Status Updates From Eating Disorders

In the pages I have read today, the author used a lot of logos. She provided information about studies including twin studies that prove monozygotic twins have greater similarities in weight, personality features, eating disorders, and other factors as opposed to dizygotic twins. She did not use much pathos, leaving out language that would affect one's emotion. She did however use a decent amount of ethos.

The main concept stuck in my mind from what I just read is that people have conducted studies about what the media does to primarily adolescent women. I strongly disagree with the approach. Although the experiment showed correlation between the media/TV and disordered eating, it violates the Belmont Report's ethical principals and guidelines, specifically the one stating subjects should face no permanent harm.

I learned that binge eating disorder is often associated with depression and that it is not classified as its own eating disorder yet; however, eating disorder specialists are urging to classify it separately from EDNOS. Pamela Keel used a lot of logos through what I have read. She included definitions, statistics, and specific proven symptoms of certain eating disorders.

I read a brief segment about Princess Diana's experience with bulimia nervosa. I learned that she developed her eating disorder at the age of 19, soon after her engagement to Prince Charles, and that it worsened after the wedding. Then, the book outlined cognitive, behavioral, and interpersonal effects of bulimia nervosa such as social isolation, distorted thinking, and signs of purging or other bulimic behaviors.

I finished reading the entirety of the anorexia nervosa chapter and started reading the bulimia nervosa chapter. The main piece of information I gained from the bulimia chapter is the difference between binge/purge subtype of anorexia and bulimia is weight; people who are not "underweight" for their height and age but still engage in bingeing and purging behaviors.

Keel started of by using a table provided by the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders displaying the percentages of cases when the disorder started, how long it lasted, "success" of treatment, and how many in 10 are male. This was a great example of logos. She did not provide much pathos or ethos besides crediting the publishers of the table.

The author of this book is qualified and credible. She is a Distinguished Research Professor and Director of the Eating Behaviors Research Clinic in the Department of Psychology at Florida State University; she included a foreword from Pat Levitt who is a Chief Scientific Officer, Vice President and Director of The Saban Research Institute of Children's Hospital Los Angeles and has a Ph.D. I'm reading chpt. Anorexia.

The portion of the book I have read so far has explained the definition of anorexia nervosa and what it may look like in people. It briefly described a teen's struggle with anorexia; I am not sure I agree exactly with how the author portrayed her experience. I think it was tone-deaf and insensitive for them to mention the girl's specific weight.