Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person rejects the idea of attaining a healthy body weight. Anorexics have an excessive fear of gaining weight due to a distorted self-image which often leads them to diet and exercise excessively despite being thin or underweight (Staff). The DSM-5 states the diagnostic criteria of anorexia nervosa as being the following: 1) Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to a significantly low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health; 2) Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight; 3) Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight ("DSM-5 Diagnostic Criteria").

What are the causes and effects of anorexia?

Psychological Causes

Anorexia is caused by a wide variety of factors in a person’s life, a majority of these factors being psychological. Families can create a large impact on the issue of physical appearance at times by being overly critical, and thus causing the individual to want to assert their independence by developing anorexia. In addition, the said individual might have distinct personality traits of a person suffering with this eating disorder, including low self-esteem and being overly self-critical to the point where their perception of themselves are being altered. Not to mention, traumatic experiences can contribute to the appearance of anorexia in a person. The positive reinforcement provided by peers and close relatives on the individual’s appearance may trigger a sense of power over the person and cause them to lose the ability to realize the true severity of their