Essay Example on Mortality Risk of Anorexia: Gender Disparity

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa is related to an eating disorder that causes increased mortality rates compared to all the other psychiatric diseases (Edakubo & Fushimi, 2020). It can also be referred to as the complex disorders characterized by self-destruction, self-starvation, and the refusal to maintain the body's weight above or at the minimally normal weight for the height and age (Arcelus et al., 2011).

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The mortality rate for males living with Anorexia is higher than in females (Sullivan, 1995). This paper presents a persuasive argument regarding the high prevalence of Anorexia nervosa disorder in females compared to the males, both in teenage adolescence and in adulthood, through the evidence-based review of various data and materials.

The Gender Prevalence of Anorexia Nervosa in Acute-Care Hospitals

Research indicates that the Anorexia nervosa disorder has been observed mostly in women with ages between 10 and 20 years (Arcelus et al., 2011). This disorder is closely associated with anxiety and stress in the attempt to pursue thinness, which emanates from the fear of being fat (Bulik et al., 2006). It is essential to note that the females majorly experience the anxiety and the stress linked with the disorder within the age bracket.

It is also important to note that most of the people that are suffering from Anorexia nervosa are likely to experience some difficulties in emotional and sexual expressions (Bulik et al., 2006). According to research, the patients who suffer from Anorexia nervosa also tend to show certain repetitive behaviors and social introversion, which may subsequently result in the worsening of the clinical symptoms of Anorexia nervosa disorder (Arcelus et al., 2011). Research also indicates that most of the patients are most likely to develop the disorder during adolescence.

It has thus been postulated by several scientists that the alteration of the balance in the ovarian steroids and the central neurotransmitters is likely to explain the reduced sexual interest among the patients experiencing the disorder (Franko et al., 2013). The disorder is often characterized by some significant alteration and the disturbance in the nutritional pattern of the patient. This is linked to the characteristic weight loss witnessed in the patients suffering from the disorder.

Research indicates that the disorder is closely linked with mental conditions in which the psychiatric problems get interwoven with the disturbance and alteration of the entire endocrine system (Bulik et al., 2006). It is worth noting that the Anorexia nervosa condition has been on the increase in the recent past. Findings by various scientists indicate an increased likelihood of Anorexia nervosa disorder in females than males (Franko et al., 2013).

For instance, a study by Edakubo & Fushimi, 2020 indicates that over 90% of the reported Anorexia nervosa cases have been reported for the females with as low as 10% prevalence in the male counterparts. In most cases, the affected females often tend to force vomiting to eliminate the food as soon as they finish eating (Arcelus et al., 2011). Because the body size and shape play vital roles in the determination of attractiveness of an individual, females are adversely affected by that feeling, since they believe that their abnormal body sizes may render them sexually unattractive.

In research conducted by Edakubo & Fushimi, 2020 also indicate that women are more likely to report body checking behaviors than men. Such behaviors indicate the ritualistic measuring of the bodyweight as well as the checking of unique clothing as well as engaging in body avoidance behaviors. It is worthy to note that some personality traits and psychological factors are likely to predispose various individuals to develop eating disorders (Bulik et al., 2006). Moreover, people with eating disorders are likely to suffer from self-esteem and some feeling of helplessness, which is closely linked to the anorexia nervosa.

More significantly, according to Edakubo & Fushimi, 2020, more women than men indicated that they often feel that they cannot control whatever they eat even though most men stated the likelihood of overeating. Again, adolescents have an enhanced likelihood of fearing to be fat, thus caring about losing and maintaining their body weights (Franko et al., 2013).

The anorexia nervosa is a form of self-starvation which is primarily characterized by self-starvation. It is an eating disorder that typically involves the restriction on eating as well as the prevention of weight gain (Bulik et al., 2006).

Prevalence in Teenagers

Among the young teenagers, one of the causes of low esteem and body dissatisfaction is the body mass emanating from some particular eating (Sullivan, 1995). The body image, which is essentially the perception of how the body feels, looks, and mores and is greatly influenced by the gender of the affected patients (Bulik et al., 2006). Research indicates that about 50 to 88percent of teenage girls often feel negative about their body size and shape.

Even though the prevalence of the disorder is significantly high in females, the statistics indicate that the number of affected males have begun to increase dramatically (Sullivan, 1995). Even though the disorder is accompanied by various psychological, physical, and behavioral warning signs, the affected patients tend to develop different behaviors and attitudes. For example, some to the patients are likely to conceal their behavior and fail to recognize that there are somethings wrong with them.

Some other behavioral patterns often depicted by the women affected by the disorder include the increased tendency to keenly select the clothing that is likely to hide their bodies as they may feel guilty of their various appearances. On the other hand, some of the psychological indicators of the disorder in both the females and the males include the fact that they are often preoccupied with food and that they tend to feel out of control around food (Sullivan, 1995). It is also significant to note that some of the accompanying signs for the disorder include the compulsive exercising as well as the increased sensitivities to the various comments relating to their weights and shapes.

Other behavioral patterns often depicted by the women affected by the disorder include the increased tendency to keenly select the clothing that is likely to hide their bodies as they may feel guilty of their varied appearance. Precisely, the disorder is often characterized by some significant alteration and the disturbance in the patient's nutritional pattern (Bulik et al., 2006

Conclusion

In conclusion, anorexia nervosa is related to an eating disorder that causes increased mortality rates compared to all the other psychiatric diseases. Most of the people suffering from Anorexia nervosa are also likely to experience some difficulties in emotional and sexual expressions (Bulik et al., 2006). For instance, some other behavioral patterns often depicted by the women affected by the disorder include the increased tendency to keenly select the clothing that is likely to hide their bodies as they may feel guilty of their varied appearance.

Concisely, the disorder is often characterized by some significant alteration and the disturbance in the patient's nutritional pattern (Bulik et al., 2006). Since the body size and shape play vital roles in the attractiveness of an individual, females are adversely affected by that feeling, since they believe that their abnormal body sizes may render them sexually unattractive.

References

Arcelus, J., Mitchell, A. J., Wales, J., & Nielsen, S. (2011). Mortality rates in patients with anorexia nervosa and other eating disorders: a meta-analysis of 36 studies. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(7), 724-731. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/1107207

Bulik, C. M., Sullivan, P. F., Tozzi, F., Furberg, H., Lichtenstein, P., & Pedersen, N. L. (2006). Prevalence, heritability, and prospective risk factors for anorexia nervosa. Archives of general psychiatry, 63(3), 305-312. Retrieved from https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/209373

Edakubo, S., & Fushimi, K. (2020). Mortality and risk assessment for anorexia nervosa in acute-care hospitals: a nationwide administrative database analysis. BMC psychiatry, 20(1), 19. Retrieved from https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12888-020-2433-8

Franko, D. L., Keshaviah, A., Eddy, K. T., Krishna, M., Davis, M. C., Keel, P. K., & Herzog, D. B. (2013). A longitudinal investigation of mortality in anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 170(8), 917-925. Retrieved from https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/full/10.1176/appi.ajp.2013.12070868

Sullivan, P. F. (1995). Mortality in anorexia nervosa. American Journal of Psychiatry, 152(7), 1073-1074. Retrieved from http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.462.2442&rep=rep1&type=pdf