Anorexia Nervosa

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia affects people of all ages with an obsession of being thin

It can damage your health and even threaten your life

Causes No official main cause Negative body image They think losing weight will fix everything Social and emotional stresses General low self-esteem Participation in an activity that demands

slenderness Perfectionism Family criticizing body image

Behavior Constant Dieting Fear of gaining weight Hiding their eating habits Denial of weight loss Using diet pills Compulsive exercising Engaging in harmful activities such as smoking

and excessive caffeine consumption to counteract dizziness

Signs & Symptoms Dramatic weight loss Strange food rituals Dehydration Dizziness and fainting Hair loss/Dry hair Refusal to eat Denial of hunger Depression Withdrawn from social life

Treatment There are no proven medications Eating healthy Therapy Eliminating causing thoughts

How To Help Be a role model Don’t force them to eat Don’t threaten or scare them Be supportive Encourage them to get treatment Restore confidence in a person’s weight

Facts Anorexia has one of the highest death rates out of

any mental condition (15-20% will die) It is found typically in teens 90-95% or sufferers are women Between 0.5 and 1% of American women suffer

anorexia It is one of the most common psychiatric

diagnoses in young women