![]() Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by weight loss, distorted body image, and difficulties maintaining an appropriate body weight. While many people are familiar with the common eating disorder Anorexia Nervosa, some may not be familiar with its causes. These can be explained using the psychological levels of explanation. There are 3 perspectives used to understand behavior. The lower levels are tied to biological influences including physical, chemical, and biological processes. The middle levels refer to interpersonal characteristics and the abilities of individual people. The highest levels relate to social groups, organizations, and cultures. Recent research suggests that inherited biological and genetic factors contribute about 56% of the risk for developing an eating disorder, such as having a mother or sister with anorexia. However, there isn’t a single gene that “causes” anorexia nervosa; instead a number of genes inclines someone to it. Other studies indicate that anorexics have high levels of neurotransmitters, like serotonin, in some areas of the brain. Serotonin can cause a continual state of stress and anxiety. So when those with anorexia starve themselves they decrease levels of serotonin, resulting in a sense of calmness. Additionally, new research suggests that women who develop anorexia nervosa may have altered levels of dopamine in their brain leading anorexics to feel intensely driven to lose weight yet feel little pleasure in shedding pounds. Similarly, many other hormones in the brain have been linked to eating disorders. On an interpersonal level, a few factors contribute to Anorexia Nervosa including perfectionism, experiential avoidance, pro-anorexic beliefs, and the response of close others. First off, people with Anorexia Nervosa have a higher rate of childhood perfectionism or some sort of obsessive-compulsive behavior. People seeking perfection might reduce their food intake to lower their weight, setting unattainable goals much of the time. This yields anxiety and depression when these goals cannot be reached. Secondly, experiential avoidance refers to when people diagnosed with anorexia nervosa tend to keep their negative emotions bottled up in hopes to maintain close relationships. This self-silencing is a way for anorexics to feel “in control”. The third interpersonal factor of anorexia involves pro-anorexic beliefs which view anorexia nervosa as a life style choice instead of a disorder. Again, it gives them a sense of control. Finally, response of close others refers to how those closest to the person with Anorexia Nervosa, typically family members, respond to their disorder. For example, mothers of daughters diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa tend to go out of their way to give attention to the disordered child, causing siblings to feel neglected and husbands to fall to feelings of resentment and hostile emotions towards the child diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa. Probably the most common explanation of this eating disorder is due to sociocultural reasons. Thinness is taken as a symbol of beauty and success in contemporary thinking. This is clearly seen in the media, where there is an array of advertisements for diets and slimming procedures. Anorexia nervosa is mainly seen in females, who engage in heavy media use. They look to beauty magazines as ‘how-to’ manuals to obtain an obscure and impossible standard of physical thinness. Fashion magazines support the anorexic desire by promoting messages that encourage thinness and dieting.
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