Eating disorders in Teenage Girls
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Eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia have been attributed to a number of causes or sets of causes, and one of the elements that has been examined in the literature and that is often assumed by the layperson as a major reason for such eating disorders is the American preoccupation with thinness. Eating disorders are prevalent among teenage girls who can be much influenced by what they see in fashion, in the movies, and on television and who may then try to emulate the models they perceive as representing the ultimate in sophistication and success, and such images can be especially important for adolescents just learning about themselves and trying to fit into the world around them. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia have generally been associated with the adolescent years of growth, although they may occur in the early to mid-adult years as well. An eating disorder is defined as a disturbance in eating behavior that jeopardizes a person's physical or psychological health. the appetite. Many sufferers go no further than this and hover for years on the brink of a more serious disorder. In some young women, severe dieting changes into an implacable pursuit of thinness, an obsession with food and calories, and a sheer abhorrence of body fat. The anorectic typically denies her illness and does not perceive herself as emaciated. She will usually exaggerate her body proportions. She may jog and exercise relentlessly to expend calories. Physical
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del children and tend to be high achievers, perfectionists with high expectations of themselves and others. They tend to be self-critical, controlled, given to routine, and opposed to change. Their problem often begins with a simple diet and progresses to a power struggle over weight and food. Self-denial makes the victim feel virtuous and powerful. Because anorexia most often develops at puberty, it has been theorized that anorectics are afraid of intimacy, sexuality, and the responsibilities of adulthood.
It is clear that eating disorders pose a real health danger to the sufferer. Among the consequences of anorexia are a slow heart rate, hypertension, and occasionally a heart murmur thought to be caused by a shrinkage in the size of the heart muscle occurring as patients lose muscle mass as well as body fat stores. Adolescent anorectic patients typically report either never having menstrual cycles or losing their periods for a period of time. This resulted from excessive loss of body fat stores. However, some anorectic patients may experience the onset of amenorrhea before significant weight loss occurs, and this has not yet been explained. It seems that a body fat content of 15 to 17 percent is necessary for menarche
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Approximate Word count = 2022
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)
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