Definition of Anorexia Nervosa The Gale Encyclopedia of Alternative Medicine defines Anorexia nervosa as, "an eating disorder characterized by unrealistic fear of weight gain, self-starvation, and conspicuous distortion of body image." (Tran) The disorder is a combination of two Latin words that literally mean "a nervous inability to eat
In addition, there is a fair amount of evidence that suggests that anorexia nervosa often co-occurs with other psychiatric disorders including depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. (Lock)
The treatment must not only involve medical intervention but also emotional support particularly from the family and friends. (Steiner 352-359) points out another reason for the difficulties in dealing with anorexia nervosa
During the past three decades the prevalence has increased dramatically. (Tenore) reports an overall incidence of approximately five percent of the population of the United States
A combination of family and psychological factors is the issue of childhood sexual abuse and its relationship to eating disorders. (Wonderlich et al
Studies suggest that an inherited predisposition to anorexia may run in a family. If a person has a brother with anorexia, she is 10 to 20 times more likely than the common population to become anorexic herself (Le Grange et al
THE CAUSES OF ANOREXIA NERVOSA By simply glancing through almost any current magazine or newspaper, one can find articles on one of the most prevalent disorders in today's modern society, namely, anorexia nervosa, a well-known eating disorder which is primarily seen in teenage girls and women under the age of twenty- five. Anorexia nervosa is usually linked to some kind of emotional stress or personal conflict, such as anxiety, irritation, anger and fear, all of which "may accompany a major change in a person's life related to family, career and one's role in society" (Glanze, 1990, 69)