Anorexia nervosa

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Anorexia nervosa is a disorder. It is like a disease. People who have the disorder think that they are too fat or that they eat too much.

It is a complex situation, and not easy to describe. Many factors play a role.

The common symptoms are:

  • Eating too little. Starving oneself.
  • Exercising too much. The idea is that exercise burns calories.

[edit] The four DSM IV criteria

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The following is the definition of anorexia nervosa from a book which is used to assist doctors to make a clinical diagnosis. This definition may be different from what an individual sufferer feels or experiences in living with the illness. Additionally, it is important to remember that a person may still suffer from a health- or life-threatening eating disorder even if one of the signs below is not present. In particular, many patients diagnosed with unspecified eating disorders meet all criteria for diagnosis of anorexia nervosa except the requirement of three consecutive missed menstrual cycles.

  1. The patient does not want to keep a body weight that is usual for their age and height.
  2. Intense fear of gaining weight. The patient sees himself or herself as being fat.
  3. Low self esteem because of the shape or weight of the body of the patient. Patients are also often unable to see a problem in the low body weight.
  4. Women who have not gone through the menopause have not had three consecutive menstrual cycles, and are not pregnant.

[edit] Two different types

  • Restricting Type. People with this type do not use vomiting or drugs to lose weight. They also do not overeat (called binge eating, eating far too much at times).
  • Binge-Eating Type or Purging Type: The person has used vomiting or drugs, or overeaten.