Chapter 6
Recognizing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
161
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answering Numbers 1 through 8.
Straight Facts about Anorexia Nervosa
I
by Nancy J. Kolodny
What I s Anorexia Nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is a dangerous eating disorder
that can harm its victims physically and mentally
as they starve themselves in a quest for thinness.
Anorexia means "loss of appetite," but that's
misleading-its victims are almost always hungry
and through sheer willpower deny that hunger
and learn to suppress it, sometimes even reveling
in it as proof of their strength and self-control.
What Causes It?
I
There's never just one cause of anorexia. It can
be triggered by a combination of factors-family
problems, romantic relationship problems,
someone else's casual remark about your physical
shape. It can be a reaction to growing up in an
environment where you had to eat everything you
were served and weren't allowed to express your
preferences. It can develop from a lifelong habit of
dieting and a belief system that equates thinness
with success and happiness. It may be the ticket
you're looking for that you think will make you
part of the "in crowd" at your school. It may be
your way of getting back at a parent, proving
something, or getting yourself noticed.
You may be very aware of the possible causes
or completely oblivious to them, and you may
begin your quest for thinness voluntarily and
completely aware of what you're doing, or you
might find yourself trapped in the eating-disorder
maze without understanding how it happened.
Whether it happens by choice or by chance is a
question that isn't always answerable, but it's often
a combination of both. T O the extent that there are
elements of choice involved, you can do
something to prevent or address the problem.
How Can Eating Disorders Be Prevented?
The easiest way to prevent something from
becoming an issue in your life is to deal with it
before it has a chance to become a problem. This
is called primary prevention. You accomplish it by
educating yourself about a topic so that you have
accurate facts at your disposal, can figure out the
probable risks that might pop up in a situation
you could find yourself in, and are prepared to act
162
Mastering the Florida Reading Retake 2.0
accordingly. Examples of this kind of prevention
are wearing a seat belt when you drive or ride in
a car, using suntan lotion with a high sunscreen
factor to keep from getting burned your first day
at the beach, or not doing drugs because you
know they can be physically harmful or even
addictive.
Primary prevention of eating disorders (both
anorexia and bu1imia)l can be accomplished by
trying any or all of the followingsuggestions.
Read current books and articles about eating
disorders.
That way, you'll learn about warning signs and
symptoms, find out what anorexia nervosa and
bulimia can do to you, and make informed choices
about ways to avoid the problem.
Don't hang out with a crowd of people who are
into the habits of excessive dieting or bingeing
and purging.
If you don't run in those circles, you'll be less
likely to think what they do is the norm and you
might not be pressured or tempted to try what
they're doing.
Don't get a job in a food-related business if you
think you might be susceptible to developing an
eating disorder.
Waiting tables, short-order cooking, catering,
delivering pizzas, and dishing out ice cream are
the kinds of job that may foster an obsession and
turn it into a full-blown eating disorder.
Don't judge yourself against the standard of
beauty put forth in fashion magazines, in the
movies, or on TV.
Very few people are as perfect as they look in print
or on film.
Don't keep a scale in your room or bathroom or
anywhere you can get to it easily.
If you know, for example, that seeing even a slight
fluctuationZin your weight is a downer for you,
simply don't weigh yourself!
Don't eat a lot of junk foods.
Recent research suggests there might be a
chemical basis for eating disorders-in certain
people, high-calorie, high-carbohydrate foods can
trigger the bulimic cycle.
'bulimia: an eating disorder in which a person forces themselves
to throw up after eating in an effort to avoid gaining weight.
'fluctuation: change
Only buy clothes that fit well (within the limits
of the style you're aiming for).
For instance, clothes that are so tight you can't
sit or breathe comfortably in them are bound to
make you feel "fat" even if you're not. Similarly,
don't buy things that you plan to "get into" in a
matter of weeks or months, because you might not
ever achieve that size. On the other hand, if you
wear clothes that make you feel good, you get an
external confidence boost that can be positively
preventive !
