What Are The Causes Of Anorexia?Anorexia manifests itself in various ways like severe dieting, starvation, extreme exercising and even vomiting. Some anorexics also often take dangerous weight loss pills to prevent weight gain. Anorexia is the decreased sense of appetite and is frequently referred to with one of its subtypes, which is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia symptoms may be difficult to recognize, where individuals with anorexia symptoms often take extreme measures to avoid eating. Anorexia nervosa is the third most prevalent chronic health condition among adolescent girls. Anorexia has traditionally been an issue of popular culture, brought about by the increasing expectations on women to align themselves with images from the media. Anorexia nervosa results from an interaction of several different factors; with one of the most important causes of anorexia nervosa is Western society's emphasis on thinness and body shape as a primary measure of attractiveness. Anorexics tend to eat junk food, drink a lot of coffee, and smoke cigarettes. Anorexia usually begins in the teen years, affecting about 1% of adolescent and young adult women. Anorexia seems to its victims to be a quick fix to problems of self-consciousness, peer pressure, and acceptance. The consequences of this, however, can be very harmful to the body and mind. Anorexics can have extreme weight loss and, despite becoming dangerously underweight, anorexics would still perceive themselves as overweight. Anorexia nervosa among females has its peak onset during the adolescent years, with the majority developing the disorder between the ages of 13 and 20, the relative age of onset of anorexia nervosa among males is still unclear. Anorexia nervosa is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder, characterized by deliberate restriction of calories to the point of starvation. Many anorexics are perfectionists, have a great need of approval from others, have low self-esteem, and are obsessive. Anorexics also have a strong need to control what goes into their bodies, where only they have the authority to eat or not to eat. Anorexia nervosa consists of a considerable loss in body weight, refusal to gain weight, and a fear of becoming overweight that is at odds with reality. Anorexia nervosa is often associated with increased physical activity and symptoms of mental disorders, where suicidal tendencies may occur. The ability to feel hunger, yet refuse to eat, can empower the anorexic to feel a sense of misplaced pride and purpose. Anorexia nervosa is one of the leading causes of deaths among psychiatric illnesses, and because of this, numerous studies have been conducted in order to better explain the causes of anorexia. Anorexia nervosa often comes about alongside other mental health disorders, including clinical depression, anxiety, and symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder. Anorexia nervosa is the third most common chronic illness in adolescent women, and though it primarily affects teenage girls, the incidence of anorexia has increased threefold in young adult women over the past forty years. |