Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a healthy or underweight person has an over-riding fear of gaining weight, a preoccupation with being thin, or a misperception of being overweight. Extreme restriction of food, over-exercising, or an abuse of laxatives in attempts to meet unhealthy or unobtainable weight loss goals are the hallmarks of this eating disorder. Anorexia can develop from a desire to lose weight through dieting (which becomes an obsession), a history of trauma, social pressure to be thin, or as a way to manage anxiety. Although anorexia can affect both genders, it tends to be most prevalent in women in their late teens and early twenties, but can begin as early as elementary school. Symptoms of Anorexia include:

• Intense fear of weight gain
• Over-exercising
• Abuse of laxatives
• Significant weight loss or nutritional deficiency
• Severe food restriction
• Pre-occupation with body size
• Poor self-esteem