Anorexia nervosa [1]
Key points
- Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a minimally accepted body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image.
- The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is not known, but social attitudes towards body appearance and family factors are believed to play a role in its development.
- Signs and tests Diagnosis is based upon ruling out other causes of endocrine, metabolic, digestive, and central nervous system abnormalities to explain the weight loss.
- The biggest challenge in treating anorexia nervosa is having the person recognize that their eating behavior is itself a problem, not a solution to other problems.
Alternative names
Eating disorder - anorexia
Definition
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a minimally accepted body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. Inadequate calorie intake or excessive energy expenditure results in severe weight loss (see also bulimia and intentional weight loss).
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is not known, but social attitudes towards body appearance and family factors are believed to play a role in its development. The condition usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. It is more common in women, affecting 1-2% of the female population and only 0.1-0.2% of males.
Anorexia nervosa is seen mainly in Caucasian women who are high academic achievers and have a goal-oriented family or personality. Some experts have suggested that conflicts within a family may contribute to this eating disorder. It is thought that anorexia is a way for a child to draw attention away from marital problems, for example, and bring the family back together.
Other psychologists have suggested that anorexia may be an attempt by young women to gain control and separate from their mothers. The causes, however, are still not well understood.
Symptoms
- weight loss of 15% or greater below the expected weight
- inappropriate use of laxatives, enemas, or diuretics (water pills) in an effort to lose weight
- self-imposed food intake restrictions, often hidden
- absence of menstruation
- skeletal muscle atrophy
- loss of fatty tissue
- low blood pressure
- dental cavities may be present with self-induced vomiting
- blotchy or yellow skin
- depression may be present in addition to the eating disorder
- most individuals with anorexia nervosa refuse to recognize that they have an eating disorder (denial)
Signs and tests
Diagnosis is based upon ruling out other causes of endocrine, metabolic, digestive, and central nervous system abnormalities to explain the weight loss. This could include celiac disese, inflammatory bowel disease, Addison's disease, and many other possible conditions.
Tests that may be used to assess cause of or damage from weight loss include:
Written and revised by
Andrey Nailor, M.D.
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