| Anorexia nervosa is eating disorder characterized | | | | by positive comments from others and from |
| by low body weight and body image distortion | | | | their changing appearance. Symptoms may include |
| with an obsessive fear of gaining weight. Anorexia | | | | is weight loss of 15% or greater below the |
| nervosa is a serious, often chronic, and | | | | expected weight , inappropriate use of laxatives, |
| life-threatening eating disorder defined by a refusal | | | | enemas, or diuretics (water pills) in an effort to |
| to maintain minimal body weight within 15 percent | | | | lose weight. |
| of an individual's normal weight. Persons with this | | | | Anorexia nervosa is the result of a complex |
| disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain | | | | interplay between biological, psychological, and |
| and a distorted body image. Inadequate eating or | | | | social factors, which tend to affect women more |
| excessive exercising results in severe weight loss. | | | | than men, and adolescents more than older |
| Other essential features of this disorder include an | | | | women. More than 90% of cases occur in |
| intense fear of gaining weight, a distorted body | | | | females. However, it should be emphasized that |
| image, and amenorrhea. In fact, people with | | | | males represent approximately 10% of anorexia |
| anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control | | | | nervosa cases, a fact that often is overlooked. |
| their desire to eat. This desire is frequently | | | | Anorexia nervosa is primarily a phenomenon of |
| sublimated through cooking for others or hiding | | | | puberty and early adulthood. Eighty-five percent |
| food that they will not eat in their personal space. | | | | of patients have onset of the disorder between |
| Anorexia nervosa usually occurs in adolescence or | | | | the ages of 13 and 18 years. Drug treatments, |
| young adulthood. It is more common in females. | | | | such as SSRI or other antidepressant medication, |
| People with anorexia nervosa usually lose weight | | | | have not been found to be generally effective for |
| by reducing their total food intake and exercising | | | | either treating anorexia. Nutritional therapy. A |
| excessively. Anorexia is also linked to reduced | | | | dietitian offers guidance on following a healthy diet. |
| blood flow in the temporal lobes, although since | | | | A dietitian can provide specific meal plans and |
| this finding does not correlate with current weight, | | | | calorie requirements to help meet weight goals. |
| it is possible that it is a risk trait rather than an | | | | Group therapy is often advised so people can |
| effect of starvation. | | | | share their experiences with others. Family |
| Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages | | | | therapy is important particularly if the individual is |
| of 15 and 25, but it can develop in children as | | | | living at home and is a young adolescent. |
| young as 10 and in older people. Anorexia | | | | Supportive care by health care providers, |
| nervosa" is frequently shortened to "anorexia" in | | | | structured behavioral therapy, psychotherapy, and |
| both the popular media and scientific literature. | | | | anti-depressant drug therapy are some of the |
| Many persons with this disorder restrict their | | | | methods that are used for treatment. |
| intake to fewer than 1,000 calories per day. Most | | | | Anorexia Nervosa Treatment Tips |
| avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate | | | | 1. Nutritional therapy. A dietitian offers guidance on |
| meats. The diet of persons with anorexia nervosa | | | | following a healthy diet. |
| may consist almost completely of low-calorie | | | | 2. Group therapy is often advised so people can |
| vegetables like lettuce and carrots, or popcorn. | | | | share their experiences with others. |
| Persons with anorexia nervosa develop strange | | | | 3. Family therapy is important particularly if the |
| eating habits such as cutting their food into tiny | | | | individual is living at home and is a young |
| pieces, refusing to eat in front of others, or fixing | | | | adolescent. |
| elaborate meals for others that they themselves | | | | 4. Medications-antidepressants or other psychiatric |
| don't eat. Food and weight become obsessions as | | | | medications can help treat accompanying mental |
| people with this disorder constantly think about | | | | disorders, such as depression or anxiety. |
| their next encounter with food. Dieting. People | | | | 5. Nutritional therapy-A dietitian offers guidance on |
| who lose weight by dieting are often reinforced | | | | following a healthy diet. |