Anorexia nervosa is a serious disease or eating disorder characterized by an obsession with thinness. It includes deliberate self-starvation and has both physical and psychological components. The term "anorexia nervosa" literally means "loss of appetite because of nerves." However, the term is somewhat misleading. People who have anorexia nervosa usually feel hungry until the late stages of starvation. They CHOOSE not to eat.
Experts believe that food itself is not a cause of anorexia; rather, anorexics fear growing up or may be rebelling against parents whose standards seem too high. There is also evidence of hormone imbalances in anorexics that indicates possible biological causes. However, researchers think that the stress of severe dieting may be the cause of these hormone imbalances. Other pressures may come from our culture. In one survey, 75% of the women described themselves as "too fat" even though only 25% were clinically obese. This pressure to be the perfect size is an expectation young people pick up from our culture.
This brief epub provides "need to know" information about how to identify, cope with and treat anorexia nervosa.
