Anorexia Disorders: Physical and Psychological Changes - Essay Example

Anorexia disorders Introduction Anorexia disorders are associated with the adoption of an eating habit influenced by a person’s perception on gaining weight. The disorder arises from the obsession of an individual with the need to avoid getting overweight. Consequently, an individual over-limits himself in the quality and quantity of food taken. The victims of anorexia attach body weight on their success. This process culminates in health-compromising behaviors and lifestyle. The adopted lifestyle leads to anorexia because the concerned individual slim more than they expected. It defeats their pre-set objectives. Consequently, frustration affects the anorexia individuals. It is plausible to understand, the relationship between physical fitness urge and anorexia nervosa. Hypothesis The urge to be physically fit leads to anorexia disorder, anorexia nervosa. The study will establish a relationship between anorexia disorder and gender difference. The two variables are directly related because of the positive correlation between them. The need for a good physique causes ladies to change their diet and eating habits than boys. The research study will statistically establish the exact relationship between the two variables. The study will also establish other related variables pertaining to the cause of anorexia disorders among people. Consequently, recommendations will be given to enhancing the eradication of the anorexia disorder among the most vulnerable gender. Literature review People undergo physical and psychological changes with the advancement in age. Additionally, the neurological changes also accompany the physiological changes of people. In this regard, people develop the urge to maintain a certain body mass in a bid to look cute and pretty. The people get obsessed with good looks and endeavor to limit the amount and types of food taken. The maintenance of good looks affords them high self-esteem. According to Golan, Hagay, and Tamir (2014), good looks boost the self-esteem of girls than boys. Good looks also enhance emotional stability of the girls. In this regard, girls are more likely to be affected by anorexia disorders than boys. The intervention of health authority should majorly focus on the girls because they are likely to indulge in health compromising behaviors than boys. In fact, the various human changes, including the physiological changes do not influence both girls and boys in a similar manner. The male usually focuses on their strength rather than body physique, unlike their female counterparts who are usually obsessed with their body physique. The women are more concerned with their body mass and weight and body shape than strength. The women are biased on beauty ideals compared to their male counterparts. Golan, Hagay and Tamir (2014) assert that women are more vulnerable to the problem of anorexia than men. In this regard, the female attaches beauty to the thin body image. For instance, the female model contests glorify a thin female body image. In this case, the female embraces the euphoria and will do anything to maintain a slim body shape. For instance, the ladies like maintaining the size of their buttocks, hips, and thighs. In this regard, the men perceive an underweight state a problem compared to women. The men get disturbed about being underweight because they associate high body mass and weight with masculinity and strength. The men get depressed when they feel they lack such a crucial physical aspect. The realization of such a state leads to eating disorders, which cause them problems hence compounding their problems. However, the feeling, of lacking muscular body and strength, may be a mere perception. The perception is usually not reality; hence, the concerned men respond to wrong stimuli. Methodology: Participants The research study involves only two hundred adolescents comprising of 40% boys and 60% girls. The research program had five 45-minute sessions. The research study majorly focused on the perception of body weight among boys and girls and the effect of the various perceptions on the self-esteem of the various research study participants. Additionally, the cognitive dissonance between the boys and girls was also under study. Instruments of research The instruments of research, which will be used, include statistical analysis, surveys, questionnaire, and interviews. The instruments will enhance the measuring of the relationship between the variables involved in the research study. For instance, statistical analysis will provide statistics pertaining to the variables of anorexia disorders. The data will provide the hypothetical analysis about the prevalence of anorexia disorders among the girls compared to boys. Procedures The research participants will first be required to fill questionnaires before being interviewed by the researchers. Additionally, the hearsays approach will also be used by the researcher at random in order to get accurate and reliable information pertaining to the research study phenomenon. The procedure will enhance the collection of sufficient information pertaining to the research study. For instance, the questionnaires will provide substantial data to use in the analysis and evaluation of the variables in the anorexia research study. The questionnaires will also serve as a credible reference in the future. Research design The research design will be quantitative because the aspect of research is the prevalence of girls anorexia cases compared to boys. This process will indicate the number of girls affected by the anorexia disorders compared to boys in order to form an opinion pertaining to the female factors contributing to the research study results. A qualitative approach will also be relevant given that the factors contributing to the association of women with anorexia disorders are independent of quantification. For instance, the difference in perception between boys and girls pertaining to physical fitness is a qualitative factor rather than a quantifiable aspect. Findings The findings of the study indicated that there are differences between the boys and girls about ideal physical fitness and health. The results also indicate that the girls’ self-esteem is based on the physical appearance. Additionally, the girls had high self-esteem when they were considered popular and highly interactive social behavior. The girls were also found to feel highly regarded when they had an attractive physical outlook compared to the men. Additionally, the disparity between an ideal body figure and a perceived good body figure was wide among the girls compared to the boys. It implies that the girls were more likely to be affected by anorexia disorders than boys. The results also indicated that girls were more active in maintaining a perceived good body figure compared to boys. Null hypothesis: The null hypothesis should be rejected because gender influences the anorexia disorders. H0 ≠ H1 Conclusion The girls were found to be more concerned about their body figures, which was evidence of their vulnerability to anorexia disorders. Additionally, the girls derived high self-esteem from good body image. The gap between the ideal and perceive body figure was wide amongst the girls compared to the boys. This finding was also an indication of girls vulnerability to anorexia compared to boys. Reference Golan M, Hagay N, and Tamir S (2014). Gender Related Differences in Response to ‘‘In of Myself’’ Wellness Program to Enhance Positive Self and Body Image among Adolescents, Vol.9 (3), p.1-10. Retrived from: Read More