Introduction

An eating disorder is a common psychological dysfunction that leads to change in eating habits.  An individual may decide to eat more or eat less to achieve certain goals and objectives. These eating disorders may result to adverse health conditions, less productivity and complicated relationships among the population. Adolescents and young teenagers are the most affected population primarily female adolescents (Jaffa & McDermott, 2007). The most common form of eating disorder is the Anorexia Nervosa where most girls are afraid of gaining weight and distort their body image. It is worth noting that over 85% of Anorexia Nervosa cases in United States are female teenagers with their male counterparts contributing slightly below 5%. Previous studies suggest that one in every hundred female adolescents has anorexia.

Eating disorders among the female adolescents is a critical problem that should be addressed with immediate effect. It is evident that most of anorexia cases lead to the death of young and productive female population (Smolak & Thompson, 2009). This eating disorder is associated with extreme weight loss due to restrictive dieting thus leading to significant weight loss. It is also related to stopping of menstrual periods that have significant psychological problems.

Literature review

From previous studies, it is evident that the anorexia nervosa is typical of young girls between the age of 15 and 19 years. This is a clear indication that most of these cases are common among the school going girls. It is suggested that 91% of school going girls have attempted to control their weight through dieting (Omar, 2010).  On this note, over 21% often dieted which is a critical condition to deal with. Anorexia is grouped as the third chronic illness among the adolescents. It is a fatal disease with its mortality rate being 12 times higher than other causes of death among females between 14 and 20 years old.

From the previous studies, it is clear that more than half of the teenage girls use unhealthy weight control behaviors such as fasting, skipping meals, taking laxatives and vomiting. It is, however, important to understand that various sources and studies have given varying statistics regarding the mortality rate associated with eating disorders. This variance is as a result of other complications resulting from eating disorders. For instance, malnutrition, heart failure, organ failure and suicide may be classified as a cause of death but the real cause of such deaths is the eating disorder problem (Le Grange & Lock, 2011). From this information, it is clear that most of the victims of eating disorders are school going adolescents. It is, therefore, advisable for the school administration to have counselors and other professions to address the eating disorders in their respective schools (Jaffa & McDermott, 2007).

Objectives and theoretical foundation

The purpose of this study is to identify why eating disorders is common among the teenage female population. It is also the aim of the study to identify the various predictive of the eating disorders among the adolescents’ girls and give recommendations on how to address this critical psychological concept. It will be prudent for the study to sensitize the young adolescents on the dangers associated with eating disorders. The study will base its findings on a casual effect analysis where it will aim to understand the causes of the problem and suggest recommendations (Smolak & Thompson, 2009). It is the objective of the study to determine the symptoms, prevention and interventions strategies essential to address Anorexia Nervosa. Understanding psychological concepts such as body image and image dissatisfaction will be critical considerations during the study.

References

Cooper, P., & Stein, A. (2006). Childhood feeding problems and adolescent eating disorders. London: Routledge.

Jaffa, T., & McDermott, B. (2007). Eating disorders in children and adolescents. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Le Grange, D., & Lock, J. (2011). Eating disorders in children and adolescents. New York: Guilford Press.

Omar, H. (2010). Adolescence and chronic illness. New York: Nova Science Publishers.

Smolak, L., & Thompson, J. (2009). Body image, eating disorders, and obesity in youth. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

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