ng awareness of the dangers of eating disorders, sparked by medical studies and extensive media coverage, has led many people to seek help.

The Diagnostic Statistical Manual IV, a manual for psychologists outlining the characteristics o

Bruch, H. Psychological antecedents of anorexia nervosa. New York: Raven Press, 1977.

Medication can also be useful for a patient, especially when other psychological illnesses may be present with the anorexia nervosa. Cyproheptadine, an appetite stimulant, may be prescribed to help aid the patient in her quest for weight gain (Noshpitz 1992). For anorexia, preliminary evidence shows that some antidepressant medications may be effective when combined with other forms of treatment. Fluoxetine has also been useful in treating some patients with depression. Since depression is highly prevalent in anorexic patients, medication such as fluoxetine may help boost the patient’s mood and in turn help increase feelings of self-value. Fluoxetine also helps improve weight maintenance after weight gain and control obsessionality (Caplan 1974). Medication, however helpful, can never be considered a substitute for therapy and primarily serves to complement individual therapy, not to replace it.

Social and cultural influences must be taken into consideration when examining the causes of anorexia nervosa. Thinness is forcefully advocated for young women by the mass media, presented as the main aspect of physical attractiveness (Davis, 1994), and the route to success and happiness (Bruch, 1977). Women are constantly hit with a barrage of impossibly thin models and the idea that women should conform to those standards set by the entertainment industry. The attitude of women to their bodies is also socially determined, it is presented as an object, used to sell all manner of products, and women are taught to express themselves through their bodies, therefore it becomes a central part of their self-esteem. When women feel they do not meet up to the expectations the culture inflicts upon them, many young girls begin to diet and exercise rigorously to achieve the popular look. Peers for conforming to the social ideal may praise anorexics, in the initial stages, and they may!

Garner, D. M. and Bemis, K. M. Cognitive therapy for anorexia nervosa. New York and

Anorexia nervosa is a disorder that affects more women than men, with a ten to one female to male ratio (Noshpitz 1997). Many victims of this disease come from the middle to upper socioeconomic level and have a dominating presence in western cultures. Caucasian and Hispanic women seem to be at the highest risk, while women of African and Asian heritages are at the least risk to develop this disorder. There is an alarming prevalence among female athletes, such as runners, divers, gymnasts, and figure skaters, and in other professions such as acting and modeling. The characteristic that tightly binds the majority of anorexic cases together is the sudden onset of the disease in early to mid adolescence. Typically, the disease affects females ranging from age 14 to age 18, and occurs in one percent of the total population. The United States has an estimated five million sufferers of anorexia nervosa reported by physicians, but once again this number may not reflect the true inci!

Some common words found in the essay are:
Health NIMH, African Asian, Garner Bemis, Friedlander Siegel, Garfinkel Garner, Vandereycken Meerman, Anorexia Nervosa, Russell Meares, Manual IV, anorexia nervosa, Worth Publishers, eating disorders, abraham 1992, anorexic patients, eating disorder, weight gain, anorexia nervosa york, garfinkel garner, caplan 1974, nervosa york, noshpitz 1997, garfinkel garner 1982, brains anorexic patients, york raven press, nervosa york raven,
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Approximate Pages = 14 (250 words per page double spaced)