Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper

Anorexia Nervosa is not a new disease by any means. It was already being written about in medical literature by 1874, and there have been clear examples of women fasting throughout history (Pieri and Campbell). Despite this fact, researchers and doctors still are unsure of the exact cause of Anorexia. As time goes on though, more and more research is being conducted to figure out the cause. Some researchers believe that certain people can be more likely to develop Anorexia based on certain risk factors. Other researchers believe that it is based solely on genetic components. Based on the research, both genetics and sociocultural factors play a role in the development of Anorexia Nervosa. Sociocultural risk factors are what people more commonly …show more content…
One of the more obvious sociocultural factor is that of the abundance, or lack thereof, of food. In developed nations like the United States, Anorexia is more common compared to developing nations like certain parts of Africa. This is because in America there is an abundance of food while in certain parts of Africa, there is a shortage (Polivy and Herman). This certain risk factor may not seem like it would cause Anorexia, and that is because it is a more background risk factor. Other contributions like whether or not the culture values thinness adds to the factor of abundance to create a more serious sociocultural risk factor (Polivy and Herman). The media is often blamed for certain society’s value for thinness and as a result, it is blamed for causing Anorexia. In certain cultures like the United States, the media usually portrays women as thin and …show more content…
Other studies try to find a specific gene that is to blame for the development for Anorexia. In one study, the researchers examined 5,151 SNPs, or variations in a single pair in a DNA sequence, in 182 genes. These were studied in 1,085 women and girls with a history of Anorexia, and a control group of 677 women with no history of any eating disorders. After conducting the research they found that there were no relationships that they could find between any of the genes or SNPs and the Anorexia or the control group (Dring). In this specific study, none of the genes they tested were found to be the cause of Anorexia, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t one. There have been some studies that have found a small genetic influence on the development of Anorexia. One researcher discovered a variation in gene OPRDI that was found in 21.7 percent of Anorexic patients and 18.6 percent of controls (Dring). This finding is small, but it is important. Like Craig Johnson, the director of the Eating Disorders Program at Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma, says, “I don’t think any of us feel that were going to find a single gene that will account for Anorexia Nervosa, such as with the gene for Huntington’s disease. We’re convinced that instead there will be a number of genes that, to a small effect, line up to create susceptibility”