Eating Disorders and Reproduction Essay - 2377 Words

Eating Disorders and Reproduction Eating disorders have numerous emotional, psychological, and physical consequences; despite this, many affected individuals refuse to admit that they have a problem. One of the more serious problems associated with eating disorders that may convince a young woman to seek treatment, is the negative effect disordered eating can have on fertility, pregnancy, and child rearing in general. In multiple studies anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and eating disorders not otherwise specified, have been associated with infertility, low maternal weight gain, low birth weight in infants, increased neonatal morbidity, and problems in infant feeding (Stewart, 1992). Women who are afflicted with an eating disorder at†¦show more content†¦As long as the body remains undernourished or underweight, reproductive function will be diminished. A study by Bates and Whitworth (1982), demonstrated that even small changes in body weight (loss of 5 or 10% of ideal body weight) are associated with slight alterations in the menstrual cycle and reproductive failure. Thirty-six women, twenty-six with unexplained infertility and ten with menstrual dysfunction, followed a dietary regimen to increase their weight to the predicted ideal. The majority of these women were within 15% of their ideal body weight, and only four met the criteria for anorexia nervosa. Results showed that once the women restored their body weight to within 5% of the ideal, 19 of the 26 infertile women conceived spontaneously, and 9 of 10 women with menstrual dysfunction resumed a regular cycle. These results indicate that the practice of weight control by caloric restriction may be a cause of unexplained infertility and menstrual disorders in otherwise healthy women. When a reduction in reproductive function is seen in women who are only slightly underweight, it is evident that the consequences in women with anorexia nervosa will be extremely serious. In the largest study of its kind to date, 140 women with a former diagnosis of anorexia nervosa were followed-up on an average of 12.5 years later to determine reproductive outcome (Brinch, Isager,Show MoreRelatedThe Manual Of Mental Disorders1489 Words   |  6 PagesThe latest manual of mental disorders (DSM-5) includes various changes in the Feeding and Eating Disorders chapter as a significant number of professionals diagnosing patients realized individuals were not fitting into certain criteria and therefore being labelled with EDNOS â€Å"Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified†. Some of the substantial changes to the Diagnostic Manual include changes to the criteria for Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. 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