Definition
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person refuses to stay at even the minimum body weight considered normal for their age and height. Persons with this disorder may have an intense fear of weight gain and a distorted body image. Inadequate eating or excessive exercising results in severe weight loss.
Articles
- Anorexia Nervosa Facts
- What People With Anorexia Nervosa Need to Know About Osteoporosis
- Why do eating disorders (bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa) require medical attention?
Article Summaries
Anorexia Nervosa FactsThe exact cause of anorexia nervosa is not known, but social attitudes towards body appearance are believed to play a role. Causes may include genetic, constitutional, psychological, trauma, family, and society or cultural factors. Any given case is likely due to more than one factor. Anorexia nervosa usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. It is more common in females. The eating disorder is seen mainly in Caucasian women who are high academic achievers and have a goal-oriented family or personality.
What People With Anorexia Nervosa Need to Know About Osteoporosis
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by an irrational fear of weight gain. People with anorexia nervosa believe that they are overweight even when they are extremely thin. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 0.5 to 3.7 percent of females have anorexia nervosa. While the majority of people with anorexia are female, an estimated 5 to 15 percent of people with anorexia are male. Individuals with anorexia become obsessed with food and severely restrict their dietary intake. The disease is associated with several health problems and, in rare cases, even death. The disorder may begin as early as the onset of puberty. If a girl has anorexia when she reaches puberty, her first menstrual period is typically delayed. For girls who have already reached puberty, menstrual periods are often infrequent or absent. What Is Osteoporosis?
Why do eating disorders (bulimia nervosa and anorexia nervosa) require medical attention?
Anorexia may be a single, limited episode with large weight loss within a few months followed by recovery. Or it may develop gradually and persist for years. The illness may go back and forth between getting better and getting worse. Or it may steadily get more severe. Anorectics may exercise excessively. Their preoccupation with food usually prompts habits such as moving food about on the plate and cutting it into tiny pieces to prolong eating, and not eating with the family. Obsessed with weight loss and fear of becoming fat, anorectics see normal folds of flesh as “fat” that must be eliminated. When the normal fat padding is lost, sitting or lying down brings discomfort not rest, making sleep difficult. As the disorder continues, victims may become isolated and withdraw from friends and family.