...is a term called hate speech. Groups like Westboro Baptist Church use hate speech to spread their message. Hate speech is not easily defined because of the tricky bounds of America’s free speech law. This has helped movements like the Pro-ana movement stay alive and mostly unchecked. With eating disorders plaguing so many people this could be dangerous for any minors on the internet. Hundreds of people die every because of eating disorders and many people develop body issues at very young age. A movement online was started called Pro-ana and in some cases Pro-Mia, referring to eating...
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...Diagnostic Criteria and Symptoms Because bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder, it is important to first understand the true definition of an eating disorder: “a persistent disturbance of eating behavior and/or a behavior intended to control weight that impairs social function or physical health significantly, but is not caused by a medical or other psychiatric disorder” (Eckert, 2008). Specifically, according to the DSM-V, there are multiple diagnostic criteria that a patient affected with supposed bulimia nervosa needs to meet in order to ultimately be classified with this type of disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). Bulimia nervosa is characterized through recurrent episodes of binge eating and carrying out inappropriate...
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...Anorexia: The Role of Media Hillary Indako University Of Nairobi Eating disorders have a higher mortality rate than any other mental illness. As many as 20 percent of those who suffer from anorexia will die prematurely from complications related to their eating disorder, including suicide and heart problems. While there are many possible causes and triggers for these disorders, the media’s influence on body image cannot be overlooked. The media has been playing a central role on the growth of eating disorders such as anorexia. As adolescents we are convinced with images and messages that tend to further the idea that to be happy and successful we must be slim. Nowadays, It is nearly impossible to open a newspaper or listen to the radio, or turn on a TV without being confronted with the ideas that to be fat is to be undesirable. When adolescents feel as though their breasts, weight or hips don’t match up to those of supermodels and actors, they feel fatally feel secure. This in turn makes to feel insecure about their body image and thus resulting in this eating disorder. Surveys show that there is plenty of evidence demonstrating that the media encourages slimness and weight loss and over-emphasize the importance of beauty and appearances. It appears that beauty and fashion magazines significantly impact the process of identity development in young women, especially with regards to gender-role learning, identity formation, and the development of values and beliefs (Arnett...
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...In American culture, although our obesity rates are steadily growing, the pressure to attain never-ending hallmarks of beauty is as evident as ever. This, and other factors such as genetics and family influence can result in the display of an eating disorder if a person finds that they are extremely dissatisfied with their body. This person is not typically a “fad-dieter”, but one that has a chronic history of restrictive eating, so much so that it results in a dangerously low body weight. Two commonly diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa can be life-threatening, and is characterized by self-starvation. On the other hand, bulimia nervosa occurs through recurrent episodes of extreme overeating and compensatory actions to prevent weight gain, for instance, self-induced vomiting, fasting, excessive exercise, and the misuse of laxatives (or any of these combined). As much as 95% of people with anorexia nervosa are women or young girls. According to the American Psychiatric Association, conditions of anorexia nervosa include: refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight for age and height, intense fear of weight gain or obesity, even though considered underweight by all medical criteria, disturbance in the way in which one’s body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight, and amenorrhea...
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...else's idea of perfect, while ignoring their own goals. The media influences us through television, health magazines, fashion, music videos, film, commercials, and various other advertisements. Sadly, as a result, this frequent exposure, the "thin" ideal, can lead many young girls in triggering depression, stress, low self-esteem, and suicide. The media's ideal body image has led to wide-ranging effects including, surgical procedures, body dissatisfaction, and clinical eating disorders. In “Body Image of Women” by Tabitha Farrar, she points out that the “thin-ideal media” concept highlights thinness as a desirable thing to be even if it comes to the point of damaging a person’s health. Farrar indicated that marketers will do anything that they can to sell a product and make a profit. She also mentioned that poor body image can lead to depression, anxiety, problems in relationships, unhappiness, and various health problems. Farrar suggested that people can focus on their good qualities, work with self-esteem workbooks, or receive psychotherapy treatment to improve their self-esteem. She implied that negative body image does not cause eating disorders because in that case everyone would have eating disorders. Farrar noted that advocacy groups has been trying to change the way the media portrays women. Surgical procedures has become one wide-ranging effect that more and more women partake in. Many...
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...advantages and limitations; principle of multiple causality; and the mind-body connection (Hansell, 2008). Context is important to understand abnormal behavior. An otherwise normal behavior becomes abnormal when the behavior is out of context. For example, sadness and grieving are normal behaviors when a loved one dies. Sadness and grieving; however, are abnormal if a person displays these behaviors when there is no reason such as death or other painful experiences. Context makes it easier to explain why a person behaves a certain way. There is no black and white between normal and abnormal behavior. Instead, there is a continuum between normal and abnormal. Eating disorders are abnormal behaviors. The difficulty is pinpointing how much weight change should occur before one is considered to have an eating disorder. The continuum...
