What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is an illness of obsessive self-starvation characterized by: refusal to maintain a minimally normal weight; intense fear of weight gain or being "fat," even when underweight; and distorted perception of the body or denial of the seriousness of the effects of extreme weight loss.
Among its unique aspects:
- Has the highest mortality risk of any psychiatric disorder; long-term follow-up studies show an average mortality resulting from complications of the illness of roughly 5-6%
- Typically appears between 12 and 17 years of age, but occurrences in youger children are well-documented
- Very high rates of reduced bone density and osteoporosis, even among teens and young adults
- Frequently persists into adulthood
- Emotional state changes dramatically as eating worsens
- Affects an estimated one out of every 250 girls in the general population
- Approximately 90% of anorexia nervosa patients are female
Risk factors:
- History of extreme perfectionism
- History of tendency to worry or general anxiety
- High regimentation and marked discomfort with change and transition
- Self-doubt and low self-esteem
- Reluctance to express feelings
Warning signs:
- Extreme weight loss
- Increasing rigidity of the diet
- Preoccupation with weight, food or counting calories
- Wearing multiple layers of clothing
- Excessive or compulsive exercise
- Multiple excuses for not eating, and changes in meal-time behavior such as picking at food, slow eating, cutting food into small pieces
- Preoccupation with feeding others or with meal preparation
- Visiting pro-anorexia websites
