Anorexia Nervosa As A Pathological Fear Of Gaining Weight

Introduction Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder defined as a pathological fear of gaining weight. In its simple term, is self-starvation. There are records that Simone Porta of Genoa, Italy, diagnosed the first medical account of anorexia nervosa in 1500. A hundred years later, in 1689, Sir. Richard Morton, a British physician offered a detailed explanation of the medical illness and reported two adolescent cases (One female and one male). He describes it as wasting away due to emotional turmoil. In the year 1874, two physicians introduced anorexia nervosa as a clinical diagnosis. These two physicians are Charles Lasà ¨gue, of France, and English physician, Sir William Gull. In their clinical reports, it was clear that Gull and Lasà ¨gue had different views on the condition, yet both defined it as a â€Å"nervous† disease distinguished by self-starvation. Gull was the first to use the term anorexia nervosa, which literally mean â€Å"nervous loss of appetite† to the Clinical Society of London. The following year, Gull’s report was published to the society which made the term anorexia nervosa gain its immense acceptance. It was not until the 1930s that physicians for the first time gave value to the importance of psychotherapy in treating anorexia nervosa patients. From here on, physicians continued their research; further increasing society’s knowledge on the physical and emotional harm the condition causes, and finding more ways to effectively treat patients. Diagnosis ToShow MoreRelatedEssay on The Fear of Fat Criterion Within the DSM IV1626 Words   |  7 Pageson dieting and body dissatisfaction. The media advertises weight loss products in the form of pills, drinks, surgery, fitness equipment and support groups to mold individuals into the proposed ideal form. 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