The Dark Side of Dieting Craze: Anorexia Nervosa(AI Translation)
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文｜财新周刊 蒋模婷 崔笑天，潘睿（实习）
By Caixin Weekly's Jiang Moting, Cui Xiaotian, Pan Rui (Intern)
一开始没人能预料到，“减肥”会把她们推到生死边缘。
Initially, no one could have predicted that "dieting" would push them to the brink of life and death.
对瘦的追求似乎无可厚非，尤其当你是一名青春期少女。高一时，舍友们都嚷着要减肥，王冰也认为自己该瘦点儿，“才能穿上可爱的小裙子”；初二的秦婉觉得，同学不喜欢自己是因为她长相不好，解决方式是“去减肥”；24岁的于琪习惯了亲戚见到她时恭维一句“最近瘦了”，有时胖一点，妈妈会建议她多吃辣椒，“燃燃脂”。
The pursuit of thinness seems unobjectionable, especially for adolescent girls. In her first year of high school, Wang Bing's roommates were all clamoring to lose weight, and she too thought she should slim down "to fit into cute little dresses"; in eighth grade, Qin Wan felt disliked by classmates because of her looks and decided that the solution was "to lose weight"; at 24, Yu Qi was accustomed to relatives greeting her with a compliment about looking thinner recently. Sometimes when she gained a bit of weight, her mother would suggest eating more chili peppers to "burn off the fat."
一旦起了念头，她们能在网络上轻易搜索到五花八门的“躺瘦”方法：控热量、控糖、控脂肪、控碳水、控制进食时间的轻断食⋯⋯眼花缭乱的减肥资讯，借助社交媒体的推送机制，逐渐占据了她们全部的注意力。
Once the idea takes hold, they can easily find a variety of "lie-down slimming" methods online: controlling calories, sugar, fat, carbohydrates, and practicing intermittent fasting with restricted eating times... The dizzying array of weight loss information, aided by social media's push mechanisms, gradually captures all their attention.
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- The pursuit of thinness among young girls and women in China has led to dangerous behaviors and the development of anorexia nervosa, a severe mental disorder characterized by an extreme fear of weight gain and distorted self-perception. Various methods like strict dieting, obsessive calorie counting, and excessive exercise are commonly employed.
- Anorexia nervosa is highly prevalent among teenagers aged 13 to 20, with a significant gender disparity (female to male ratio of about 10:1). It is the deadliest psychiatric disorder with high mortality rates due to complications such as multi-organ failure and severe malnutrition.
- Treatment for anorexia in China faces challenges due to a lack of specialized facilities (less than ten hospitals have eating disorder wards) and professionals. Effective treatment often involves a combination of nutritional therapy and psychological counseling, but these are hindered by insufficient funding, low public awareness, and inadequate healthcare policies.
The article discusses the severe impacts of anorexia nervosa, particularly among young women in China, highlighting personal stories and the broader challenges in treating this mental illness. Wang Bing, Qin Wan, and Yu Qi (pseudonyms) share their harrowing experiences with anorexia that began with simple dieting intentions but spiraled into life-threatening conditions [para. 1]. The pursuit of thinness is culturally reinforced and often starts from a young age, driven by societal pressures and personal insecurities [para. 1].
Anorexia nervosa is characterized by an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted body image. It predominantly affects adolescents aged 13 to 20 and has a higher incidence among females [para. 1]. The condition can lead to severe malnutrition-related complications and has the highest mortality rate among mental illnesses. One in ten patients may die within ten years of diagnosis due to complications or suicide [para. 1].
Treatment for anorexia nervosa is complex and includes nutritional therapy and psychotherapy but lacks specific effective medications [para. 1]. The condition demands high professional competence and a substantial number of medical staff, making it one of the most challenging mental illnesses to manage. In China, fewer than ten hospitals have specialized wards for eating disorders, which complicates the expansion of effective treatment practices domestically [para. 1].
The Shanghai Mental Health Center is highlighted as having a dedicated eating disorder ward that requires a significant staff-to-patient ratio to provide adequate care. Despite international practices being available, there are considerable hurdles in implementing these domestically due to shortages of psychiatrists and financial constraints within the Chinese healthcare system [para. 1].
Wang Zhen from Shanghai Jingwei Hospital emphasizes that early treatment significantly affects recovery outcomes. Anorexia during adolescence can cause irreversible damage if not promptly addressed [para. 1]. There's also a critique on how society often overlooks early signs of anorexia because behaviors such as strict dieting are misinterpreted as self-discipline or beauty consciousness [para. 1].
The article also touches on the secretive nature of anorexia compared to typical dieting behaviors, where individuals might hide their eating habits while feeling secretly pleased about their weight loss [para. 1]. This makes it difficult for families and professionals to detect the disorder early.
In terms of treatment facilities, Chen Jue from Shanghai Jingwei Hospital describes their comprehensive approach that includes both inpatient and outpatient care tailored specifically for eating disorders. However, she notes significant challenges such as insufficient professional training for therapists dealing with this complex condition and financial limitations hindering comprehensive care provision [para. 1].
Overall, while awareness about anorexia nervosa is increasing in China, there remains a substantial gap in accessible treatment options compared to Western countries. This disparity underscores the need for more resources devoted to addressing this critical public health issue effectively [para. 1].
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