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Anorexia nervosa

Definition:
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by refusal to maintain a minimally accepted body weight, intense fear of weight gain, and distorted body image. Inadequate calorie intake or excessive energy expenditure results in severe weight loss (see also bulimia and intentional weight loss).

Alternative Names:
Eating disorder - anorexia; Anorexia

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but social attitudes towards body appearance and family factors are believed to play a role in its development. The condition usually occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. It is more common in women, affecting 1-2% of the female population and only 0.1-0.2% of males.

Anorexia is seen mainly in Caucasian women who are high academic achievers and have a goal-oriented family or personality. Some experts have suggested that conflicts within a family may contribute to anorexia. It is thought that anorexia is a way for a child to draw attention away from marital problems, for example, and bring the family back together.

Other psychologists have suggested that anorexia may be an attempt by young women to gain control and separate from their mothers. The causes, however, are still not well understood.



Review Date: 2/10/2003
Reviewed By: A.D.A.M. editorial (2/10/2003). Previous review: Benoit Dubé, M.D., Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (1/29/2001).

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