History Of Anorexia Nervosa

Eating Disorder Increases Risk of Pregnancy-Related Depression

Although experts know that about 10 percent of women experience depression during pregnancy or shortly after giving birth, strategies to identify women at risk for the disorder have been limited.

In fact, little is known about the causes or early-warning signs of pregnancy-related depression.

A new study helps providers identify at-risk patients allowing early treatment and care.

Researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine surveyed 158 pregnant and postpartum women undergoing treatment for depression at UNC’s Perinatal Psychiatry Clinic.

One-third of the patients reported a history of eating disorders; in addition, many had a history of physical or sexual abuse. This observation suggests psychiatric factors may increase a woman’s likelihood of developing depression during pregnancy or postpartum.

Accordingly, mental health screening tools that include questions about eating disorders, abuse and other factors should be incorporated into routine prenatal care, said Samantha Meltzer-Brody, M.D., the lead author of the study.

“Screening by obstetrical providers is really important because they can refer patients for appropriate treatment,” she said. “And that can prevent long-lasting problems for mom and baby.”

Undiagnosed and treated postpartum depression “causes enormous distress to the family, and it can have long-lasting consequences for the child,” said Meltzer-Brody.

Children of depressed mothers are more likely to develop mental health problems, and children of mothers with an active eating disorder may also be more likely to develop an eating disorder themselves.

Making sure mothers struggling with mental health issues receive adequate assessment and treatment is critical to breaking that cycle, said Meltzer-Brody.

“The message we need to get out is that these things are incredibly common and routine screenings need to occur,” said Meltzer-Brody. “The prevalence of abuse and eating disorder histories may be much higher than people appreciate.”

Sadly, up to 25 percent of women experience physical or sexual abuse during their lifetime. Further, an estimated 6-8 percent of women experience an eating disorder, with binge eating and bulimia nervosa being the most common, followed by anorexia and other disorders.

“Pregnancy and the postpartum period is a very vulnerable time for women,” said Meltzer-Brody.

Memoir... Your Will Not Mine!: The History of Anorexia Nervosa ...

Anorexia Nervosa is more common today than a century ago. People who suffer from Anorexia Nervosa do not have a lack of appetite; they are scared of putting on weight. Unfortunately it is not as simple to treat an individual by just recommending the importance of gaining weight and for some it can be a lifelong battle to overcome this obsession to be thin. There are many reasons why anorexia is more common today than a decade, century or even a millennium ago. The most obvious factor involved in glamorizing eating disorders has been the media. The media reinforces the value of thin being the ideal. Dieting leads to fasting, fasting leads to binging and if you have the genetics and exposure to the notion of thin is better you might end up being one of the unlucky ones as you find yourself swallowed up by your obsession. *Sir William Gull a physician to England's royal family was the first to describe anorexia as a disease different then the religious hysteria or biological eating problems. He believed that the disease arose from a mental state. His patients were treated by force feeding, moral teaching and change of scene. In October of 1873 he presented his idea of Anorexia Hysteria to his colleges in the clinical Society of London and named the disorder Anorexia Nervosa meaning...LOSS OF APPETITE. *1978, after almost three decades of clinical experiences of Anorexia Nervosa, the psychologist Hilde Burch published the book "The Golden Cage" her book was based on 70 real cases of mostly young women.

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