1. Anorexia Nervosa – Mindmap
What do you already know?
Symptoms
Causes
Sufferers

2. Anorexia Nervosa – introductory facts
Refusal to eat and maintain a minimum average expected body weight
Fear of gaining weight or becoming fat
Distorted perception of body weight and shape
Amenorrhea (absence of at least 3 consecutive menstrual cycles)
Weight less than 85% of what is expected
90% of cases are in females between 13-18
Rarely begins before puberty
20% of cases have 1 episode and completely recover
60% follow an episodic pattern of relapse and gain
20% continue to be affected and often require hospitalisation
Mortality rate of those admitted to hospital is over 10%

3. Dying to be thin – 52 mins

4. In Pairs What can you remember about Freud's theory?

5. In Pairs Explore how Freud’s Concept can link to Anorexia Nervosa

6. Explanation 1
The psychodynamic approach suggests unconscious conflicts from childhood may be the basis of eating disorder. The fact that the disorder is mostly found in adolescent girls suggests that anorexia might be due to fear of increasing sexual desires; denying oneself food is a way of repressing these sexual desires. Another fear may be pregnancy, where eating may be seen as a form of oral impregnation. Starvation is a way to avoid becoming pregnant because one of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa is amenorrhoea (the absence of menstruation).

7. Explanation 2
Another psychodynamic explanation suggests anorexia is a way to arrest sexual development because the anorexic has an unconscious desire to remain pre-pubescent. Their weight loss prevents them from developing the body shape associated with adult females, and thus allows them to preserve the illusion that they are still children.

8. Explanation 3
Bruch (1991) proposed that eating disorders are due to the individual’s struggle for identity and autonomy. There is conflict with the mother because she has never been able to identify and successfully meet the needs of the sufferer. This is linked to food being used as a comfort. Anorexia is a rejection of food as a reward as it is not used for comfort, whereas bulimia involves using food as a reward to oneself. This also suggests that the eating disorder is a way to take control.

9. What other explanations might there be?
In groups try to think of other things that might effect someone's eating habits