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