Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Mary Kate Olsen - A Look At Anorexia Nervosa


Mary Kate Olsen, one of the two famous Olsen twins, was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa shortly after her 18th birthday. A lot of finger pointing and gossiping had been going on about her sudden and dramatic weight loss. She was rumoured to be weighing a mere 80 pounds in this photograph. In 2004, after a barrage of tabloids all across the nation were screaming that Mary Kate Olsen had an eating disorder, she checked herself into a rehab in Utah, and immediately gained seven lbs upon her release. Mary Kate is rumoured to be doing well now, but magazines and tabloids are beginning to publish photos of her very small frame once again, claiming that she may be having a relapse.
Anorexia Nervosa is a psychiatric illness that describes an eating disorder characterized by extremely low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. People diagnosed with Anorexia control their body weight by starving themselves, purging, diet pills, laxatives, and diuretics. It is a very complex condition that can lead to death in many cases. It is an illness that affects thousands every year; anyone from full grown men to young teenage girls have been known to suffer from this illness. If Anorexia is developed before puberty, puberty can be delayed. It is a very serious illness that requires a lot of rehabilitation to overcome. Most people that develop Anorexia Nervosa will struggle with it for most of their lives unless rehabilitated.

2 comments:

  1. I use to watch the Olsen twins growing up as a kid. I don't keep up with tabloids so I had no idea the Mary Kate had an eating disorder. This picture makes her look like a little girl. After reading your blog its easy for me to see how Mary Kate could fall under the caterogy of anorexia nervosa. She has never been big and being a teenager as a movie star, she has to keep a certain image, and she is scared if she gains weight she might loose her career or fame. Good connection to our class!

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