names on the questionnaires. Teachers will collect complete forms from every class. They should seal them in an envelope and leave them for collection by the principal researcher as the day ends. The students who did not fully fill the survey form or declined to take part should be given informational brochures to study about eating disorders and the purpose of the survey (Alfano, Hodges, & Saxon, 2010). A training sheet clarifying the appropriate survey procedures should be given to the educators who oversaw the survey to students. A short presentation should be given to teachers regarding the results attained from the students. Issues such as the number of surveys completed, and the results should be discussed at this point (Thompson, 2012). Teachers should then be requested to participate. Surveys should be handed to each teacher and completed surveys should be collected by the researchers as the presentation ends. The teachers should also be informed, just as the students were that their partaking is entirely voluntary. It will be vital that those teachers who agree on taking the survey sign a consent form (Le Grange & Lock, 2011). Confidentiality should also be guaranteed to them. A total of 110 teachers should sign the consent forms and complete the survey. This will represent 60% of rural educators in Waco, Texas. Data analysis will aim at explaining the risks of eating disorder in rural, high school students. Hence, means and standard deviations should be computed on the overall student sample of EAT-26 responses. It is also significant to study differences on EAT-26 scores between females and males, as well as across the age range represented. Recommendations The causes of eating disorders take in both external and internal factors (Bear, 2006). Community’s emphasis on an idealized slim body, size and weight pressures inherent in various activities or sports and the influence of groups in school are all external pressures. An idealized insight of slim body proportions might be reinforced by peers and family members who praise the slim body, the discipline and self-control needed to have a slim body. Pressures from groups, athletic coaches and friends can also offer support for dieting (Stewart, 2000). Additionally, feeling the urges to manage a sometimes unpredictable and uncontrollable world can lead to a disciplined food intake (Herrin & Matsumoto, 2011). Internal factors include repulsive experiences, such as physical abuse, teasing, or sexual abuse. Unconstructive emotions include low self-esteem, depression, and body dissatisfaction. Distorted thoughts include inaccurate judgments, obsessions about food, perfectionism and rigid thinking patterns. Others suppose that eating disordered attitudes is an endeavor to control an overpowering emotional experience (Kinoy, 2001). Even though, sexual abuse has been linked to the development of eating disorders, there is no proof that casualties are likely to become bulimic or anorexic. However, the shock of abuse influences these persons to maladaptive emotional dysregulation and coping behaviors, which may cause eating disorders. Teachers should also be conscious that the biological changes brought by poor eating habits can harm an adolescent’s capacity to learn and retain information. There are various ways of preventing eating disorders. It is advisable for schools to create a setting where all learners feel protected from harassment (Goodman & Villapiano, 2001). It should be clear that no bullying is prohibited in the school. Schools should focus more on physical education, skills building, as well as proper and healthy habits than weight management. They should ensure that physical education is fun and not a reminder of weight. Schools should make sure that participation in co-curricular or school activities is not restricted by a learner’s physical shape or size. Schools should forbid any requirements regarding size or weight, not unless their as safety issues involved (Pottea, 2012). Finally, they should offer general information regarding eating disorders and allow students to know that the school will always help them. Conclusion In conclusion, there might be limitations to this research such as financial constraints and not all students wanting to take part in the survey. However, the findings contribute extensively to information regarding rural teenagers eating disordered behaviors and attitudes, and also rural educators level of preparedness and knowledge. Upcoming researchers should center on getting larger samples of rural teenagers further in order to recognize and establish the existence of eating disorders using the EAT-26. In addition, a prevention and intervention program should be implemented among these teenagers, and its effects should be monitored. References Alfano, A., Hodges, T., & Saxon, T. (2010). Eating disordered behavior in rural high schools: A descriptive study of adolescent risk and teacher perceptions. Journal of Rural Community Psychology, 14(2), 1-11. Bear, M. (2006). Know the facts. Prevention of eating disorders, 1(1), 1-3. Retrieved from http://www.nedic.ca/knowthefacts/documents/Preventionofeatingdisorders.pdf Foundation of Victoria. (2004). An eating disorders resource for schools. The Victorian Centre of Excellence in Eating Disorders, 1(1), 8-17. Goodman, L., & Villapiano, M. (2001). Eating disorders: A journey to recovery Handbook. New York: Psychology Press. Jaffa, T., & McDermott, D. (2007). Eating disorder in children and adolescent. London: Cambridge University Press. Kinoy, B. (2001). Eating disorders: New direction to treatment and recovery. New York: Columbia University Press. Le Grange, D., & Lock, J. (2011). Eating disorders in children and adolescents: A clinical handbook. London: Guilford Press. Pottea, M. (2012). Eating disorders as enemies of life. New York: Vintage Publishers. Stewart, G. (2000). Teens with eating disorders. San Diego: Lucent books. Stewart, W. (2010). The Oxford handbook for eating disorders. New York: Oxford University Press. Swain, P. (2006). New developments in eating disorder research. New York: Nova publishers. Thompson, R. (2012). Professional school counseling: Best practices for working in the schools. 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