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Gender Differences in Anorexics

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Gender Differences in Anorexics
Gender differences in anorexics ---The adolescents

Gender differences in anorexics
---The adolescents

Do you think you’re fat? Do you deliberately starve yourself to lose weight? Do you have a fear of gaining weight? Do you refuse to eat when you are hungry? Do you exercise excessively? If you answered yes to three of these questions, you are at a high risk to get anorexia. Twenty years ago, the University of Wisconsin Hospital typically admitted one anorectic a year; in 1982 over seventy cases were admitted to the same institution. A retrospective of incidence rates in Monanorexia nervosa doubled between 1960 and 1970. In terms of the general population, however, anorexia nervosa is still a relative infrequent disease: the annual incidence of the disorder has never been estimated at more than 1.6 per 100,000 population. Still, among adolescent girls and young women there is an increasing and disturbing amount of anorexia nervosa and bulimia; by a number of different estimates, as many as 5 to 10 percent are affected. On some college campuses estimates run as high as 20 percent. (Brumbery, J.J., 1988, p.12)

Who is affected by anorexia? Are males and females affected equally by anorexia? In recent years, lots of people have different levels of anorexia. Not only do this disorder, but also males affect females. Anorexia happens all over the world, especially in North America. I would like to explore how anorexics think, why they refuse to eat; and the differences between males and females. More and more adolescents are affected by anorexia. Moreover, males and females are not affected equally: more females have anorexia than males. Female anorexic’s typically are on diets or refuse to eat food to lose weight; while males will exercise to ensure they do not gain weight and maintain a good physical condition. Society should be concerned with why people become anorexic. Anorexia affects people’s health, both the



References: Psychiatry, 41, 1124-1131. Brumberg, J Eliot, A. O., & Baker, C. W. (Fall, 2001). Eating disordered adolescent males. Adolescence, 36, 535-544. Retrieved January 15, 2003, from Ebsco Search Premier database. Felicia, R 29(115), 643-648. Retrieved January 15, 2003, from Ebsco Search Premier database. Long, C. G., & Smith, J. (1993). Over-exercising in anorexia and normal samples: Behavior and attitudes Retrieved January 17, 2003, from Ebsco Search Premier database. Maloney, J. M., McGuire, J., Daniels, S., & Sepecker, B. (Sept, 1989). Dieting behavior and eating attitudes in children Janurary 16, 2003, from Ebsco Search Premier database. Troop, A. N., & Bifulco, A. (2002). Childhood social arena and cognitive sets in eating disorders Retrieved January 17, 2003, from Ebsco Search Premier database.

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