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What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and is the most lethal of
all psychiatric illnesses. It is one of the most common causes of death
in young women and is characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight
loss.
What are the symptoms of anorexia nervosa?
- Refusal to maintain a normal, healthy body weight
- Intense fear of weight gain
- Feeling overweight despite dramatic weight loss
- Loss of menstrual cycle
- Obsession with body weight and shape
What are some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa?
- Preoccupation with weight, food, calories and dieting, along with
dramatic weight loss
- Refusal to eat certain foods, including whole categories such as
carbohydrates
- Frequent comments about being or feeling fat
- Extreme anxiety about gaining weight
- Denial of hunger
- Developing eating rituals, such as always eating foods in a certain
order
- Consistent avoidance of mealtimes or other situations involving food
- Excessive exercise, and the need to burn off calories taken in
- Withdrawal from family and friends
What are the health consequences of anorexia nervosa?
- Dangerously low blood pressure and heart rate that could lead to
heart failure
- Osteoporosis, resulting in weak, dry and brittle bones
- Muscle loss and weakness
- Severe dehydration resulting in kidney failure
- Loss of hair, dry skin
- Growth of lanugo, a downy covering of very fine hair that is all over
the body and serves to conserve body heat
Anorexia Nervosa Statistics
- Nearly all (90 to 95 percent) anorexia sufferers are girls or young
women
- Approximately .5 to 1 percent of young American women have anorexia
many more young women have subclinical anorexia
- Anorexia is one of the most common psychiatric disorders in young
women
- Between 5 and 10 percent of individuals with anorexia will die, giving
it one of the highest death rates of any psychiatric illness
- Anorexia typically appears in early to mid-adolescence
What causes anorexia nervosa?
- Most experts believe anorexia nervosa is caused partly by genes and
partly by cultural influences
- Individuals with anorexia have low levels of the neurotransmitter
serotonin, which controls appetite and could contribute to anxiety and
other disease traits
- Certain personality traits such as perfectionism, may contribute to
anorexia
Can anorexia nervosa be treated?
- Anorexia nervosa is very difficult to treat, but chances are better
if the illness is detected early
- Individual or group talk therapy is often used
- Antidepressants such as Prozac, may help prevent relapse in individuals
who have recovered normal weight
- Some patients require hospitalization and intense therapy to recover
# # # NOTE TO EDITORS: Statistics provided by the Center for Overcoming
Problem Eating at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and the National
Eating Disorders Association. For more information, please see www.angenetics.org
or www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.
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