Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

What are the symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?

The criteria for determining whether someone has Anorexia Nervosa are:

A. Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight. Although there is no exact definition of "normal" weight, the general guideline is that a weight less than 85% of expected for age and height or a BMI below 17.5 is too low.

B. The individual is afraid of gaining weight and fears becoming fat even though dangerously underweight.

C. The way in which the individual perceives his/her body is distorted. In spite of actually being underweight, the person with Anorexia Nervosa experiences him/herself as fat and denies the seriousness of the low body weight. In addition, self-esteem is excessively influenced by this distorted self-perception. Thus, on days the individual "feels fat," which for the person with Anorexia Nervosa is most days, s/he also feels worthless.

D. In post-pubescent females, there has been a loss of the menstrual cycle for three or more months. (Obviously, this criterion does not apply to males.)

Some people with Anorexia Nervosa keep their weight low by consistently eating very little, others also severely restrict their food intake but punctuate the restriction with bouts of binge eating and purging (e.g., self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, abuse of laxatives or diuretics). The longer a person has Anorexia Nervosa, the more likely it is that a binge-purge pattern will develop.

Who develops Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa affects approximately .5% to 1% of late adolescent and adult females. It is considerably more common among females than males.

What are the risks associated with Anorexia Nervosa?

The effects of Anorexia Nervosa on its victims can roughly be divided into three broad categories — physical, psychological, and social.

Physically, Anorexia Nervosa affects almost every body system. (See Drawing at bottom of this page.)
Brain — changes in brain chemistry and brain structure
Heart — low blood pressure, slowed heartbeat, heart palpitations, heart failure
Kidneys — kidney stones, kidney failure
Intestines — constipation, bloating
Blood — anemia
Hormones — impaired growth, loss of menstrual cycle, infertility, pregnancy complications, low birth-weight babies, postpartum depression
Body Fluids — low potassium, magnesium, and sodium
Hair — thins, becomes brittle, and often falls out
Skin & nails — dry, yellow, cold, easily bruised, growth of fine hair all over body, brittle nails

Psychologically, the person with Anorexia Nervosa is generally focused on weight and food to the exclusion of most other things. She or he has difficulty thinking clearly, is obsessed by the fear of gaining weight, has difficulty remembering things, and is often irritable and depressed.

Socially, Anorexia Nervosa interferes with the individual’s ability to maintain satisfying relationships with others. Obsession with weight and food takes away the ability to focus on friends and family and the affected individual often finds him- or herself socially isolated.

Drawing below reproduced with permission from www.womenshealth.gov