Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder affecting mainly girls and women, although boys and men 
can also suffer from it. It usually starts in the teenage years. Estimates suggest that approximately 1% of girls at school suffer from Anorexia.

The main characteristics of the disease involve some or all of the following:

1) People suffering from Anorexia believe they are overweight and typically chase a very low (and normally unhealthy) ideal weight.
2) There is a very strong sense of fear of putting on weight.
3) Sufferers are totally preoccupied with the size and shape of their bodies.
4) Extreme weight loss is self-induced through avoiding fatty foods, using laxatives or excessive exercise.
5) The sufferer makes up numerous 'rules' regarding what they can or cannot eat, the quantity involved, what exercise is required after such food has been ingested and so on.
6) The extreme weight loss can lead to hormonal imbalance within women and girls and can lead to periods stopping entirely.
7) Sufferers of Anorexia always feel that they are overweight, even when it is obvious to all that they are seriously underweight.

The cause of anorexia is currently unknown - however it is likely to be a mix of both the sufferer's environment and surroundings, and their biological make up. Anorexia mainly affects western women and is usually triggered by social pressures.

Sufferers tend to focus on losing weight at the expense of all other interests tend to lose interest in all aspects of their life except losing weight.


What to Do

There is no specific treatment to recommend as each treatment is based on the individual.
However they all follow a pattern:

1) Restore the person to a healthy weight through healthy eating.
2) Cure any health problems that have arisen due to the anorexia.
3) Deal with the sufferer's fears regarding their feelings and thoughts on weight loss.
4) Address any other issues that may have been the trigger for anorexia.
5) Bring friends and family into the loop to support the sufferer through their recovery.
6) Contact one of the many support centres that deal with anorexia.