Thin & Happy

An Introduction to Anorexia Nervosa
By Mark T Wright

Anorexia Nervosa, or simply Anorexia as it is commonly called, is a potentially life threatening eating disorder characterized by obsession with extremely low body weight, distortion of body image and extreme fear of putting on any weight. Additionally, it is also considered a psychological disorder since a person suffering from anorexia is obsessed with controlling their body and body weight. Over time this obsession becomes an addiction, similar to any other substance or drug abuse.

Like most other eating disorders, anorexia too is likely to occur during the pre- or post-puberty stage, affecting females more than males. Approximately, 95% of people affecting by Anorexia are adolescent women. However, this eating disorder is not restricted only to adolescence and can affect women at any stage in her life. Similarly, men and especially adolescent men, are also at a risk of develop this eating disorder. Estimates in the US claim that one adolescent girl in every 100 suffers from Anorexia. Also, it has been found that Caucasians are more prone to Anorexia compared to other races in the US. Apparently even a person's socio-economic background has an impact on this eating disorder as it has been found to be most common in those who come from middle or upper socio-economic background.

Anorexia can be of two types: the Restricting type and the Purging type. In the restricting type of Anorexia, people try and control their body weight by restricting intake of food and by excessive exercising. On the other hand, the purging type of Anorexia is characterized by binge eating followed by purging by means of self-induced vomiting, use of laxatives, enemas or diuretics, along with restrictions on food intake and excessive exercising.

Like many other psychological disorders, the biggest obstacle to diagnosing this condition is the fact that people suffering from it are usually in denial do not think that they have any problem. People suffering from Anorexia are unlikely to seek professional help on their own and most cases get medical attention due to intervention of family and friends. However, the following are the most common criteria for diagnosing Anorexia:

• Refusal to maintain minimally normal body weight
• Intense fear of gaining weight
• Inability to acknowledge actual body weight, or weight loss, i.e. distortion of body image
• Missing at least three consecutive menstrual cycles

Anorexia can lead to a variety of physical and psychological problems, if left untreated. To begin with the persons suffering from Anorexia are prone to violent mood swings. Their hair and nails become brittle and their skin becomes yellow. They are prone to hypothermia due to loss of body mass and they may even develop a thin layer of fine hair on their body. If Anorexia extends beyond this phase, it can damage internal organs like the heart, kidneys, liver and brain. It will also affect one's pulse rate and blood pressure which are likely to drop. Bones become brittle and prone to breaking. In very severe cases, starvation due to Anorexia can also prove to be fatal.

The author is an expert in the field of anorexia and runs an anorexia symptoms site. This includes information about girls with anorexia and anorexia tips.

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