Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where sufferers have an intense fear of gaining weight. Sufferers will often limit their food intake severely or even stop eating all together in order to loose weight, often reaching a seriously unhealthy or even life threateningly low weight. Anorexia is most common in teenage girls, however sufferers can be of any age and the condition is not uncommon in men.

Common symptoms of anorexia:

. Lower body weight than the average for the persons age and height
. Not eating much, if anything
. Avoiding certain foods, such as foods with a high fat content
. Obsessive exercise
. If confronted, denying being underweight or having a problem with food

If someone you know appears to have any of these symptoms or anything else that makes you think they may have an eating disorder you should try to encourage them to see their doctor. This will almost certainly not be an easy task, as the sufferer will often deny that there is a problem and refuse to talk about it, getting them to admit that there is a problem will be the hardest step in their recovery.

It is not known what causes people to develop anorexia, or any other eating disorder however certain personality traits are common amongst people who suffer from an eating disorder, these include:

. Depression
. Low self-esteem
. Mental health problems such as obsessive compulsive disorder
. perfectionism

If a doctor diagnoses a patient with anorexia then the next step is usually to refer the patient to a psychologist who specializes in treating people with eating disorders. The psychologist will encourage the patient to change their attitude towards food and encourage healthy eating. The patient may also be advised to attend a self help group so that they can talk with other people who either are or have been in the same position that they are. The patient may also be asked to keep a food diary so that their progress can be monitored. In extreme cases an anorexia sufferer may be admitted to hospital if their weight is dangerously low, and they may be given fluids and vital nutrients through a drip. However this is a last resort as treatment works much better if the patient has admitted a problem and is willing to accept help to get better.

If someone has suffered a severe case of anorexia or has suffered from the condition for a long period of time then there are some serious health risks associated with the condition. The serious health risks include osteoporosis, heart damage and infertility, if anorexia is left untreated then the patient is at serious risk of death from these or other related conditions.

It is important that friends and family of the sufferer remain supportive and encouraging as many sufferers relapse, especially when under stress. However with the right help and treatment sufferers can recover from anorexia nervosa.

Learn more about this author, Kirsty O'Lone.
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