EFFECT ON SOCIETY

ANOREXIA

Let us start with a simple question that most people can´t answer which is, what is anorexia? People normally get confused with this word. When they think of anorexia they just thin about skinny people and that´s not the case. Anorexia can affect people in two ways, physically and mentally. In more scientific words Lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical condition) and an emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat.

RATE IN THE WORLD

Research suggests that about one percent (0.5%) of adolescents have anorexia. That means that about one out of every one hundred young teenagers between ten and twenty are starving themselves, sometimes to death. [pic 1]

RATE IN HONDURAS

According to medical data, it is estimated that around 6% of kids and teenagers in Honduras suffer from some type of eating disorder. This means that out of 3,500,000 kids in Honduras about 35,000 have anorexia.

[pic 2]

CAUSES OF ANOREXIA

The exact causes of anorexia nervosa are unclear, but most specialists believe it's likely to be the result of a combination of factors:

• Psychological Factors
• Environmental Factors[pic 3]
• Biological and genetic factors

Psychological Factors

• A tendency towards depression and anxiety.
• Finding it difficult to handle stress.
• Excessive worrying and feeling doubtful about the future.
• Perfectionism.
• Being very emotionally restrained.
• Having feelings of obsession and compulsion.

Environmental Factors

• Pressures and stress at school.
• Occupations or hobbies.
• Stressful life event, such as losing somebody.
• Difficult family relationships
• Physical or sexual abuse

Environmental Factors

The risk of someone developing anorexia is also thought to be greater in people with a family history of eating disorders, depression, or substance misuse, which suggests genes could play a role.

SUGGESTED CURES

• Medical treatment: If malnutrition or starvation has started to break down somebody’s body, medical treatment will be a top priority. The doctor will treat the medical conditions that have been caused by anorexia, such as osteoporosis, heart problems, or depression. As the person begins to get better, the doctor will continue to follow your health and weight.

• Nutritional counseling: A registered dietitian will help the person take charge of your weight in a healthy way. He or she will learn healthy eating patterns and gain a good understanding of nutrition.

• Therapy: Talking with a psychologist or mental health professional will help the person cope with the emotional reasons behind anorexia. For example, the person may discuss life stresses, unhelpful beliefs about food and weight, or certain personality traits that may be, in part, causing anorexia.

[pic 4][pic 5][pic 6]

EFFECT ON SOCIETY

If we want to see the anorexia nervosa impact on society, it’s enough to see the death statistics and emotional problems that they have to understand how severe it is. There are groups of people especially online that support anorexia nervosa as a lifestyle and they give tips and advice to them to hide their problem from their family and keep a rigorous diet.

I think we need to change the way society values people, there are testimonies of teenagers that were very happy, but when they started dieting due to an emotional problem they had caused by a critique of their weight, their life became miserable. Adolescents want to be loved and accepted in society, so when people critiques their body or physical appearance, sometimes the frustration is so big, that they do anything to be accepted be liked.

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