Anorexia nervosa is not a
disease that discriminates. This serious mental illness can occur in any
gender, ethnicity or social class and at any age group. According to the
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) “anorexia nervosa is an eating
disorder defined by an
inability to maintain one’s body weight within 15 percent of their Ideal Body
Weight (IBW). Other essential features of this disorder include an intense fear
of gaining weight, a distorted image of one’s body, denial of the seriousness
of the illness, and—in females—amenorrhea, an absence of at least three
consecutive menstrual cycles when they are otherwise expected to occur” (Berkman, 2007). Although anorexia nervosa has the ability to affect
anyone, there are certain risk factors that make an individual more likely to
be diagnosed. These risk factors include being an adolescent girl, young adult
female or an individual suffering from anxiety or depression. Athletes, dancers
and models are also at an increased risk for developing eating disorders due to
the high demand for thinness in their professions (Berkman, 2007). According to
the Department of Heath and Aging the prevalence of anorexia nervosa is one in
100 girls, or one percent. Of those
suffering with the illness 15- 20% will die within 20 years of onset. This is
the highest mortality rate of all psychiatric diseases (2010).
I chose
this topic due to personal interest. I believe that there are two main issues
surrounding eating disorders that make decreasing their prevalence difficult. Firstly, eating disorders and other mental
illnesses are often not recognized as actual illnesses that need medical
attention. The disillusionment surrounding these illnesses permits many sick
individuals to go without treatment. Enlightening the public about the dangers
of eating disorders and available treatment options could help cure those
already suffering and decrease future incidence rates of the illness. Secondly,
the media plays a very influential role in creating an unrealistic body image
to the public, which perpetuates negative body images and disordered eating.
Social marketing and health
teaching are two interventions from the public health wheel that could be
applied when discussing anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. The first
method, education, could be used in schools or by families in order to teach
children from about age five to 18. Education about eating disorders coupled
with health promotion would be the most successful equation. Aiding children in
developing healthy eating and exercise habits along with establishing a
positive body image is an example of upstream thinking. Other topics of
education to be discussed may include signs, symptoms, causes and treatments of
anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders. Educators should also establish
tertiary prevention by providing information on ways to seek help for those
already suffering from an eating disorder. Examples include eating disorder
hotlines and medical or counseling services.
The second intervention to help
promote health would be to change social marketing and media. This method would
be effective in all age groups. Body images displayed in the media are often
distorted and create a false standard of beauty in the eyes of the general
public. Most of the images portrayed in the media are photo-shopped and
unrealistic. Several industries have made an attempt to create a more realistic
image of beauty. The Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and modeling agencies who
have banned underweight models are two examples that come to mind. By endorsing
healthy eating habits, exercise routines and a variety of body sizes social
media could help to perpetuate health instead of cause problems. Social
marketing could help take a stand against anorexia nervosa by supporting Eating
Disorder Awareness Week, which aims to “increase awareness of factors that lead
to eating disorders” and “reduce prevalence of eating disorders and body image
problems through a public education program emphasizing social factors that
cause their development” (“Prevention & health promotion”, 2012). Each day we are bombarded by images and ideas
portrayed to us by social media, imagine if this powerful tool was used to
encourage health instead of harm it.
 |
| Dove Campaign for Real Beauty |
If you are interested in learning
more about the common signs, symptoms, causes and treatments for anorexia
nervosa click here for a great, informative website. More information regarding prevention and
health promotion for individuals, families, educators and administrators can be
found here.
Resources
Berkman, D. (2007, May). National
alliance on mental illness. Retrieved from
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=By_Illness&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=102975
Department of Health and Ageing. (2010,
September). National
Eating Disorders Collaboration.
Retrieved from http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/content/mental-nedc
Prevention & health promotion. (2012, May 14). Retrieved from
http://www.nedic.ca/knowthefacts/preventionhealth.html
Hey Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI am absolutely fascinated by your topic! As someone who has always struggled with weight growing up, as well as in college, this topic brings up many strong feelings for me.
