Anorexia nervousa is an illness that occurs primarily in teenage girls but can occur in boys and adults. It is an eating disorder where people are obsessed with being thin and starve themselves because they are terrified of gaining weight. What is the core cause of anorexia? No one really knows.

Anorexia usually begins around the onset of puberty and can be a response to the pressures, real or imaginary, from parents, peers, cultural images and teachers. Extreme dieting can be a way to exert some control where they feel they have none.

Anorexia can be caused by feelings of self-hatred, imposing severe dieting as self-inflicted punishment. It is not just a problem with food, but a way to use food as a weapon to deal with emotional problems.

People with anorexia continue to think they are overweight even after they have become dangerously thin. They develop weird eating habits such as refusing to eat in front of anyone else or cooking large meals but not eating any of the food.

SYMPTOMS OF ANOREXIA

Long before someone begins showing physical signs of weight loss, there are opportunities for prevention by early diagnosis. If your child is experiencing emotional strain due to too much pressure from school, friends, and/or poor body image, pay close attention to the way your child handles the pressure.

There are many symptoms of anorexia. The following are the most common:

*Skipped menstrual periods.

*Dry skin and thinning hair.

*Feeling of being cold all the time.

*Experience sickness a lot more than normal.

*Refusal to eat in public.

*Obsessive about calorie intake.

TREATMENTS FOR ANOREXIA

Treating someone with anorexia is extremely difficult because an anorexic does not believe there is anything wrong with them. Those who are in the early stages and who have not had significant weight loss yet can be successfully treated without hospitalization.

However, in order for any treatment to be successful, the patient must want to change and have the support of those closest to them. The constant love and support of family and friends is the most important factor in helping someone deal with anorexia.

An anorexic feels safe and secure because they feel like they are in control. Their biggest fear is gaining weight because that is seen as a loss of control. People with anorexia will lie, cheat, and beg to avoid eating and risk gaining weight. Family and friends should never give in to the pleading. It will only harm them.

The most successful approach to treating someone with anorexia is to educate them about exercise and proper nutrition. Helping them build up their strength and self-esteem, and dealing with issues of body image and food can help the anorexic deal with the root cause of the problem.

Other important factors that may contribute to developing anorexia are issues of control and/or abuse. These factors can be present in some with anorexia and not present in others. Successful treatments will deal with these issues, as well, if they are present.

Those who are suffering from severe anorexia need to be treated in an environment that specializes in treating people with anorexia and/or bulimia. Treatment involves much more than trying to change the patient's eating habits.

An important part of the treatment is counseling with a therapist who specializes in eating disorders. Patients need counseling, usually for an extended period of time. Counseling focuses on the feelings that caused the illness to begin in the first place.

Some anorexic patients can be helped by taking medicine that makes them feel less depressed. These medicines are prescribed by a doctor and are used along with counseling. However, most drug treatments have limited value in anorexia and can exacerbate the problem.

HEALTH CONSEQUENCES OF ANOREXIA

The body suffers many long term effects from anorexia. Some of those effects are shrunken bones, osteoporosis, mineral depletion, irregular heartbeat and loss of normal menstrual periods than can affect the ability to become pregnant.

The continued use of laxatives is also very harmful to the body. The over use of the bowel muscle causes it to decrease its function.

If you see any of the warning signs in your child, talk to her. Let her know you love and support her. Anorexia can be conquered with the proper treatment.