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Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is a syndrome featuring the inability to maintain even a minimal body
weight, excessive fear of weight gain and significant disturbance in body image.
Individuals suffering from Anorexia perceive themselves to be overweight even when
severely underweight.
Anorexia Nervosa, which loosely means
"a nervous loss of appetite", does not actually include a physical loss of
appetite. Rather, it is a psychological desire for control and perfection. It
is a reaction to stressful and unpleasant surroundings and emotions, and an attempt to
cope with them.
Typically, this disorder occurs
in females in late adolescence and early adulthood, most often among upper-class
families, in areas where there is an abundance of food and pressure to look good.
According to DSM-IV, diagnostic criteria for anorexia
nervosa include:
Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a
minimally normal weight for age and height (e.g., weight loss leading to maintenance of
body weight less than 85 percent of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain
during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85 percent of that expected)
Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even
though underweight
Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or
shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or
denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight
In postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea, i.e., the
absence of at least three consecutive menstrual cycles. (A woman is considered to have
amenorrhea if her periods occur only following hormone, e.g., estrogen, administration.)
Other symptoms include obsession with food or exercise, low
self-esteem, lying about food intake, mood swings and guilt.
An estimated 10 to 20% of those with anorexia will eventually die
from complications related to it. It is important to seek help!
Treatment options include hospitalization, psychotherapy and
pharmacotherapy. Please consult your physician or a therapist if you or someone you
know is exhibiting the symptoms of an eating disorder, or call the Eating Disorders
Awareness and Prevention (EDAP) hotline for answers to your questions, information, and
nationwide referrals at 1-800-931-2237.
Learn about Bulimia Nervosa
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