Katrina Venta
PSY 102
Professor Stommel
March 26, 2016
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder that is plaguing the lives of many people. The book states that anorexia nervosa is, "characterized by self-induced starvation and excessive weight loss, to the point that the individual weighs more than 15% below his/her expected healthy body weight. This disorder has the potential to become life-threatening as the resulting malnutrition poses a number of serious health risks" (MindEdge, 2015, section 4.11). According to the Eating Disorders Coalition, about 30 million Americans suffer from an eating disorder
0.9% of which are women who suffer from anorexia, and at least one person dies as a direct result from an …show more content…
However, generally, residential treatment for children and teenagers with anorexia nervosa is controversial. A study in the UK found that kids who were institutionalized for treatment did not fare any better over the long term than those who remained living at home while being treated (Gowers et al., 2007). A similar result was found in a randomized trial in Germany. Most professional organizations recommend home-based treatment, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Canadian Pediatric Society. An article by Frisch in the International Journal of Eating Disorders reported on a survey of the leading residential facilities in the US. The survey found that none of these residential treatment facilities were reporting on long-term follow-up or rates of remission. At the same time, most parents have reported negative side-effects of residential treatment. Residential treatment is expensive, according to the Frisch survey -- about $1,000 per day and average length of stay is about 60 days (Frisch, 2006). Some of the corporate sponsors of the EDC recommend that up to 25% of these sufferers should be treated in a 24-hour per day setting -- either a hospital or a residential center. If 25% of 30 million Americans (7.5 million) people are treated in presidential center, the cost would therefor be about 60 billion dollars. This would likely bankrupt …show more content…
Facts About Eating Disorders: What The Research Shows. Eating Disorders Coalition. Retrieved 26 March 2016, from http://eatingdisorderscoalition.org.s208556.gridserver.com/couch/uploads/file/fact sheet_2016.pdf
Frisch, M. (2006). Residential Treatment for Eating Disorders. Credn.org. Retrieved 25 March 2016, from http://www.credn.org/_literature_126561/Frisch_2006_Residential_Treatment_for_Eati g_Disorders
Gowers, S., et al. (2007). Clinical effectiveness of treatments for anorexia nervosa in adolescents: Randomised controlled trial. The British Journal Of Psychiatry, 191(5), 427 435. http://dx.doi.org/10.1192/bjp.bp.107.036764
MindEdge, Inc. (2015). Introduction to Psychology: Part II. Waltham, MA: MindEdge.
Nationaleatingdisorders.org, (2016). Research on Males and Eating Disorders | National Eating Disorders Association. National Eating Disorders. Retrieved 26 March 2016, from