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Perfectly
Skinny
Nobody's
perfect, but anorexics think they should be, according to a new
study that confirms what many
eating disorder
experts have long suspected. In the largest study of
its kind,
an international group of researchers, led by Dr. Katherine Halmi
of the
Eating Disorders Program of New York Presbyterian Hospital in
Manhattan,
examined the relationship between anorexia and perfectionism
in 322
women from the United States and Europe. She concluded the
extent of
perfectionism was directly associated with the severity of
victims' anorexia
nervosa. Linking perfectionism and
anorexia
could help researchers establish if there is a genetic trait
that predisposes
a person to eating disorders, explains Dr. Suzanne
Sunday, an assistant
professor of psychiatry at New York Presbyterian and one
of the study's
co-authors. "A lot of the evidence
[linking
perfectionism and
anorexia] is anecdotal," she says. "Now we have hard data in
a very large
sample." In order to find a genetic susceptibility for anorexia, researchers sought patients with relatives who also suffered from eating disorders, and enlisted both in the study. Participants responded to questions on three different standardized tests related to eating disorders, perfectionism and motivation to change. The
study was
published in the November issue of the American Journal of
Psychiatry. "Perfectionism is present
commonly
in the backgrounds of persons with anorexia nervosa,
suggesting
its role as a predisposing personality trait," study co-author
Dr. Michael
Strober, director of the Eating Disorders Program at UCLA
School of
Medicine, said in an e-mail to ABCNEWS.com. "It is
suspected that
this personality trait may be a marker of genetic risk
factors." Perfectionism may be a
flag for susceptibility
to anorexia, but whether anorexia is genetic or
environmental,
or a mixture of both, remains an open question. In a follow-up
study, the
scientists will look for possible correlations between the
patients'
behavior and their genetics. Never Skinny Enough An emotional disorder that manifests itself in the body, anorexia nervosa affects about 8 million Americans, 7 million of whom are women. It is characterized by starvation, compulsive exercising and often by an absence of menstrual cycles. Patients may become preoccupied by food and even engage in food rituals such as cutting up their servings in tiny pieces. Anorexics have a distorted
perception
of their body and continue to lose weight or obsess over
keeping it down
long after they have dropped below acceptable levels for
their height
and age. Essentially, anorexics can never be skinny enough. "I see anorexia as one of
many manifestations
of having a perfectionistic
personality," says
Dr. Steven Hendlin, a clinical Hendlin says
a perfectionist
is someone who habitually thinks that anything short
of perfection
in his or her performance is To distinguish between a
healthy desire
to excel and perfectionism, The
perfectionist, he says, is motivated by fear and focuses on his
failure, while
the achiever revels in the moment of victory and uses the good
feeling
to fuel further successes. Sara Rosin knows about the
relationship
between perfectionism and "I've always been a typical, type-A personality," Rosin says, meaning she is high-strung. In an essay Rosin wrote
for the National
Association of Anorexia "Somehow when females
heard the message `You can be
anything you want
to be,' they inferred that to mean `You should be everything
you possibly
can be! Oh — and don't forget to be the best at it all!'" A cross-country runner in
school,
Rosin says her perfectionism drove When her weight fell to 76
pounds, Rosin finally realized her
all-consuming
drive could kill her. Untreated, anorexia can be
fatal.
The most common cause of death in a longtime anorexic is low
serum potassium,
which can cause an irregular heartbeat and eventual
heart failure. Nature vs. Nurture Hendlin says anorexics
learn as children
that they will not be loved unless they are perfect. He is
convinced
perfectionism is due to nurture, not nature. "[Perfectionism] is not a trait," he says. "It's learned by what you do as a kid and it always has to do with authority figures." But many experts believe
life experience
is only one of the factors that influence whether a person
will have
an eating disorder. Dr. Walter Kaye, a professor of psychology
at the University
of Pittsburgh Medical Center and another of the study's
co-authors,
says, "A lot of people diet in this society, but not everyone
ends up
with an eating disorder." Kaye and his fellow
researchers now
suspect anorexia may be linked to the family of genes
associated with
serotonin, a neurotransmitter Finding a genetic marker
for anorexia
could help to better target Today, after extensive
therapy, Rosin
says she still has to check herself for negative thought
patterns and
unrealistic expectations. She is wary of the messages she hears
from herself
and others about women, weight and perfection. "I basically realized I am
not perfect,"
Rosin says. "Life's not perfect. ~ ~ ~ N E W Y O R K, Nov.
17 books Miriam Adderholdt-Elliott Perfectionism : What's Bad About Being Too Good [publisher:] "What happens when nothing is good enough? When an "A" is onlhy seen as "not an A+"? When an eighth inning scoring run by the opposing team turns a remarkable seven innings into "just another loss." When your parents say they want the best for you but mean they ONLY want the best FROM you? When your are your own worst critic—and you're only 15? Most likely, you are a perfectionist teen who cannot see your excellent work and achievements for what they are.." Martin M. Antony When Perfect Isn't Good Enough : Strategies for Coping With Perfectionism "..explores the nature of perfectionism and offers a step-by-step program of cognitive-behavioral strategies for overcoming it." [Customer Review:] "... strikes an excellent balance between an overly technical professional text and the all-too-common self-help book that's too high on fluff and too low on content. This book... is packed with useful information (and good exercises) on how to break free from patterns of perfectionistic thinking and behavior; and it contains what I thought were interesting and insightful discussions on how perfectionism ties together with depression, anger, social anxiety, worry, and other "not so pleasant" dispositions that many of us realize to some degree or other." Monica Basco Never
Good Enough : How to Use Perfectionism to Your Advantage Without
Ruining
Your Life David Burns, MD Feeling Good : The New Mood Therapy Cynthia Curnan The
Care and Feeding of Perfectionists Daniel Goleman Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ for Character, Health and Lifelong Achievement Steven Hendlin, PhD. When Good Enough Is Never Enough Enid Howarth The Joy of Imperfection [Midwest Book Review:] "..a guide to being ordinary, thereby enticing readers toward self-acceptance rather than obsessive self-improvement. ... based on the premise that it is our imperfections that enable us to be different, to explore new frontiers, to be flexible, imaginative, and creative, to have fun, to laugh, and to be ourselves." Ann W. Smith Overcoming Perfectionism : The Key to Balanced Recovery Alexandra Stoddard The Art of the Possible : The Path from Perfectionism to Balance and Freedom [Midwest Book Review:] "Stoddard tackles the subject of demanding self-perfection, explaining how real joy and a stress-free live can only be obtained when individuals stop demanding perfection from themselves and others. Many case history examples and first-person insights are shared in Stoddard's exploration of the path to freedom." ~ ~ ~ > related
pages: * eating
disorders****perfectionism**** eating disorders resources.articles books sites ~ ~ ~ |
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