aneorexia
...ominately adolescent girls. It can occur in men and older women as well. Younger women are particularly vulnerable because they tend to go on strict diets to achieve “ideal figures” Actors, models, and athletes are particularly at risk. The victims usually come from middle to upper-middle class families that place heavy emphasis on high achievement, perfection, eating patterns and physical appearance. 90 percent of sufferers are female; about 1 percent of American and Canadian women are afflicted. Eventually, a series of starvation-induced physical and psychological changes threatens control over eating. The result is a severe circle of weight loss, hunger, and fear that will become a deadly process if a course of action is not acknowledged. Quick treatment will usually keep the condition from progressing, but some cases are very resistant to treatment and may require hospitalization. Anorexia is believed to be primarily an illness of the mind or illness of psychological origin; however, it has significant medical and physical consequences, such as starvation, which can result in damage to vital organs such as the heart and brain. Breathing, pulse and blood rates drop, and irregular heart rhythms or heart failure also occur. Eating disorders have among the highest mortality rates of mental disorders, killing up to 6% of their victims. Anorexia begins with a relatively normal aspiration to lose a few pounds. But because dieting only temporarily relieves psychological problems, it soon becomes obsessive; food intake is gradually minimizes until eating is virtually eliminated. The victim then becomes obsessed with his/her body image and frequently sees himself/herself as over weight even though the opposite is true. Ironically, an anorexic person makes food preparation and consumption a ritual. Sometimes fasting is combined with episodes of binging and purging, especially when trying to reclaim normal eating habits. About half of all anorexics become bulimic at some point. There is a strong association between eating disorders and depression. Anorexics tend to come from families that have high standards of achievement, and they are often perfectionists, compulsive in many aspects of their life, especially school. Denial often accompanies their powerful focus on becoming or remaining thin. Anorexics will normally refuse to admit that anything is wrong, and they may become angry or defensive at expressions of concern by others. While awareness and treatment have improved, no one has yet defined what triggers the problem. Possible primary causes can be related to demands from society and the family. For many individuals with anorexia, the negative cycle begins with the pressure to be thin and attractive. A poor self-image complexes the problem. Some of the attributes to the disorder are genetic predisposition, stress, and societal pressure to be thin. Though it is still not fully understood why eating disorders develop, it is believed that serious dieting is a powerful predictor that an eating disorder may emerge...