ANOREXIA

Anorexia Nervosa About 10-15% of girls afflicted with anorexia will die as a result of Anorexia Nervosa (Robbins 31). Anorexia nervosa is a potentially life-threatening eating disorder. A person with anorexia nervosa, often just called "anorexia," although the meaning is different, has an unclear body image and an exaggerated fear of becoming overweight or obese, so an intentional effort is made to lose weight (“What is anorexia”). The difference between the two terms is the seriousness, anorexia simply means a loss in appetite, and anorexia nervosa indicates a serious mental illness. Anorexia nervosa affects an increasingly large number of people, especially young women in today’s society. Like all eating disorders, anorexia nervosa tends to occur in adolescence, but it can develop at any time throughout one's lifetime. It mostly affects adolescent girls and young adult women, although it also occurs in boys, men, older women and younger girls. You may be more likely to have anorexia nervosa if someone in your family has it or has had in earlier in their life. Another key factor in the disorder is a persons stress levels. Stress over your job, sports, or personal life can make you more susceptible to anorexia nervosa (“Anorexia Nervosa”). One reason younger women are particularly vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency to go on strict diets to achieve an "ideal" figure. This compulsive dieting behavior reflects today's societal strain to be thin, which is seen in the media.
When talking about anorexia nervosa there are many physical and emotional/behavioral signs and symptoms. The physical symptoms include, thin appearance, fatigue, insomnia, dizziness, skin discoloration, brittle hair, absence of menstruation, constipation, dry skin, irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, dehydration, osteoporosis, and swelling of arms or legs (“Anorexia Nervosa Topic”). On the emotional side of the disorder, symptoms include: refusal to eat, denial, fear of