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...Mental Health Disorders Anxiety Disorder *Category of interrelated mental illness involving anxiety reactions in response to stress. anxiety disorders. (n.d.) Examples: Agoraphobia * Fear of being in a public place where escape would be embarrassing or difficult. This is particularly prevalent when a person fears they have a panic attack General Anxiety Disorder ( GAD) * Anxiety symptoms occur in multiple environments and due to multiple objects or situations. Anxiety symptoms may not have a known cause. 3. Panic Disorder *Consists of severe, immediate anxiety symptoms ( a panic attack) due to a variety of causes, as well as the worry over having another panic attack. Tracy, N. (2012, January 13). Eating Disorders *Characterized by a persistent disturbance of eating of eating- related behavior that results in the altered consumption of absorption of food and that significantly impairs physical health and psychosocial functioning. Examples: 1.Anorexia Nervosa *Intense fear of gaining weight of becoming fat, or persistent behavior that interferes with weight gain, even though at a significantly low weight. *Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements, leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory and physical health 2. Binge-Eating Disorder *Eating in a discreet period of time (e.g. within 2 hour...
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...This paper describes in detail the disorder hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder that affects a lot of people in the United States. Women are mostly affected but men are also affected. This paper will discuss all the signs and symptoms, treatments, diet plans and a lot of other information about the disorder. This paper also discusses exactly what the disorder does and how it affects people. This disorder is very interesting. Thyroid disorders are very hard to diagnose because they have vague symptoms until the disease has reached a severe level. The thyroid is a small gland in our necks that control growth repair and metabolism. The thyroid gland uses iodine to produce hormones throughout our body. According to Ignatavicius and Workman If our thyroid is not working properly it is hard to maintain adequate health. Women are more susceptible to suffer from thyroid disorders. If you have a low functioning thyroid you suffer from a disorder call hypothyroidism. This condition can originate in the thyroid or the pituitary gland. (Ignatavicius, D. D., & Workman, M. L 2013.) Hypothyroidism results when the thyroid fails to secrete an adequate amount of the thyroid hormone. (Ignatavicius, D. D., & Workman, M. L 2013.)This condition may form in the thyroid or in the pituitary. The most common cause of this disorder in the United States is Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, which is an inherited disorder. In this disorder the thyroid is enlarged and it has...
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...Anorexia nervosa can be identified as a psychological illness which is capable of distressing physical consequences. Though the disease is a nutritious disorder, the media has contributed a greater part of the transmission and increasing emergence of illness in the society. The influence that the press impacts together with the proliferation of this disease cannot be ignored. This is evident through media house releasing messages and images to the public while emphasizing the concept that healthy people are thin. In the present century, it’s so hard not to be confronted with messages viewing ‘fatness’ as undesirable (Sakata, 1998). The bad news accompanying this belief is that it eventually reaches to the children and is bound to affect them...
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...normal and abnormal behavior. It examines the base of abnormal behavior and the issues that surround normal and abnormal behavior. It will also examine the development of the abnormal state of mind as the way it has developed into a scientific field. This paper will also look at the humanistic, psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, existential, family system, and many other characteristics that are relevant to the growth of abnormal psychology. Abnormal psychology is what many psychologists look into when they want to know what goes into a deeper abnormality of psychology. It has however become somewhat controversial. It is such a vas psychology that covers a wide range of abnormalities. It can range all the way from obsessive compulsive disorder to deep depression. What looks normal on the outside may be completely abnormal on the inside. What one therapist may see and diagnose another may not. “Theorists of abnormal psychology examine abnormal emotion, cognition, and behavior which may be caused by cultural, biological, or environmental sources” (Damour & Hansell, 2008). There can be many significant problems that occur in this particular field one being the definition of abnormal behavior and this in terms of why do people behave the way they...
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...At least two million Americans are living with manic-depression, more commonly known as Bipolar Disorder(Some Facts On Bipolar Disorder). Bipolar disorder is a major mood disorder that causes episodes of mania and depression and is a lifelong psychological disorder. . There are three types of bipolar disorders: Bipolar I, Bipolar II, and Cyclothymia. They all have similar symptoms but are categorized by manic and depressive episodes of different length and severity. Bipolar I is categorized by both mixed and manic episodes that last at least a week. Bipolar II is more hypomanic and depressive episodes. The third is cyclothymia, which consists of hypomanic and depressive episodes of less severity and length then bipolar I & II. Hypomanic is a less severe form of mania and mixed episodes, when symptoms of both depression and mania are present(mayoclinic). There are many symptoms associated with bipolar disorder. Mania, which is an overly stimulated state. Depression, which is an overly sad state. Both of these states also have symptoms of there own: Mania or a manic episode is characterized by high self-esteem, lack of sleep, rapid speech, racing thoughts, being easily distracted, and risky behaviors or activities like spending sprees or having unprotected sex, irritability and aggressive behavior are also symptoms seen in manic episodes. Depression symptoms include eating less/more than usual, sleeping more or having problems with sleep, agitation, low energy, loss of interest...
