Gender Differences in Anorexics

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Gender differences in anorexics
---The adolescents

Gender differences in anorexics
---The adolescents

Do you think you’re fat? Do you deliberately starve yourself to lose weight? Do you have a fear of gaining weight? Do you refuse to eat when you are hungry? Do you exercise excessively? If you answered yes to three of these questions, you are at a high risk to get anorexia. Twenty years ago, the University of Wisconsin Hospital typically admitted one anorectic a year; in 1982 over seventy cases were admitted to the same institution. A retrospective of incidence rates in Monanorexia nervosa doubled between 1960 and 1970. In terms of the general population, however, anorexia nervosa is still a relative infrequent disease: the annual incidence of the disorder has never been estimated at more than 1.6 per 100,000 population. Still, among adolescent girls and young women there is an increasing and disturbing amount of anorexia nervosa and bulimia; by a number of different estimates, as many as 5 to 10 percent are affected. On some college campuses estimates run as high as 20 percent. (Brumbery, J.J., 1988, p.12)

Who is affected by anorexia? Are males and females affected equally by anorexia? In recent years, lots of people have different levels of anorexia. Not only do this disorder, but also males affect females. Anorexia happens all over the world, especially in North America. I would like to explore how anorexics think, why they refuse to eat; and the differences between males and females. More and more adolescents are affected by anorexia. Moreover, males and females are not affected equally: more females have anorexia than males. Female anorexic’s typically are on diets or refuse to eat food to lose weight; while males will exercise to ensure they do not gain weight and maintain a good physical condition. Society should be concerned with why people become anorexic. Anorexia affects people’s health, both the adolescents, families; and does cause death. The majority of people don’t think anorexia is a disease, and don’t understand the psychological impact on the individual. This essay will explore some of the causes of anorexia, including: media, family, social, and cultural pressure. Although anorexia is considered a mental disease, this disease can be treated. Professional doctors can assist in treatment, but society may have to examine their role and the root causes of this disease. What is anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by physiological and psychological symptoms. The physiological symptoms include a loss of weight, amenorrhea and endocrine disorders, while the psychological symptoms include a refusal to eat or to maintain weight, peculiar eating habits, a disturbance of the body image and disturbances of cognitive functions such as a preoccupation with thoughts of food. (Pietrowsky et al., 2002, pp.321-326)

Based on research, I found that more than 90 percent of adolescent and young women are affected by anorexia. However, the rate in males is also increasing. There are 10 percent of male affected by this disease. In this investigation, I found 80 percent of anorexic females are affected before eighteen years of age. The largest group is adolescents and the peak onsets are at ages 12-13 and age 17. ( the profe) How can adolescents get anorexia?

There are many factors that can affect how adolescents get anorexia. The typical causes are: media, family, social, cultural pressures, and low self-esteem. Firstly, the media can affect the adolescent to get anorexia. Media includes television, radio, newspaper, and magazines. Young children can also be influenced; they can get lots of information about the standard of beauty from the media. Currently, young adults are crazy about famous people, movie, singing, and dancing stars. They show people that the...
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