Recently , a video uploaded by Eugenia Cooney
, an American YouTuber with 2.13 million subscribers, became a hot topic. Eugenia, who is active as a beauty and fashion YouTuber, uploaded a lookbook video of pink outfits worn by Barbie dolls, inspired by the movie ‘Barbie’, which is popular in North America. As of the 10th, the video has been viewed 220,000 times on YouTube alone, and is rapidly spreading through social media ( SNS ) such as TikTok and Instagram. The problem is that Eugenia is anorexic with a height of over 170 cm and a weight of only 39 kg. As the number of views of a video filmed by an ‘anorexia YouTuber’ who publicly revealed that he had an eating disorder increased, criticism that it could be harmful to teenagers appeared. In fact, anorexia is emerging as a social problem as the incidence rate of teenage female adolescents increases.
Anorexia nervosa, commonly referred to as ‘anorexia’, is one of the major diseases treated in the Department of Psychiatry. Anorexia nervosa is largely divided into two types according to the type of behavior: ‘binge/elimination type’ and ‘restriction type’. First of all, the ‘binge eating/purging type’ is a case of repeating binge eating behavior in which a person eats clearly more than the average person can eat in a short period of time, and inducing vomiting on their own after eating or misusing enemas and diuretics. On the other hand, if you are obsessively trying to lose weight through diet restrictions, fasting, or excessive exercise, it is called ‘restrictive type’.
A typical symptom of anorexia nervosa is self-restriction of food intake leading to severe underweight. Behind these behaviors is an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming obese. As a result, it is characterized by not only reducing the amount of food eaten, but also continuing behaviors that hinder weight gain, such as making plans to increase the amount of exercise and constantly moving. It would be nice if the fear of weight gain would go away on its own while losing weight in moderation, but the biggest problem is that it doesn’t.
Some people with anorexia nervosa are unaware or refuse to admit that they are experiencing a fear of gaining weight. He says he doesn’t care about his weight, but if you look at his behavior, he obsessively pays attention to calories or works very hard to lose weight. Having a distorted perception of one’s weight and body shape is also a typical symptom of anorexia nervosa. body mass index ( BMI)) An example of a case in which a person is severely underweight and does not accept the concerns of people around him that he is ‘too skinny’ or ‘only the bones are skinny’. Even when doctors and health experts warn them that they are seriously undernourished, they do not accept them.
Dietary restriction, excessive exercise, and distorted body perception are typical symptoms of anorexia nervosa. As a secondary feature, behaviors reminiscent of an obsession with food may appear. For example, hiding food around the house or packing food and putting it in a pocket or purse. Spending time chopping and rearranging food is also related to obsession with food. Sometimes, it may appear in the form of being very interested in cooking and liking to prepare food carefully and serve it to others even though you do not eat it yourself. It is not possible to conclude that anorexia nervosa is caused by these behaviors alone, but it is worth referring to along with the representative symptoms introduced earlier.
Anorexia nervosa is known to begin between the ages of 10 and 30, usually in adolescence or early adulthood. It is also often found in 안전놀이터children younger than adolescence. The incidence of anorexia nervosa is more than 10 times higher in women than in men. In particular, it is known to be more common in occupational groups that require thin management of body shape and weight, such as models and ballerinas. It is difficult to investigate the exact number, but there is also a report that nerve anorexia is found in about 0.5 to 1% of female adolescents. Unusually, anorexia nervosa is said to occur in smart and talented children. In general, being smart and talented is expected to have high self-esteem, but in children with anorexia nervosa, self-esteem is linked to their body shape and weight. Therefore, obsessed with losing weight, it is difficult to maintain self-esteem in a way that demonstrates one’s own smarts and talents.
Anorexia nervosa is a serious disease with a high risk of death due to physical complications and suicide. Typically, weight loss can cause abnormalities in heart function. Electrolyte imbalance occurs during repetition of elimination actions such as vomiting, which is accompanied by various medical problems such as convulsions. In women, amenorrhea may occur. In addition, mental health conditions such as depression are also common.
Although this is a serious condition, it is highly likely that the affected person will not see a problem with their eating or weight-related behavior. In fact, patients with anorexia nervosa often come to the hospital led by family members rather than doctors. To treat this, specialized medical services must be provided from various angles. Effective treatment is possible when cognitive behavioral therapy, drug therapy, and education for the entire family are comprehensively performed. In severe cases, hospitalization may be required.
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