Medical sciences in the modern world are more universal and rigorous in their approach to studying factors that harm public health. One such problem is the culture of improper nutrition, in which the individual directs all efforts to receive only healthy foods (Oberle 495). Although this diet seems ideal, there is, in fact, an eating disorder in which there is a significant limitation on the eating habits not in favor of taste habits. Orthorexia nervosa is becoming a serious problem for the patient’s physical and especially psychological health, hence the attention of nutritionists should be focused on studying this disorder.
In particular, two thematic articles have been studied, devoted to a detailed investigation of the consequences of an obsessive desire to eat only healthy foods. Although both authors, Dunn and Polish, presented their arguments independently of each other, they came to a similar conclusion that Orthorexia nervosa should be recognized as a severe form of an eating disorder. It is fair to say that this is a rather bold conviction, as there is still no standard view on the seriousness and proof of orthorexia as a diagnosis (Avsar 11). To summarise the articles briefly, it is worth acknowledging that Dunn’s work is more valuable to the academic community due to its style and content. Specifically, this article has three critical advantages over the Polish’s work.
First, it is known that research highly appreciates retrospective analysis of available literary sources. In contrast to Polish, Dunn refers to several academic papers, statistically studying the prevalence of orthorexia and tells the reader about the origin of the term “Orthorexia nervosa” (Dunn). Obviously, in order to discuss the need for the problem to be recognized as an official eating disorder, the research community needs analysis of current thematic papers, therefore Dunn’s article is in a better position. Moreover, the inclusion of sufficient information on the development of attempts to study orthorexia is a useful factor for further research.
Second, a significant advantage for the author is a more detailed overview of the disorder. As long as Polish focuses on the psychological consequences of exclusively eating right, Dunn is studying the disorder’s diagnostic characteristics (Polish). Indeed, the discussion of phenomena, not yet recognized by official medicine, should be conducted more broadly and objectively, and the study of preconditions, specific symptoms, and diagnosis have more scientific potential than just consequences. In other words, the advantage of Dunn’s article lies in a complete presentation of professional data.
Finally, linguistic characteristics and authoring style play an essential role in articles claiming to be academic. Reading Polish’s work allows us to point out that this text, although it differs in scientific references and abounds in specific terms, in general, it is more popular science. This is confirmed by the simple form of presentation and direct reference to the reader through the second person’s pronouns. Simultaneously, the article Dunn is characterized by increased formality, justified by the severity of the narrative and presentation of facts. This factor defines Dunn’s work as more valuable from a scientific community perspective.
In conclusion, it should be admitted that although two articles study the same eating disorder problem, each author has a different approach to the research. Comparing the two materials, it is worth noting that Dunn’s article has three advantages over Polish’s one: a retrospective literature analysis, completeness of data presentation, and formal presentation style. This leads to the conclusion that Dunn wrote an article with the potential to be a useful source for the academic community to recognize Orthorexia nervosa as a significant public health issue.
The above part of my research paper is one of the most important of its sections. I am working with contrasting and comparing sources to select those that are most credible and reliable. In fact, papers that contain good arguments and evidence can contribute to the solution of the problem described by convincing the competent authorities to include Orthorexia Nervosa in the list of official diseases (Dunn; Polish). I hope that after reading my essay, people would become interested in the topic analyzed, understand the importance of recognizing the problem described as an official disorder, and read the articles mentioned. Furthermore, I believe that if there would be voting on the inclusion of Orthorexia Nervosa into the list of disorders, more people would support the decision.
Speaking about the writing and editing process, prior to submitting my research paper as a completion, I am going to insert more details that would support my position. Moreover, I am planning to make a short pause in working on the assignment to be able to take a fresh look at it. After the pause, I will check the compliance of my paper with all the instructions as per the task and read the work attentively once again. I believe that it is necessary to check if my arguments are logical and the text is easy to follow. Moreover, studying the sources one more time is of great significance; doing this will let me find cases of distorting authors’ ideas if there are any in my paper. All in all, at the final stage of working on the assignment, I am going to conduct a full check of the research. I will also evaluate it to improve some parts that might seem weak before submitting the paper.
Works Cited
Avsar, Orcun. “Orthorexia Nervosa — As an Eating Disorder.” Edelweiss Psychiatry Open Access, vol. 1, no. 1, 2017, pp. 11-13.
Dunn, Thomas M., Hawkins, Nicole “Orthorexia Nervosa.” Psychiatric Times, 2020, Web.
Oberle, Crystal, Dalton Klare, and Kevin Patyk. “Health Beliefs, Behaviors, and Symptoms Associated with Orthorexia Nervosa.” Eating and Weight Disorders-Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity, vol. 24, no. 3, 2019, pp. 495-506.
Polish, Jay. “How Is Orthorexia Treated? Experts Explain.” Bustle, 2020, Web.