Eating Disorder: Aneroxia Nervosa

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WHAT IS ANOREXIA NERVOSA?
According to Michel and Willard (2003), “... between 5 million and 10 million girls and women, and 1 million boys and men, have some type of eating disorder...” Anorexia nervosa, commonly known as anorexia, is one of the primary types of eating disorders. Anorexia nervosa becomes widely recognized as a psychological disorder in 1973 (Michel & Willard, 2003). Anorexia nervosa is when an individual reduces eating 15 percent or more below ideal body weight. Ciccarelli and White (2012) stated that individuals with anorexia have too much leptin, which is a hormone that implicated in obesity. Anorexia is a serious disorder involving intentional starvation, an obsession with food and weight related issues, and extreme fear of weight gain. If anorexia is left untreated, it can be life-threatening, causing damage to organs (“Anorexia Nervosa: M.M.E.,” 2013). Although the exact cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown, it is important to be aware of warning signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa.
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of anorexia nervosa can be many different things varying from low food intake to extreme self-starvation. Anorexia is not only physical abnormality, it involves mental process. There are many symptoms to look out for in individuals who experiencing anorexia such as extreme fear of gaining weight, low self-esteem due to overly concern of body image, obsessed with exercising, not having a menstrual cycle for more than three or more months (in women), and extremely distorted body images (“Anorexia Nervosa: Symptoms”). According to Ciccarelli and White (2012), “Some individuals with anorexia will eat in front of other people, but then force themselves to throw up or take large doses of laxatives” or “…co...

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Anorexia nervosa: Treatment. (n.d.). National eating disorder association. Retrieved April 06, 2014, from http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/treating-eating-disorder
Ciccarelli, S. K., & White, J. (2012). Psychology (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Michel, D., & Willard, S. G. (2003). When dieting becomes dangerous : A guide to understanding and treating Anorexia and Bulimia. New Haven: Yale University Press.
Steele, R. L. (1976). Anorexia nervosa: A case study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 27, 47-53.
Anorexia Nervosa: MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia. (2013, February 26). U.S. Library of Medicine. Retrieved April 14, 2014, from http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
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