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“Officially recognized by the medical Community only since 1980, Eating disorders were first brought to the public’s attention when pop singer Karen Carpenter (1953-1983) died from complications resulting from anorexia. People suffering from eating disorders battle life-threatening obsessions with food and unhealthy thoughts about their body weight and shape. If untreated, these disorders can lead to death. Researchers have found many factors that are probable causes of eating disorders. Recovery for an eating disorder is possible, though it is a difficult process that should not be done alone. The first steps toward recovery are for the sufferer to accept that there is a problem and to show a willingness to focus on his or her feelings rather than on food and weight (Levchuck, Kosek, and Drohan, 2000).” Easting disorders, specifically anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, are dangerous psychological illnesses that affect millions of people. In order to begin to overcome these diseases and fight the ravaging effects that they have on millions of young women and girls three aspects must first be analyzed. It must be discussed the types of eating disorders that exist, the causes, the consequences of these disorders and the treatment and prevention of these disorders. Anorexia Nervosa is a condition in which a person refuses to maintain a healthy body weight. “The term anorexia nervosa means literally ‘nervous lack of appetite’ (Levchuck, Kosek, and Drohan, 2000).” However, it must be understood that this disorder does not mean that anorexic individuals do not lack appetite, rather battle hunger every day. Instead anorexics are extremely terrified of gaining weight, or being perceived as over weight. This perception of abnormal body weight may not be accompanied with actual body weight, rather may be derived from a targeted area of the body such as the thighs or the stomach. An anorexic’s view point of their body is often skewed and tied closely to their self-esteem.
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