A narrative essay illustrating a young girl’s suffering with anorexia nervosa.
This paper presents a fictional case study of a young girl’s battle with anorexia nervosa. The disease is described through the story of ‘Ellen’. The paper provides an overview of the signs and symptoms of the disorder and available treatments are discussed. Various theories of the etiology of the eating disorder are explained in this paper. Anorexia nervosa is also compared and contrasted with bulimia.
“Ellen enjoyed her life in high school. She excelled in her studies as well as in athletics, with hopes of achieving a college scholarship. She was popular but not ostentatious; a somewhat shy, attractive young woman with an average build (5?4? 115 #) toned by gymnastics. Having a strong parental influence in her life helped her to excel, but also made her constantly feel like her parents controlled her, that she had no sense of autonomy from them. The onset of puberty brought her attention from the boys at school, but, as she developed, her body started to change. Her breasts became larger, her hips became fuller, and her slender frame began to gain weight. At first Ellen enjoyed her transformation, she felt like she was becoming a woman. But her metamorphosis came at a price – she couldn’t perform her gymnastics as well, and she was pressured by her coach to go back to the old Ellen. Her mother suggested she diet and exercise to lose weight, and she did. After a few short weeks she looked and felt better, not having realized that the insidious nature of her disease was already setting in, controlling her.”