Be nervous about nervosa

 

There is an especially strong correlation between depression and anorexia; so although there are unique elements of each disorder, a person who suffers from depression is more likely to be anorexic than a person who does not experience depression.

 

 

 

 

“Everyone should know this stuff” Level

Picture two teenage girls living in the United States. One plays soccer; the other plays guitar. One is excited for prom; the other is hyped for the Super Bowl. One eats and exercises normally; the other skips meals, smokes cigarettes, vomits, and takes laxatives to lose weight. There is a huge epidemic plaguing our nation, and for young women between the ages of 15 to 24, it is the most common cause of death: anorexia nervosa (ANAD 2016). Anorexia nervosa is a mental disorder that triggers unhealthy eating, excessive exercise habits, binging, and purging (Ehrlich 2015).  People who suffer from anorexia are unhappy with their natural weight and resort to these abnormal patterns to achieve their desired body, which is usually less than 85% of what they should weigh (UNC 2016).

However, anorexia is not just due to external societal and social pressures (Ehrlich 2015). There are several genetic factors that influence a person’s biological predisposition to anorexia nervosa and its resulting degree of severity (Bolt 2015). Inherited genes predispose a person to various mental disorders (Bolt 2015). Because anorexia is a psychological disorder that influences one’s actions and attitudes in regards to eating, other mental disorders – such as depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder – are often present as well (Berrettini 2004). There is an especially strong correlation between depression and anorexia; so although there are unique elements of each disorder, a person who suffers from depression is more likely to be anorexic than a person who does not experience depression (Berrettini 2004).

Depression and anorexia acting simultaneously makes for an extremely toxic combination because the mind’s ability to process and express emotions is skewed, and the mind’s perception of self is dangerously distorted (UNC 2016). Body image issues and misguided self-control are just two examples of how anorexia manifests itself psychologically (Arnold 2015).         

(Ragan 2012)

Physical effects are just as detrimental — they are even deadly (Bolt 2015). Immediate effects occur when starvation as a result of anorexia  finally sets in; after a few days of not eating, the body starts feeding on itself and shifts into survival mode (Brink 2016). Different reserves of energy are tapped into, starting with carbohydrates, fats, and finally proteins (Brink 2016). Metabolism starts to slow down because there is nothing else for the body left to consume, and energy levels within the body drop drastically (Brink 2016). Soon, nutrients can no longer be delivered to vital organs such as the heart, lungs, and brain (Brink 2016). This lack of nutrients leads to long-term, deadly health problems, such as shrinking of the heart or stomach (Brink 2016). An anorexic loses mass amounts of body hair which causes a drop in body heat and constant shivers or chill, develops abrasive and easily bruised skin due to lack of blood circulation, and becomes irritable and easily angered because of an undernourished, dysfunctional brain (Brink 2016).

Anorexia nervosa disorder is one of the hardest to cure because both the body and mind must be treated to effectively help a patient (Bolt 2015). The most common and effective treatment starts at treatment centers and residential hospitals (Arnold 2015). At the New York State Psychiatric Institute, patients seek treatment from Dr. Joanna Steinglass (Arnold 2015). Here, men and women alike get help through a process of professional counseling, monitored eating, and support groups; they develop regulated eating habits and eventually reach a healthy weight (Arnold 2015). In general, noticeable and positive results can be seen after a few months (Bolt 2015).

However, once patients have been released from recovery programs and return to the normal, everyday life, they tend to relapse (Arnold 2015). Once again, anorexia nervosa takes over their minds, bodies, and lives (Arnold 2015). Their old habits return and they relapse into routines of extreme exercise and skipped meals (Arnold 2015). Walter Kaye, director of University of California, San Diego’s Eating Disorder Treatment and Research Program, stated, “If we had a better understanding of the cause of anorexia, this would aid in developing better treatment” (Arnold 2015). This pattern of successful treatment followed by total relapse causes many to lose hope for recovery (Arnold 2015).

Luckily, new advancements in technology and an increased population of diagnosed anorexia nervosa patients have recently paved the way for more in-depth research on the disorder (Bolt 2015). The key to sustaining the success of the post-treatment patient lies in pinpointing what helps their bodies and minds return to normal eating habits and thinking patterns.

“For geniuses only” Level

Of hundreds of experiments conducted involving various factors of anorexia, a 2007 study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition details research conducted on the post-treatment recovery process (Schebendach, et al. 2007). Scientists looked for treatment techniques to improve on preexisting ones, which included encouraging larger portions of food and more frequent mealtimes (Schebendach, et al. 2007). They hypothesized that a diet’s energy density and variety played a large role in the effectiveness of treatment (Schebendach, et al. 2007).

