Question

Thin (Discussion) The link to the Thin documentary is located on the Modules page. Provide complete responses to the following questions in your initial post. What are the key differences and similarities between Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa? Why might it be difficult for people to empathize with those diagnosed with eating disorders? Choose an individual from the documentary and explain how their symptoms match the symptoms of Anorexia or Bulimia. Be specific. Has your opinion of eating disorders changed after watching Thin? Be specific in explaining why or why not. Use specific examples from the documentary that taught you something new and/or supported what you already know. Based on what you have learned about the lives of the women in treatment in this documentary, what details of their lives seem to make their recoveries more difficult (or more promising)? Again, be specific. What do you think about the effectiveness of in-patient treatment programs for eating disorders based on what you saw in the documentary? What works, and what doesn't seem to work? What improvements should be made?

https://youtu.be/gsqWHMeSIZQ

Answer 1

Differences and similarities between Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa:

Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa are two of the most common clinically recognized eating disorders identified among people. The main difference between Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa is that Anorexia Nervosa involves starvation on purpose whereas Bulimia Nervosa is characterization binge eating followed by purging,

Someone with anorexia nervosa will often refuse to eat, may have unusual eating behaviors such as not eating in front of other people and suffer from compulsive exercise habits. People with anorexia nervosa are extremely thin due to the excessive amounts of weight loss, however, they have a distorted body image and see themselves as extremely overweight. The onset starts in Early teen years. May require hospitalization. Prevalence in women is 0.3 – 0.5%.

Someone with bulimia nervosa typically eats large quantities of food followed by purging to rid their bodies of the calories and fare they have eaten. A person with bulimia may also use diuretics, laxatives and/or enemas as a way to purge the calories and/or food. Bulimics are secretive about their eating habits and often feel shame and disgust while they are binging on food. A bulimic may also feel a sense of relief and emotions will become more positive after purging. The onset starts in Late teen years. Individuals having Bulimia Nervosa can have noticeable oral/dental deterioration. Is Unlikely to require hospitalization. Prevalence in women is 1 – 3%.

Similarities in Both:

• Both have obsession with food, weight, and a "thin" body image
• Patients with both will have extreme fear of weight gain
• Both will be inclined towards compulsive exercise
• Both will lead towards depression and anxiety
• They both will have low self-esteem
• Both are termed as body dysmorphic disorder.
• Having both will have the following signs - physical weakness, deterioration, and organ dysfunction, absent menstruation, memory loss, feeling faint
• In both the situations no official cause can be related to culture, family life/history, stressful situations or biology.
• In both the cases majority of the treatment seeking report full recovery in years to come.
• Both struggle with relapses.

Why it is difficult for people to empathize with those diagnosed with eating disorders:

People do not understand the serious medical implications of struggling with an eating disorder, particularly when it comes to long term restriction and purging. People need physical evidence of an eating disorder before starting to sympathize. It is still very difficult for people to understand the phenomena which exists but seems unrealistic. Since people think humans love eating and we have evolved and generated various new technologies in the same field. However, it seems impractical that someone will die of starvation even when the person has enough fortune. If the person had been less fortunate, it was still understandable. Many people think they’re caused by vanity, selfishness, or issues with self control, none of which could be further from the truth. Documentary THIN was a decade-long exploration of body image and the way the female body has become a primary expression of identity for girls and women in our time.The film follows four women with anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and other eating disorders in their struggle for recovery.

An individual from the documentary:

Brittany Robinson is a 15-year-old student. She is a compulsive over-eater from the age of 8, leading into compulsive dieting and anorexia from the age of 12. She had a craving for acceptance amongst her peers as her motivation to lose weight which was "a bad body image." Her mother also had an eating disorder. Throughout the film Brittany was resistant to recovery, stating that she would like to lose "another forty pounds" and that she "just wants to be thin". She tells her nutritionist she has purged twelve times since entering Renfrew and walks out of group therapy in tears when her dedication to recovery is challenged. Brittany's insurance benefits run out fast, forcing her to leave treatment early. She relapses into anorexia before leaving. This in turn prompted worry amongst patients and staff, and is released against medical advice. The documentary states that she began to restrict after discharge and lost weight rapidly. Where in Insurance would not pay for further treatment.

Changed perspective after watching Thin:

Yes, the documentary has changed my perspective of seeing someone with eating disorder. I feel it’s important for everyone to know that eating disorders are serious and dangerous psychiatric illnesses. Yes, they include problems with food and disturbed eating behaviors, but the root of the issue is something much more complicated and, so far, difficult to treat successfully over the long term. Every part of the human body requires a consistent supply of calories, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to survive. The gastrointestinal tract, the reproductive system, the bones, and the heart are most commonly damaged as a consequence of an eating disorder— problems that can be deadly. Modern research is helping us understand these disorders better. It’s becoming clear that eating disorders start in the brain.

Effectiveness of in-patient treatment programs for eating disorders:

Inpatient treatment programs may be more effective than outpatient programs because they offer structured environments that can help you focus on recovery. Inpatient treatment offers a more organized and well managed treatment environment that allows the patient to be monitored by clinicians and nurses to determine how they are progressing in recovery. Inpatient Eating Disorder Treatment Is Not Necessarily for Everyone. Inpatient treatment does require a serious commitment of time and energy. The idea of devoting a month or more to an inpatient anorexia nervosa program or another type of eating disorder treatment is often intimidating, At the inpatient level of treatment, patients and families should expect to receive the most intensive level of care. inpatient treatment through an eating disorder residential program will be more effective in monitoring positive or negative health levels.