One thing that’s critically important you had mention is the use of social marketing. In today’s society it can either be a blessing or our downfall. Beauty, cosmetic, and merchandise companies advertising, in my opinion, are one of the main reasons these disorders and body insecurities have become more prevalent. For those of you interested, here is another short clip of DOVE’s beauty campaign that shows the use of marketing that is absolutely mind blowing http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzLqMBRQGaU.
As people are becoming aware of the severity of these conditions, classes involving women and gender studies have brought attention to the concept of how beauty is portrayed by the world around us and how and what is considered the norm. What I find really interesting from a women studies perspective is how masculinity is also portrayed by the media; body image for men is rarely portrayed at all. Most unfortunately, it is sad to see that the target of their advertising is such a young population. I was appalled from your statistics saying that 15-20 % individuals die within 20 years of onset with the highest mortality rate of psychiatric diseases!!! Education and resources for young adults is crucial. Not only should nurses be educator and an advocate, but as a sister, brother, parent, and consumer it is critical to get involved. Be aware by watching out for friends and family by educating with signs and symptoms of this disorder. We should want to promote a healthy lifestyles and things that build one another up!
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteGreat post! This is a topic I am also very interested in, it is incredible how much influence the media has on our body image and what is considered beautiful. Both woman and men today are undoubtedly under more pressure to be thin than they were in the past. These images in ads, magazines, on billboards are not realistic and are usually photo shopped giving young adults unrealistic expectations of what it means to be beautiful. I’ve included a link to a short video also put on by the Dove campaign for real beauty http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYhCn0jf46U that does a great job of showing this transformation.
The media has an obvious impact on body image but I was curious exactly how great the effect was. I came across an interesting meta-analysis and the results were not what I was expecting. According to the article by Christopher Ferguson, images in the media had only a small negative effect on body image perception in young adults with an already healthy body image (Ferguson, 2013). The group that was most affected was those with an already poor body image. This supports your discussion on Anorexia being a mental illness. I think it is important to remove the stigma surrounding mental health treatment so individuals suffering can feel comfortable seeking help.
Again, wonderful article, this is a huge problem in our nation today and recognizing it as a problem is the first step in establishing a healthy image of beauty in our society.
Reference
Ferguson, C.J. (2013). In the eye of the beholder: Thin-ideal media affects some, but not most, viewers in a meta-analytic review of body dissatisfaction in women and men. Psychology of popular media culture 2(1) pp 20-37.
Hi Hannah!
ReplyDeleteI am also interested in this topic and thought you provided a lot of insight about anorexia. I agree that anorexia isn't perceived as a mental illness or one that needs treatment right away. Many adolescent girls especially can go a long while before a loved one realizes the road she is going down, but it would be best if it were recognized right away before it has an extremely negative effect on the body. I also think that it is horrible that the media targets such a young and innocent age group. By portraying “beautiful” as being super thin and air brushed, it puts unnecessary pressure on adolescents.
I think you presented excellent ideas on nursing interventions. Education is key in preventing this disease, especially in schools. If kids had better means to cope with the pressure the media and peers are putting on body image they would be less likely to resort to starving themselves. Education is also key in detecting this disease in friends and family members. I really like what the Dove Campaign is doing. By banning underweight models, images in the media are more realistic.
Hannah,
ReplyDeleteI thought your blog post was very well written. It was very informative and the first sentence immediately grabs your audiences’ attention. I, like several others, have always struggled with my weight. Throughout middle school, I was picked on and became very insecure. I have several family members that are obese, and it is a huge concern for me.
There are two things I would like to share about this post. The first being, that I found your first picture very interesting in relation to this topic. You discuss the pressures put upon people from the media; however, the projected image in the mirror appears to be part of the issue in a way. Anorexia occurs because the person with the illness is dangerously skinny, and yet, they still believe that they are fat. However, the girl in the mirror is not fat! This may send out the message that not being “super skinny” is not alright. The girl in the mirror appears healthy and average.