47 hospitalized women suffering from anorexia nervosa were subjects in this experiment (Schebendach, et al.  2007). Once each woman gained enough weight to reach a BMI of over 20 (within the healthy BMI range of 18.5 – 24.9), their individual mean diet energy density score (DEDS), their individual mean diet variety score (DVS), and individual total caloric intake were calculated (Schebendach, et al. 2007). The scientists used a predetermined set of criteria they had created to label each woman’s current state as “treatment success” or “treatment failure” (Schebendach, et al. 2007). Using statistics – specifically a t-test and a logistic regression model – the effects of DEDS, DV, and caloric intake were evaluated (Schebendach, et al. 2007).

Overall, a woman with a lower DEDS and DVS was more likely to be labeled “treatment failure” and be unable to retain the weight gained during hospital recovery (Schebendach, et al. 2007). The energy density and variety in the diet of a recovering patient plays a larger role in ensuring stable recovery than the caloric intake of his/her diet (Schebendach, et al.  2007).

The importance of this discovery has changed the way we treat eating disorders: the post-treatment key to success lies not in the calorie count, but rather in the protein and carbohydrates of a recovering anorexic person’s diet (Schebendach, et al.  2007). With a wide-range relapse rate of 9% to 65% of patients who relapse and revert back to unhealthy practices, discoveries like this could save lives by pinpointing and attacking the causes of the disorder and the relapse (Eating Disorders Review 2013). By tackling  anorexia through approaches different than just hospital recovery programs, we can better understand and cure the disorder. There is hope for anorexia nervosa and those who suffer from it, and we should never lose this hope.

Impress your friends and family with these three related facts:

Fact 1: Anorexia is the third most common long-term illness among adolescents (ANAD 2016).

Fact 2: 95% of the people who suffer from anorexia are between ages 12 to 26 (ANAD 2016).

Fact 3: 81% of ten-year olds are afraid of being fat (ANAD 2016).

 

Author: This page was created by Catherine Angel, a senior at Choate Rosemary Hall in Wallingford, CT. Katie’s spirit animal is a very cute kitty: not a simple cat, rather an extremely adorable young kitten. She will most likely become famous for being crowned the grandiose, yet humble, third-place winner of American Idol.

 

 

 

 

 

Works Cited

ANAD (2016). Eating Disorders Statistics. National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders. 15 February 2016. http://www.anad.org/get-information/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/

Arisu, Alice. (2016). Anorexia Series 2-3. DeviantArt. http://img06.deviantart.net/94f9/i/2007/314/1/3/anorexia_series_2_3__food_by_alicearisu.png

Arnold, Carrie, (2015). The Neuroscience of Anorexia Reveals Why It’s So Hard to Treat. New York Magazine. 23 October 2015. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2015/10/neuroscience-of-anorexia.html#

Berrettini, Wade. (2004). The Genetics of Eating Disorders. US National Library of Medicine: National Institutes of Health. November 2004. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3010958/

Bolt, Bryanna. (2015). Scientists Study Brain Based Processes Behind Anorexic Behavior. University of California, San Diego’s The Guardian. 1 April 2015. http://ucsdguardian.org/2015/04/01/scientists-study-brain-based-processes-behind-anorexic-behavior/

Brink, Susan. (2016). What Happens to the Body and Mind When Starvation Sets In. National Public Radio. 20 January 2016. http://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/01/20/463710330/what-happens-to-the-body-and-mind-when-starvation-sets-in

Eating Disorders Review. (2013). Tacking Relapse Among Anorexia Nervosa Patients. Eating Disorders Review: Vo. 24 No. 1. January 2013. http://eatingdisordersreview.com/nl/nl_edr_24_1_4.html

Ehrlich, Steven. (2015). Anorexia Nervosa. University of Maryland Medical Center. 23 April 2015. https://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/condition/anorexia-nervosa

Hirst, Jeremy. (2002). Biological Causes of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. Bryn Mawr College. 7 January 2012. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro98/202s98-paper3/Hirst3.html

Med News. (2016). Woman with Anorexia. Medical News Today. Accessed 20 February 2016. Image. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/content/images/articles/300/300530/woman-with-anorexia.jpg

Ragan, Anne-Lee. (2012). Warning: reflections in this mirror may be distorted by socially constructed ideas of beauty. LifeLenses.com. 14 June 2012. Image. http://life-lenses.com/2012/06/14/warning-reflections-in-this-mirror-may-be-distored-by-socially-constructed-ideas-of-beauty/

Schebendach et al. (2007). Dietary energy density and diet variety as predictors of outcome in anorexia nervosa. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 27 July 2007. http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/87/4/810.short

UNC. (2016). What are Eating Disorders? University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill Medical Center. Accessed 1 February 2016. http://www.med.unc.edu/psych/eatingdisorders/resources/about-eating-disorders