Ongoing General Debates in Psychology – Anorexia

Anorexia: Eating disorder with fatal consequences where the patient is dangerously thin and still
perceives themselves as fat. The disorder negatively affects and weakens every part of the body which
then causes the high possibility of fatality.

Reductionism – Holism:

 Biological: Genetics/Hormonal: Signals that convey hunger and fullness

 Sociocultural: peer groups – popular culture – thinness is valued
 cognitive: low self-esteem – feels loneliness – sensitivity to peer pressure – need for approval –
overreacts to stressful situations – perfectionist need for control

Nature – Nurture:

Anorexia is most likely to develop during puberty/teens or early adulthood. Studies show that the larger
the exposure to media the larger the rate of anorexia.

Nomothetic – Idiographic:

“At any given point in time between 0.3-0.4% of young women and 0.1% of young men will suffer from
anorexia nervosa.”

If we compare these statistics to the amount of people exposed to media, we conclude that the case is
idiographic.

Free-will – Determinism:

This debate is quite debatable and widely varies based on the case. However, nothing isn’t free will for
one always has the choice to be treated if they wanted to.

Resources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=olIz9MqtW-U&t=408s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMVyZ6Ax-74

https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/statistics-research-eating-disorders