Modern American society has faced a really severe problem of eating disorders which are mainly caused by Hollywood ideals of “beauty”. Nowadays more than 24 million Americans suffer from anorexia which leads to many fatal outcomes. However, in spite of frightening statistics, nowadays many sufferers have a good chance to recover due to increasing number of programs and campaigns aimed at overcoming this disease.
According to First et al. (2004) anorexia is “the refusal to maintain normal body weight, which is related to an extreme fear of becoming fat” (First et al., 2004, p.316). It has been suggested that this eating disorder prevails in the industrial countries where much attention is paid to thinness, thus, it is caused mainly by social and cultural reasons (First et al., 2004, p.315).
It is necessary to point out that this disorder leads to some severe complications, causing heart and kidneys diseases, blood pressure diseases, headaches, osteoporosis, depression and many others physical and mental disorders (“Eating Disorders Mirror Mirror,” n.d.). Admittedly, anorexia affects greatly sufferers’ personal and social life.
These people show low activity in work, education, etc. and due to the high comorbidity of this disease they are usually weak and frustrated (“Eating Disorders Coalition,” n.d.). Such people are preoccupied with their weight and do not try to participate social life.
According to the National Eating Disorders Association Statistics 10 million American females suffer from anorexia (“NEDA,” n.d.). It is necessary to add that the average adolescent age is about 15 years old (“The Renfrew Centre Foundation,” n.d.). Reportedly, 40% of cases identified in 2003 were in girls aged from 15 to 19 years old.
As far as ethnicity of sufferers is concerned, it is necessary to point out that more than 90% of cases are Caucasians, about 2.7% – Hispanic people, and the rest of cases of anorexia are identified in people of other ethnicity (“The Renfrew Centre Foundation,” n.d.). Besides, more than 60% of such cases are traced in single people (“The Renfrew Centre Foundation,” n.d.).
Admittedly, many people suffering eating disorders do not get the appropriate mental and medical care (“The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness,” n.d.). However, in recent years different non-governmental organization started paying a lot of attention to the problem. Thus, there are many centers which help people suffering from eating disorders.
Many of them offer different programs of effective mental care which enable people to become committed to overcome the problem (“Monte Nido,” n.d.). Fortunately, there are many centers which offer full-time treatment, others invite people for meetings aimed at discussion and overcoming the problem.
Many conferences are launched for therapists to share their experience and find new ways of helping anorexia sufferers (“Eating Disorders Coalition,” n.d.). In fact, at the moment many sufferers can find the professional help on the Internet. However, the main reason of low mental care is caused by ethical issues since far from all eating disorders sufferers admit that they need help.
Thus, it is possible to conclude that anorexia, being a very severe kind of eating disorders which often leads to fatal outcome, is widely spread throughout the USA, affecting, in the majority of cases, young female. However, recently an increasing number of programs and campaigns aimed at overcoming this problem are being launched. Fortunately, this positive trend is likely to maintain in future.
Reference List
First, M. B., Frances, A., Pincus, H. A. (2004). DSM-IV-TR Guidebook. American Psychiatric Pub.
The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness. Web.
Monte Nido Treatment Center. Web.
Eating Disorders Mirror Mirror. Anorexia Statistics. Web.
The Renfrew Centre Foundation. Web.
NEDA. (2005). Web.
UCLA. Web.