Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder caused by an overly negative self-image, resulting in a refusal to ingest enough food to stay healthy. It can lead to various medical problems and is usually treated with a combination of behavioral therapies and lifestyle changes. It is not a chronic disease, and most cases last less than two years.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person typically has an overly negative view of themselves and, as a result, refuses to ingest enough food to stay healthy. How food intake is avoided can vary among individuals with this disorder, although the results are typically a range of potential medical problems. This is primarily a psychological disorder, although there are physical aspects to the disease and some physiological conditions can mimic this disorder. Anorexia nervosa has been diagnosed as a disorder for centuries and is usually treated with a combination of behavioral therapies and lifestyle changes.
Often referred to simply as anorexia, anorexia nervosa was first named by Sir William Gull, an English physician to Queen Victoria. In general, the disorder is classified by a general refusal to ingest food or nourishment, or an effort to eliminate food from the body after eating. These actions are usually caused by an overly negative self-image, leading someone to believe they are overweight regardless of their actual weight. This lack of nutrition due to anorexia nervosa continues even if a person is of normal weight or less.
Many people think of anorexia nervosa as a refusal to eat, and this is a common form of the disease, although bingeing and purging can also be evidence of this disorder. The lack of nutrition and the physical toll a person can take on their own through elimination often leads to numerous medical consequences for this disease. These can include everything from tooth loss from repeated vomiting to brain atrophy and skin discoloration from malnutrition.
Someone with anorexia nervosa often refuses to eat, becomes obsessed with food or eating, and establishes rituals while eating, such as cutting food into small pieces of the same size. He or she may also cook large meals for others but not eat or eat small amounts and then quickly purge afterward. Women are the most common victims of this disorder, with approximately 90% of cases affecting women and 40% of those involving adolescent females aged 15-19.
Treatment for anorexia nervosa can be quite effective and it is not usually a chronic disease. Most cases last less than two years and while a relapse is possible, even after a relapse the disease is often outgrown. Psychological treatment such as behavior modification is common for this disease, as are medical treatments to return a person to a healthy weight and ensure proper nutrition. Sufferers of anorexia nervosa are typically helped to see themselves more appropriately and overcome the root causes of their negative body image.
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