The Effects on Cognitions Related to Body Image and Self-Esteem - Essay Example

Anorexia nervosa is the most commonly met eating disorder that, according to some estimates, affects up to one percent of women in the U.K.: it is often addressed as the most lethal of all mental disorders (Lask & Bryant-Waugh, 2000). Anorexia nervosa is characterized by extreme anxiety to reduce body weight or maintain it at an abnormally low level. Excessively strict monitoring of calorie intake and distorted perception of physical appearance are reported to be the most common behavioral patterns observed in anorexic patients (American Psychiatric Association, 2000).

Anorexia is estimated to be the third most chronic condition amongst adolescent girls, though many scholars believe that official statistics do not show the true prevalence of this disorder (Misra et. al., 2004). Amongst the female population, 15 – 30 is the most common age group in which anorexia has emerged (Goldman, 1996; Gordon, 2000). However, youth under 15year old and women above age 30 may suffer from this disorder too; the oldest anorexic patient reported was a woman of 68, without any prior history of eating disorders (Dally, 1984).

Anorexia has also occurred in males; 10 to 15 percent of people with anorexia are men. The highest occurrence of anorexia among males is reported in the age group of young adolescents from 7 to 14 years: nearly 25 percent of anorexia cases in this age group are boys.Anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate among all mental disorders, namely 5.6 percent; this is due to starvation which strains the body's organs and physiological processes (Misra et. al., 2004). Katzman’s (2005) literature review of the health complications present in anorexic adolescents revealed the heart and cardiovascular abnormalities, such as Bradycardia (heart rate slowing).

They also found electrolyte imbalance, muscle weakness, and immune system failings. Adolescents with anorexia are also at risk for stunted growth and reduced levels of essential hormones.