Identity one website that addresses the phenomenon of pro anorexia. Provide a URL to the webpage and briefly describe the content.
A website that I found is an active forum for individuals living with eating disorders. The website warns that some topics might be hard for some people to read about. Here is a page that has people with eating disorders asking for advice and tips about every day struggles. This website claims to support individuals joining the website. I see some people being open about wanting to change and heal their ED and dealing with relapse. I also see people commenting on their restrictive diet plan of 100 calories a day and how they deal with their loved ones wanting to have interventions with them.
https://www.edsupportforum.com/forums/anorexia-discussions.62/
Explain the biological, psychological, and social development effects of feeding and eating disorders in adolescence.
Mariani, (2016) discusses about the effects this disease has on many people, especially women aged 15 to 34 years of age. Psychologically, Individuals dealing with Anorexia nervosa has an increased 18% chance of committing suicide than the rest of the general population between the age of 15 to 34. It is considered the most lethal of all mental disorders. Biologically, adolescents going through eating disorders are starving their brains from nutrients, not just their bellies, These individuals suffer “significant cognitive deterioration”. (Mariani, 2016). Concentration problems, rigid thinking and poor judgement are all biologically synchronized with eating disorders. This individuals usually look under weight for their age, they usually struggle with “poor nutrition, sleep, growth and development, and overall physical health.” (Hutchison, 2019) Social development will be difficult for individuals, especially teens dealing with eating disorders. Being social with friends and family will be at the bottom of the barrel since the main thought in their mind is controlling their food intake. Having people around too often will be attention to your disorder and it will bring on the type of attention you do not want.
Explain the role of peer relationships in the development of feeding and eating disorders in adolescence.
The role of peer relationships has a lot to do with the way a person will automatically feel about themselves. The people you associate yourself with and the friends you keep can push you down a path you didn’t know you would cross. For example, in high school many years ago for me, I remember a friend of mine that was dealing with an eating disorder. She knew I was looking to lose some teenage weight and gave me the advice of sticking my toothbrush down my throat after every meal to throw up. I was 14, I went home that same day and attempted to throw up my dinner. By the grace of God, I have always had an issue throwing up and I just could NOT do it. I did not like the feeling I felt while trying this and opted out of it. I never tried it again. My story is no big deal because I didn’t continue to try becoming bulimic, BUT imagine if I ended up being successful that day in trying to throw up. I don’t know if life would of turned out different.
As I became older I realized the unfortunate impact our “friends” have on us during our adolescent years.
References:
Mariani, M. (2016, June). How pro-anorexia websites exacerbate the eating disorder epidemicLinks to an external site.. Newsweek. Retrieved from http://www.newsweek.com/2016/07/01/pro-ana-websites-anorexia-nervosa-473433.html
Hutchison, E. D. (2019). Dimensions of human behavior: The changing life course (6th ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications.
Chapter 6, “Adolescence” (pp. 189-229)
Describe two approaches that your colleague might find useful for addressing feeding and eating disorders among adolescents.
Please cite the source when you respond to the question