Put yourself in situations where you can develop
your communication skills, have a sense of
control, feel good about what you do, and see the
positive results of your efforts.
Join a YMCA leadership club and train to be a
volunteer. Babysit after school for working parents
who really need your help. Be a coach for younger
kids. Help an elderly neighbor on a steady basis.
When other people appreciate you, your selfconfidence soars, you can begin to appreciate
yourself, and there's little reason to use an eating
disorder as a way of saying, "Notice me," or as a
way to trying to assert control over people.
Eat when you're hungry; don't force yourself to
eat when you're not, and don't let anyone else
force you, either.
As long as you can accurately read the hungerfullness signals your body sends out and respond
to them appropriately, you're less likely to
fall victim to an eating disorder than if you
consistently ignore what your body is telling you.
If something's on your mind, speak up.
Being up-front about yourself, speaking out,
and making your position clear when there's
something (good or bad) you feel should be
aired will prevent your need to use an eating
disorder as an emotional shield, as a way to avoid
communication. or as a substitute for it.
All of these pointers can be summarized in one
simple equation:
PREVENTION = EDUCATION + MOTIVATION +
CONTROL. Remember, this applies to preventing
any eating disorder.
Chapter 6
163
Recognizing Cause-and-Effect Relationships
[oment on the Lips, a ~ifetimeon the N
,There is no doubt abc~ uit.t A merica's obsession with weight has reac:hed epic
~ rep ort that they arc:unhappy with their
proportions. Eighty p~ercentc,f American w onen
bodie!5. Half of all Arrlerican Ivomen are on a weight loss die1t. And tlle preoc
with 1veight is not linnited to adult females. Pi recent survey Irevealed that 40
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Binge1ing and purging is used by 1in 100 American Tvomen ias a way to lose weight.
Fiftee:n Dercent of young women have unhealthv attitudes and behavior related to
eating
of pcuple W ~ L Ha~lv~cxrd
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Males I I l d K C up 5 to l u per~e11~
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Dieter'S are extremely susceptible to e:ating di
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' ~ l lfigures are estimates. It is likely that there is much higher number of people with eating
disorders since many eating disorders go unreported.
Now answer Numbers 1 through 8. Base your answers on the article "Straight Facts about
Anorexia Nervosa" and the text box "A Moment on the Lips, a Lifetime on the Mind."
0 What can you conclude about the causes of anorexia?
A.
B.
C.
D.
It is always caused by a need for revenge.
It is always caused by one hurtful remark.
It is always caused by a need for attention.
It is always caused by more than one factor.
Mastering the Florida Reading Retake 2.0
164
@ What might happen if you hang out with people who diet too much?
E
G.
H.
I.
You might end up gaining weight.
You might begin to eat healthier foods.
You might be tempted to eat too much.
You might begin to diet too much yourself.
0 According to the article, what ban be the effect of high-calorie, high-carbohydrate on
certain people?
A.
B.
C.
D.
bulimia
anorexia
depression
weight gain
Why shouldn't you buy tight clothes that you plan to fit into later?
E
G.
H.
I.
because they may never fit you
because they may go out of style
because they may make it harder to slim down
because they may make you feel thinner than you are
0 What cause of eating disorders might be avoided by doing volunteer work?
A.
B.
C.
D.
not getting along with a parent
not getting enough positive attention
not fitting in with the popular crowd
not being allowed to express your likes and dislikes
0 How can a person avoid using an eating disorder to protect his or her emotions?
E by ignoring criticism
G. by sharing one's feelings
H. by keeping bad feelings to oneself
I. by avoiding confrontations with others
0 According to the text box, who is responsible for American women feeling they need to
be thinner?
A.
B.
C.
D.
thin younger women
thin women in the media
their weight-obsessed husbands
their weight-conscious daughters
0 What positive result of America's weight obsession does the text box mention?
E
G.
H.
I.
It helps America's economy
It affects both men and women.
It makes people health conscious.
It keeps people from becoming overweight.