Another insight that I wanted to share deals with a story I heard on the radio this weekend. I didn’t catch the full story, but it dealt with how people being diagnosed with eating disorders are becoming younger and younger. The host then went on to refer to earlier in the week when they shared a little girl’s story. Her name was Sophie; she was five years old and just diagnosed with anorexia.
This is a very serious and rapidly spreading problem. It is very sad to think of all the people out there that have such a distorted body image, and it’s mostly due to our media and the pressures of others around us.
Hannah-
ReplyDeleteWeight is something that I have struggled with all my life. I gained 25 pounds during my first 4 years of college and when I graduated I worked hard and lost it all. As a college student again, I find my weight slowly creeping back up to my post-graduation number. Which made me wonder how many college students struggle with their weight as I do? And how many of them turn to eating disorders to cope with their weight gain?
The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 25% of college students have eating disorders (Ammenhauser, 2012). That means that millions of college students have untreated eating disorders while “fewer than 50,000 cases of H1N1 were reported last year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, [and] this potentially deadly strain of flu was treated as a national emergency” (Smith, 2010). So why does anorexia go untreated?
College students don’t seek treatment for many reasons. The Eating Disorders Recovery Center found through a 2010 survey that students did not seek treatment for the following reasons: “82% unwilling to seek treatment, 48% do not know they have an eating disorder, 34% lack awareness of treatment resources, 28% embarrassed to seek treatment, 28% lack treatment resources, 23% perceived lack of anonymity in treatment, 18% lack of knowledge by staff about where to refer students, and 8% no need for treatment” (Smith, 2010).
Based on the survey, one of the biggest problems I noticed is the stigma surrounding psychiatric disorders. 28% of the individuals surveyed were embarrassed to seek treatment while 23% perceived lack of anonymity in treatment. Anorexic individuals should not have to feel embarrassed or worry about being exposed in order to get the treatment they need. Especially when longer the eating disorder goes left untreated, the more likely they will cause damage. Encouragement and support needs to be provided to promote the acceptance of psychiatric disorders. Education on the symptoms of anorexia need to be promoted as 48% didn’t know they had an eating disorder.
In conclusion, “H1N1 is no longer a problem because it was treated as a crisis and action was taken. Given the impact they have on millions of college students, its time to treat eating disorders as a crisis too” (Smith, 2010).
Reference:
Ammenheuser, M. (2012, December 27). Eating disorders boom as kids enter college. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/12/27/college-kids-eating-disorders/1794057/
Smith, J.A. (2010). The hidden health crisis on campus: Eating disorders. Retrieved from http://www.anad.org/news/the-hidden-health-crisis-on-campus-eating-disorders/
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ReplyDeleteHannah,
ReplyDeleteThis topic is also very interesting to me. I did a research paper on the effects media has on self-esteem in women and it still never ceases to stun me. It is crazy how “beauty” has a standard and that standard is used all across the boards. Especially in today’s society where Facebook, the internet, and celebrities on Twitter are just a click away, we are exposed to this cookie cutter definition of beauty hundreds of times a day. Even twenty years ago advertisements would show a woman of more of an average body build versus today. This type of exposure is lethal to viewers, especially women. With kids having access to smart phones now at such a young age, it predisposes them to becoming anorexic or having low self-esteem by having more exposure in general. We are dealing with two very large issues here; the issue with the media and advertising and the increasing access to the media due to new technology. It seems overwhelming to think that something could be done to change portrayal in the media. It is at this point where working with viewers and audiences would seem to be more successful. The media/advertising techniques may not be able to change, but we can help women be prepared and understand that there is not just that one definition of beauty.
Anorexia is a serious illness and those suffering with it do need to feel like they can get help if they need to. As it may be paired with depression and other psychological imbalances, it is important for us as nurses to understand the signs and symptoms of someone who may be struggling with this. It seems like an overwhelming issue to address. I could not agree more with the interventions you would implement. Education is critical and could build up young women so they are not as prone to anorexia as they are now. Additionally, your idea of using social network for good is a fantastic idea! Facebook is inhabited by everyday users and word can spread very quickly. Pages could educate, support, raise awareness, and stand up against the powerful advertisements that we cannot change.