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Eating Disorders. Leah Shapira, M.A. lshapira@yorku.ca.
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Eating Disorders Leah Shapira, M.A. lshapira@yorku.ca
“The voice goes on in my head. I call it the anorexic minx. It’s like a little person that gets inside my mind and takes control of my thoughts. The voice tricks me into believing that I am in control but I am not, it’s in control of me. Dictating what I can and can’t eat and how much exercise I should do. It never lets me rest. Being anorexic takes up all my time, it becomes a way of life. . . Everything is controlled . . . Life is filled with thoughts of this illness. Anorexia has become my way of life. It is what I know.” (Lucy, 1999)
Anorexia Nervosa • Refusal to maintain body weight above a minimally normal weight for one’s weight and height • Intense fear of gaining weight • Distortions in the perception of one’s body weight or shape • Amenorrhea • Restricting or Binge/purge type
Prevalence • 1% will develop anorexia at some point in their lives • 90-95% diagnosed are FEMALE • Highest mortality rates of all mental disorders (5 to 10%) • Medical complications • Usually begins in adolescence
Bulimia Nervosa • Recurrent episodes of bingeing: • Eating in a discrete period of time an amount that is definitely larger than what most people would eat • Lack of control over eating during episode • Use of compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain • Usually normal weight • Self-eval is influenced by body shape and weight
A Biopsychosocial Model • Biological • Tends to run in families • Hypothalamus disruption • Serotonin
Social • “Western” Societal pressures to be thin and attractive. • Internalization • Upper-class • Family dynamics • Peer pressures • “Occupational Hazards”
Promotion of the “Thin Ideal” • Airbrushing in the Media
Ideal Weight • Our “Ideal” shape increases with age • Current > attractive > ideal figure • Women think “thinner” is better, but men think heavier…. • Fallin & Rozin, 1985
Psychological Factors • Cognitive factors • Dichotomous rigid thinking • Personality • Self-esteem • Overvaluation of appearance • Emotional Regulation
Celebrities and E.D. • Princess Diana • Paula Abdul • Katherine McPhee • Kelly Clarkson • Jamie Lynn Sigler (Sopranos) • Yeardley Smith • (Lisa from the Simpsons) • Alanis Morisette (Perfect) • Mary Kate Olsen • Victoria Beckham (et al.) • …and sadly, many more…