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