Introduction:
Karen Carpenter was one of the all time great musical sensations of the 1970’s. On the stage she was glamorous and loved by thousands of people. She guest starred on multiple television shows, was on the front cover of many national magazines, and even toured the world 9Schmidt & Warrick, 2010). But amidst all this fame and fortune, she was dying. One could say that she led her life in the spotlight, and many young girls looked up to her. She was a role-model and a symbol of American culture. At least, this is what she was trying to be. As it turns out, it was these social pressures that ultimately lead to her downfall. Karen Carpenter was suffering from an eating disorder not uncommon among the American population (Schmidt & Warrick, 2010). Although this disorder was not rare, it was rarely spoken about during the 1970’s (Schmidt & Warrick, 2010). Most people at that time had never heard of Anorexia Nervosa. Moreover, sad but true, the death of Karen Carpenter in 1983 opened the eyes of the world to this life threatening disease (Schmidt & Warrick, 2010).
Comprehension Problem List:
High Risk Factors:
Females are ten times more likely to develop Anorexia Nervosa than males, and eating disorders most commonly arise during adolescence and early adulthood (Jacobi et al, 2004). Moreover, parental psychopathology, parenting problems, and physical and sexual abuse are general retrospective correlates common to AN (Pike et al, 2006), even though not fully proven there were rumors of this within the Carpenter household (Schmidt & Warrick, 2010). Additionally, family and personal histories of weight, shape and eating concerns, and personal vulnerability factors of perfectionism and negative affectivity are significant retrospective correlates that are more severe for AN than for other psychiatric disorders (Pike et al, 2006). Specifically, critical comments about weight, shape and eating represent specific onset...