What Are The Causes Of A Teenage Girl To Become Anorexia Nervosa - Essay Example

? What are the causes of a teenage girl to become Anorexia Nervosa? With the advancement of medical technology and medicines there is also a great advancement regarding diagnosis of psychological and physical disorders experienced by different age groups of people. Anorexia Nervosa is psychological disorder that is experienced by females mostly. Situation is greatly alarming as most of the disease affected is teenage girls. It is a life threatening refusal made by most of the patients to maintain their weight below 15% of an individual’s normal weight. Other significant symptom of this disorder is a great fear regarding gaining of weight, distorted image of body and amenorrhea (absence of three consecutive menstrual cycles) in women. Symptoms of this disorder can be caused through mental, biological and environmental factors (Rutigliano, 2003). According to a survey approximate value of females affected by this disorder vary from half to one percent of females existing in U.S.A (Rutigliano, 2003). More than 90% of females carrying this disease are teenagers and diagnosed as women illness by most of the people. One reason due to which women fall badly in this disorder is the urge of young women to gain an ideal figure. This reason fall into environmental reasons of the disease as media is playing an important part in promoting ideal figure issue (Rutigliano, 2003). Biological factors like to counter uncontrolled metabolism along with less or restricted diet and greater physical activity. The term Anorexia Nervosa or commonly known as loss of appetite cannot be detected easily as patients are often hungry and they also cook food for others. Behavioral attitudes like dressing over sized clothes in order to hide figure is common in the patients. Depression is also a behavior or psychological symptom experienced by patients. People experiencing through Anorexia Nervosa feel themselves cooler due to loss in temperature of body. Growing of long and fine hair on body is common physical disorder experienced by patients (Rutigliano, 2003). There exist another major reason for the cause of this disease which is one psychological disorder causing another disorder. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder that can result in another psychological disorder known as Anorexia. Women having OCD and Anorexia in combination may become obsessed with dieting, exercise and food. A common behavior seen by such patients is tearing of food into many pieces. Panic disorder can also result in an eating disorder (UMM, 2013). Young girls in age of twenties and teens do not want solution of their problems. Men can also be Anorexic but the ratio of this mental disorder is very low in men. Other factors for the cause of this disease is history of alcoholism, drugs, sleep disorders, perfectionism, low self-esteem and certain long illness like diabetes leading to Anorexia Nervosa as a result (Rank, 2013). Biological reason involving genetic behavior is also a reason for the cause of this disease. Girls having mothers with female cycle disorder and mothers experiencing themselves from Anorexia have greater chance to be affected (Rank, 1991). Devastating effects of Anorexia Nervosa include damaging of brain and nervous system, hairs, heart, blood, muscles, joints and bones, kidneys, body fluids, intestines hormones and skin (Women Health, 2013). It almost affects all the features a body can have for proper growth. As the patients are not taking energy from food sources; problems like frequent dehydration, lower blood pressure and uncontrolled Harmon activity can occur (Women Health, 2013). The pubescent girl who has lost control of her body in order keep herself good looking in front of other college girls. Pubescent is the period in the life of the girl when her body is experiencing major changes with the course of time. If not watched properly by parents and somewhat other governing people related to her she will be affected greatly by this psychological disorder. It is the same time when a girl begins to identify herself a woman both mentally and physically. She looks for role model to follow as female. During this time of huge change body requires total care and proper diet. If body is neglected in this time of life by girls it results in a dangerous situation explained as turning of body against itself. A self destructing process starts and females often feel helpless against this self destruction of their body (UMM, 2013). Again role of media to be played in this part of a girl’s life is of great importance, girls looking for role models as females to follow, now days most of this idealism is done by switching on the television. In television females having ideal figure attract girls in that age resulting in an urge that takes birth in the mind of girls to attain the figure they see. Also there are continuous debates of higher cholesterol levels, heart dieses, and blood pressure shown caused by imbalance in food. These debates are available on all the major health related T.V channels 24/7 sometimes. Importance of such programs in not negated in this essay, yet media should take care of the increasing need of diet for growing human bodies especially in young girls. Amazing fact in this regard that should be noticed by American media in this regard is “Females in countries having American channels seen in them have greater chance of being affected by Anorexia Nervosa” (Rutigliano, 2003). Programs can also be done on the topic of importance of proper and healthier diet. Diagnosis of Anorexia is done on the basis of tests like complete blood count, electrolytes imbalances, and test for protein levels, chest X-ray, tests for liver, kidney and thyroid problems. Most important test in this regard is bone density test (UMM, 2013). Different approaches by psychiatrists for the treatment of this disease for decades (Neighmond, 2010). Treatment of disease in teens and young ages is much difficult than in later stages of age. As in teenage most of the patients try to resist the fact that they are facing some problem. Family based treatment program is an intensive out source program. This program enables the parents or guardians of children to identify Anorexia Nervosa in their child or children in some cases (Neighmond, 2010). Parents are taught about symptoms of this disorder and how to identify the problem. After that parents are trained to bring back their children on a healthier weight. Girls today are mothers of tomorrow, as it was rightly said by Napoleon, “You provide me good mothers. I will give you a great nation”. This responsibility should be taken into notice by all the stake holders of the society. References: NEIGHMOND (2010). Study: Parents Can Make A Difference With Anorexic Teens : NPR. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=130342901 Rank (n.d.). Anorexia - Emotional Development, Disorders, and Loss - JRank Articles. Retrieved from http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/35/Anorexia.html Rutigliano (2003). Anorexia Nervosa: An issue of control. Retrieved from http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro03/web2/arutigliano.html UMM (2013). Eating disorders | University of Maryland Medical Center. Retrieved from http://umm.edu/health/medical/reports/articles/eating-disorders Women Health (2013). Anorexia nervosa fact sheet | womenshealth.gov. Retrieved from http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/anorexia-nervosa.html Read More