Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are severe eating disorders struggled by many individuals today. Anorexia nervosa is a condition of the intense fear to gain weight, which results in consistent lack of eating. Bulimia nervosa, involves frequent episodes of binge eating followed by throwing up due to fear of gaining weight. The mortality rate for anorexia is the highest of all mental disorders, yet the genetic factors relating to it were once ignored. It is easy to think that anorexia and bulimia are mentality induced only, but there are genetic factors connected despite how small evidence may be. Studies have proven that levels of serotonin in individuals relate to bulimia, and anorexia. The compound serotonin, is related to multiple levels
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The obsessive fear surrounding gaining weight can lead to OCD, depression or anxiety, which could initiate common actions that lead to an eating problem. An individual with a perfectionism quality may become obsessed with how their body looks, which can result in the desire to diet. Society today displays the ideal image of body type through television, and even through toys such as barbie dolls. The constant reminder of this "ideal" body type is an environmental stressor more likely to affect those who are naturally more negative towards themselves in the first place. Narcissists are classified as having an excessive focus on self and self-importance. Females value the ideal of thinness and their appearance more, 90-95% of anorexics are female, and first-degree relatives, especially for women, are four times as likely to get an eating disorder themselves (Strober et al., 1990). Research has shown that some factors in eating disorders such as dissatisfaction with one’s body can be heritable (Rutherford et …show more content…
From the University of Alberta in 1996, two researchers outlined a theory described as activity anorexia (Pierce & Epling, 1996). Activity anorexia occurs when athletes in particular, become overly dedicated to fitness that they lose weight, or forget to eat. A study conducted in Toronto noticed that dancers in comparison to models had higher rates of anorexia and more unstable eating habits (Garner & Garfinkel, 1980). Endogenous opioids are substances that the body produces which can suppress an appetite, enhance mood and reduce pain. Opioids play a role in Anorexia because the levels of these substances increase during starvation. Excessive exercise with some patients with eating disorders would likely have an increase of opioids, as they do not feel the pain of not eating while exercising (Marrazzi & Luby., 1986). In regards to binging, Bulimia has low levels of these opioids, which would trigger more cravings and therefore reinforce
The obsessive fear surrounding gaining weight can lead to OCD, depression or anxiety, which could initiate common actions that lead to an eating problem. An individual with a perfectionism quality may become obsessed with how their body looks, which can result in the desire to diet. Society today displays the ideal image of body type through television, and even through toys such as barbie dolls. The constant reminder of this "ideal" body type is an environmental stressor more likely to affect those who are naturally more negative towards themselves in the first place. Narcissists are classified as having an excessive focus on self and self-importance. Females value the ideal of thinness and their appearance more, 90-95% of anorexics are female, and first-degree relatives, especially for women, are four times as likely to get an eating disorder themselves (Strober et al., 1990). Research has shown that some factors in eating disorders such as dissatisfaction with one’s body can be heritable (Rutherford et …show more content…
From the University of Alberta in 1996, two researchers outlined a theory described as activity anorexia (Pierce & Epling, 1996). Activity anorexia occurs when athletes in particular, become overly dedicated to fitness that they lose weight, or forget to eat. A study conducted in Toronto noticed that dancers in comparison to models had higher rates of anorexia and more unstable eating habits (Garner & Garfinkel, 1980). Endogenous opioids are substances that the body produces which can suppress an appetite, enhance mood and reduce pain. Opioids play a role in Anorexia because the levels of these substances increase during starvation. Excessive exercise with some patients with eating disorders would likely have an increase of opioids, as they do not feel the pain of not eating while exercising (Marrazzi & Luby., 1986). In regards to binging, Bulimia has low levels of these opioids, which would trigger more cravings and therefore reinforce