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... Circadian Rhythms as a basis of mood disorder, in particular bipolar disorder. Introduction: The complex structure and the functions of the human body has been a subject of study by a lot of individuals since a very long time. The curiosity of the human being supporting it, further aids in discovering the secrets hidden behind the way a human being is. Biological rhythms or circadian rhythms also make up one of the hidden secrets for the functions of the human beings and scheduling of various tasks. The terms Circadian is derived from Latin word Circa, “around” or “about” and diem or dies “day” meaning literally “about a day” or “around a day”. This circadian rhythm is already built in the complex human body but is regulated by external factors known as “zeitgebers”. The primary or the most important zeitgebers is ‘light’ which helps human automatically start a particular process in one’s life and controls various cycles at regular intervals. This may include sleep/wake cycle, eating habits, seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or bipolar disorder. Scientists have long been researching the effects of disturbance of circadian rhythms and its consequences on the life of a human being. This paper also considers the facts that have been established in this area to identify and discuss the process undergoing in a human being and its complexities with a particular reference to circadian rhythms and bipolar disorder, its causes and how shall it be handled to ease...
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...their kids are exploiting their chances of leading a healthier life. Doug Werner also wrote, "...helicopter parents do not allow their kids to walk to school or ride bicycles without adult supervision, and the only pick-up football, basketball, and baseball games being played are from the comfort of a recliner in front of a video-game..." (Werner, Battling Childhood Obesity). Consequently, parents that, even with good intentions, can shatter their child’s sense of self esteem or even cause depression. The author of “How Should I Tell My Children They’re Fat?” with two daughters herself said, "It’s a common concern... But I shy away from talking about their weight, fearful of making them feel bad about their bodies or, worse, triggering an eating disorder." Although never intentional, some parents may be too harsh on their kids; leading to an even bigger problem. While it is necessary for parents to persuade their children to get off the couch more or eat less junk food, it is a very delicate and difficult topic. ...
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...Self control procedures used in therapeutic psychology Self control procedures are cognitive and behavioural skills used by individuals to maintain self motivation and achieve personal goals. They are defined by Ruch (1984) as “procedures that involve the growing emphasis on asking people to set up personal systems of rewards and punishments to shape their own thoughts and actions.” The goal of self control procedures is to reduce behavioural deficiencies or behavioural excesses. They help individuals become aware of their own patterns of behaviour and to alter those patterns so that the behaviour will be more or less likely to occur. They are used by people who are dissatisfied with certain aspects of their lives for instance one may feel they smoke too much, exercise to little, or have difficulty controlling anger. Self control procedures include aspects like self monitoring and stimulus control and follow a particular process. Self control procedures are based primarily on the social cognitive theory of Albert Bandura. According to Bandura, ones behaviour is influenced by a variety of factors including one’s own thoughts and beliefs and elements in the environment. Self control procedures are useful for a wide range of concerns including medical, addictions, occupational and psychological. However self control procedures when used in situations where symptoms are severe, should be used in conjunction with other therapies. The self control procedures follow certain step...
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...Healthy Eating Chris Williams Com/172 10/27/2014 University of Phoenix Healthy Eating A person who eats a healthier diet or improves their diet will have less risk of getting type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancers. A person who is obese has an increased chance to becoming type 2 diabetic. When a person eats healthier, their chances of becoming obese are slim. Reducing their weight by 5-7 percent can greatly reduce the chances of developing diabetes ("The Facts about Diabetes: A Leading Cause of Death in the U.S.", N.D.). To reduce your risk of heart disease, a person needs to have control over their cholesterol, blood pressure, and weight. Eating a healthy balanced diet can help a person achieve this. It also reduces a person’s chance at having a stroke ("Nutrition’s Role in Disease Prevention", N.D.). It is shocking to know even a healthy diet can prevent cancer. With obesity being at an all-time high in America, and causing a lot of health problems, people are not eating healthy as they should. The result of this is people catching diseases like diabetes, having strokes and heart failure from clog arteries. Let’s not forget Cancer. The reason for this is that the body is lacking all of the vitamins and minerals and other nutrients that comes from healthy eating, and not to mention key ingredients that can ward off cancer. By consuming a healthier diet you can reduce the risk of developing many different types of cancer to include; uteral,...
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