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Anorexia nervosa, more commonly known simply as anorexia, is a psychological disorder that can have devastating physical affects. Anorexia nervosa is an irrational fear of gaining weight. It causes victims to compulsively starve themselves, and exercise an excessive and unhealthy amount. This disorder is particularly dangerous because it is very difficult to diagnose, and there is no guaranteed cure or treatment because the cause itself is somewhat ambiguous.
The vast majority of people who suffer from anorexia nervosa are young teens, and female. Most researchers agree that at least one percent of U. S. women between the ages of twelve and twenty-five are anorexic. This would include about 300, 000 young women.
Some say that anorexia inflicts many more, as many as three percent, or half a million young women. The actual number of people who suffer from this disorder cannot be determined, since the number of victims who do not report their condition is unknown, but estimated to be very high. The number of older women, women in their 30 s, 40 s, and 50 s, who exhibit signs of anorexia is growing. Many believe that the increase in the number of women in the workforce is directly related to this increase in the older age groups.
Another group that seems to have a particularly high rate of anorexia, are athletes, especially female athletes. They exhibit, more than other groups, the dangerously excessive exercise. Since its discovery in 1689, anorexia has been thought to be a strictly mental disorder. Recently however, theories have developed that the causes may also be physical, which would mean that a hereditary predisposition for the condition could exist.
It is believed that the irregular release of certain hormones may trigger the disease. The brains release of the hormone vasopressin is thought to be the main cause. Vasopressin controls the bodys water balance, particularly as a result of salt intake. When salt is taken in, the secretion of vasopressin increases, which causes the kidneys to retain water. In anorexics, the bodys response to salt is not regulated. The secretion of vasopressin changes rapidly, and fluctuates high and low in response, but is not secreted in the correct amounts.
All the affects of vasopressin on the body are not known. It is known that the change in water retention is directly related to weight loss and weight gain, but whether it is related to anorexia, or simply a symptom of the weight loss is unknown. It is theorized that the irregular release of vasopressin is caused at some point in weight loss. When the body reaches a point after having gone a certain time without proper nutrition, the proper secretion of the hormone is stopped, and becomes widely ranging. According to this thought, anorexia can develop from an ordinary diet that is simply taken too far. Treatment and therapies for anorexia are marginal at best.
If caught within three to six months of when the starvation began, the chances for successful recovery are pretty good. Once beyond that, the longer the condition exists without treatment, the less likely a recovery can be made. Even if the efforts for psychological treatment and eating programs are successful, the patient always has a good chance of re-developing the problem. Often, patients who no longer suffer from anorexia, develop a closely related condition known as bulimia. The psychological state of mind for both problems are the same, but the physical aspects of the two are a little different. Research is being done to find out about the possibilities of food allergies being related to bulimia.
When a group of bulimic women were tested for unsuspected food allergies and gastro-intestinal problems, all of them proved to have some sort of related problem. However only a small percentage, just over a third, showed signs of improvement when treated for the allergies and digestive problems. Since so little is known medically about these two conditions, the drugs that have been found to treat it are few. So far, the medication that has met with the most success is anti-depressant drugs, which treat the mental problems rather than correcting the possible physical problems. Nearly two thirds of patients treated with such drugs showed various signs of improvement. More of the people who suffered from bulimia are successfully treated than those who suffer from anorexia.
There is speculation as to whether this has more to do with the severity of mental, or physical problems of anorexia and bulimia, but the reason for this difference is not known. Works Cited Buy, Liza. Bulimia Nevada: The Secret Cycle of Bingeing and Purging. The Rosen Publishing group. New York. 1998 Deni, Laura.
Anorexia and Bulimia, Puzzling Eating Disorders. P. P. I- publishing Dayton, Ohio. 1984 Jones, Frank.
Anorexia Nervosa Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. Microsoft corporation. 1997.
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Research essay sample on The Disorder Of Anorexia Nervosa
