| Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, but it must be | | | | by a dysfunction in the part of the brain which |
| said that it is also a psychological disorder. The person | | | | regulates certain metabolic processes. |
| having anorexia is preoccupied to lose weight, and in | | | | People that have anorexia deny this problem, they |
| time, this persons starts to believe that the weight loss | | | | want to hide the symptoms, that's why it is |
| is a sign of control over the body. Then, the one | | | | complicated to diagnose this disease. In many times, |
| affected by anorexia continues with an endless cycle | | | | the family members see that there is a great weight |
| of restrictive eating, and this can lead finally to self- | | | | loss, and ask for medical help, but the one who has |
| starvation. This cycle becomes an obsession. | | | | anorexia may be unreliable in terms of providing |
| It was seen that women are the most affected by this | | | | accurate information, that's why in many cases the |
| illness, especially adolescent girls. Anorexia is more | | | | doctor needs to obtain information from the others |
| common in middle and upper socioeconomic groups, | | | | members of the family in order to evaluate the degree |
| and the Caucasians are the most often affected | | | | of weight loss and extent of the disorder. |
| people. | | | | There are four basic criteria for the diagnosis of |
| At this moment, science can't explain which is the | | | | anorexia nervosa and we can mention the denial to |
| exact cause of anorexia, but there are a few factors | | | | maintain a body weight according to the age and |
| that seem to be responsible. Because the modern | | | | height, permanent fear of gaining weight and becoming |
| society associated the concept of "beauty" with "thin", | | | | fat, a distorted self- perception, and in women who |
| many women are under the pressure to be thin and | | | | begun their menstrual cycle, at least three consecutive |
| attractive, and for that, they begin dieting and starving. | | | | periods are missed or menstrual periods occur only |
| Also, seems that a low self -esteem is another cause | | | | after a hormone is administered. |
| that can lead to anorexia. | | | | There are two types of anorexia: the binge eating |
| Some researchers say that there is a genetic | | | | purging type and the restricting type. |
| component that may play a role in determining a | | | | The person having the first type engages in binge |
| person's susceptibility to anorexia, and others suggest | | | | eating or purging behavior, which means it includes |
| that this illness can result from a particular dysfunction | | | | self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or |
| often seen in families of anorexia patients. In this type | | | | enemas. |
| of dysfunction, family members become so | | | | The one who has the second type severely restricts |
| interdependent, that they cannot achieve their own | | | | food intake. |
| personality, so children, especially girls take a restrictive | | | | It is very important for us to understand that there are |
| diet to prevent growing up, in their thinking that restricts | | | | different persons having different bodies, and we |
| the maturational process, and they will be forever in | | | | mustn't get obsessed by the so called "perfect bodies" |
| the parent-child relationship. | | | | imposed by the modern society. |
| There also exists the suspicion that anorexia is caused | | | | |