Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. A person with anorexia nervosa deliberately loses weight and often finds that food dominates their lives. Weight loss can be severe and life-threatening. Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sometimes medication, and self-help measures are treated as talking.

 

What is anorexia nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa (just called anorexia from now on) is an eating disorder. It means loss of appetite due to your nerves. Anorexia is a serious condition which affects all sorts of people. Anorexia is very common - about 1 in 20 teenagers has it. However, it affects people of all ages and has become more common in boys and men in recent years.

People with anorexia often find that they do not allow themselves to feel full after eating. This means that they restrict the amount they eat and drink. People with anorexia are underweight. Sometimes, the weight becomes so low that it is dangerous to health.

What are the symptoms of anorexia nervosa?

Deliberate weight loss

This is the main symptom. You lose weight by avoiding fattening foods or even any foods. People with anorexia limit the amount they eat and drink, in order to control how their body looks. You may often pretend to other people that you are eating far more than you actually are. You may be using other ways of staying thin such as exercising too much. You may also have made yourself vomit, take laxatives, or even take appetite suppressant medicines or diuretics (water tablets).

People with anorexia typically weigh 15% or more below the expected weight for their age, sex and height. The body mass index (BMI) is calculated by your weight (in kilograms) divided by the square of your height (in metres). For example, if you weigh 66 kg and are 1.7 m tall then your BMI would be 66/(1.7 x 1.7) = 22.8. A normal BMI for an adult is 20-25. Above that you are overweight, and below that you are underweight. Adults with anorexia have a BMI below 17.5.

With anorexia, you feel very in control of your bodyweight and shape. However, with time, anorexia can take control of you. After some time it can become very difficult to make healthy, normal choices about the amount and types of food you eat.

A wrong idea of body size

People with anorexia think that they are fat when they are actually very thin. Although other people see you as thin or underweight, it is very difficult for you to see this. You are likely to have a severe dread (like a phobia) of gaining weight. People with anorexia will do their utmost to avoid putting on weight.

Other features

It is common for people with anorexia to:

• Vomit secretly after eating.
• Try hard to hide their thinness - for example, by wearing baggy clothes.
• Tend not to be truthful about how much they eat and everything to do with food.
• Like food and feel hungry. However, it is the consequences of eating that frighten them.

People with anorexia may also become obsessed with what other people are eating.

People with anorexia often restrict themselves to certain types of food. Eating food may even become like a ritual. For example, each time you eat, you have to cut your food into very small pieces. You may think frequently about your weight and even weigh yourself most days or even several times a day. It is also common to feel cold most of the time and to have irregular sleeping patterns. You might also find yourself having poor concentration.

How do I know if I have an eating disorder?

If you answer yes to two or more of these questions then you may have an eating disorder and you should see your doctor:

• Do you make yourself sick because you are uncomfortably full?
• Do you worry that you've lost control over how much you eat?
• Have you recently lost more than 6 kg (about one stone) in the past three months?
• Do you believe you're fat when others think you are thin?
• Would you say that food dominates your life?

 

Self-help measures may be of benefit

There are a number of self-help books and guides available. These provide methods on how to cope with and overcome anorexia. (Beat - the Eating Disorders Association listed at the end - may be able to suggest current titles.) They are not suitable for everyone, particularly if your anorexia is severe.

Some people with more severe anorexia may need to have a short stay in hospital.

What is the outlook (prognosis)?

With treatment, anorexia can take weeks or even many months to improve. It can take several years for people with anorexia to become completely better. Many people find they still have issues with food, even after treatment, but they are more in control and can lead happier, more fulfilled lives.