A disease related to a diet

How common is Anorexia

 How common is anorexia?
• The picture you have just looked at is
telling you that in less than one hundred
people 1 person is anorexic.

• The picture is also telling you that 90% of

Women have anorexia and only 10% of
Men have anorexia. This is telling you
more women have Anorexia than Men
 What are the signs and symptoms
of Anorexia?
 Weight loss of at least 15 per cent below the normal ideal body weight for a person of the same age
and height.

 Cessation of periods or delayed development in puberty.

 Self-induced weight loss. Methods can include fasting, low food intake, excessive exercise, diuretic
medicines (medicines that make you urinate more) laxatives, diet pills or vomiting. Sometimes
people make themselves sick to lose weight. Others take excessive exercise.

 Sufferers have a constant fear of gaining weight, as well as a feeling of being fat, even when their
weight is much less than that of other people of the same height.

 Sufferers may feel bloated, even after a small meal.

 They may lose interest in socialising with friends.

 Other side effects include tiredness, feeling cold, constipation and stomach-ache.

 Some patients also develop additional disorders such as bulimia.

 How long can Anorexia last?
• The sooner the treatment is started, the
better the chance of recovery. However,
anorexia may last for months or years,
and it can take many more years before
normal weight is regained.
 How is Anorexia treated
• Treatment will vary depending on the individual circumstances. There is no one
single treatment that has proven to be effective in all cases. Treatment aims to:

• restore the person to a healthy weight.

• restore healthy eating patterns.

• treat any physical complications or associated mental health problems.

• address thoughts, feelings and beliefs concerning food and body image.

• enlist family support.

• In some cases, medication is necessary, especially where there is depression or

serious compulsive symptoms. Treatment by the family doctor is possible, although
sometimes a psychologist or psychiatrist experienced in eating disorders is
necessary.
If the weight loss becomes serious (more than 20 to 25 per cent less than total
normal body weight) admission to hospital may be required. Treatments used include
individual psychological therapy, family therapy and drug therapy using
 Why do people get Anorexia?
• The cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown, although it is
likely that both inherent biological factors and factors in
the patient's social environment play a part. The disease
is mainly encountered in the western world and is more
common among women in certain professions, such as
models and ballet dancers. Puberty, deaths in the family
and other life stresses are all believed to be potential
triggers of anorexia.
There may also be peer pressure to lose weight, nasty
comments from others about weight that trigger dieting
or an unrealistic expectation of what a normal body
weight should be.