Anorexia Nervosa

Main features of anorexia nervosa are

· a refusal to maintain body weight over a minimum normal weight for age and height;
· weight loss of 15 per cent or more of ones original body weight;
· an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat; fear that weight gain is out of ones control;
· distorted body image;
· loss of menstrual periods;
· dietary restriction;
· hoarding, concealing, picking at, crumbling or throwing away food;
· engaging in compulsive or ritualistic behavior such as cutting food into small pieces, or rearranging food;
· preoccupation with food, reading recipes, preparing food only for others;
· wearing baggy or layered clothing to conceal weight loss;
· compulsive activity and exercise;
· social withdrawal, secretiveness; and
· compulsive activity and exercise is repeated.

Physical consequences of weight loss are:

· difficulty concentrating and thinking clearly;
· sensitivity to cold;
· lowered blood pressure which may result in fainting, dizziness;
· general weakness;
· shrinking of muscles and other organs such as the brain;
· thinning of hair or hair loss pale (anemic) skin tone;
· dehydration that may result in constipation and dry cracked skin;
· osteoporosis;
· develop lanugo (downy hair) on face and arms.

Anorexia nervosa is more prevalent among females (95 per cent are women) and usually begins in early or late adolescence. The typical individual with anorexia nervosa is an adolescent female who is a high achiever. A common characteristic of persons with anorexia is a tendency toward perfectionism and difficulty adapting to change.

Anorexia nervosa may develop from dieting and continue into a cycle of losing weight and not eating. Individuals with anorexia nervosa may exhibit a combination of restrictive and purging (laxatives, diuretics, self-induced vomiting) behaviors to maintain a low weight.

Restrictive behaviors include under-eating, avoidance of high calorie food and engaging in strenuous exercise. These behaviors undermine an individual's physical health, self-esteem and feelings of competency.

Fifteen percent of people who develop anorexia die either directly from or consequences of the eating disorder such as heart failure.

Treatment for anorexia nervosa should be individualized and may include: hospital inpatient programs, outpatient day programs, medication - in particular antidepressants to alleviate symptoms of depression, individual or group psychotherapy.

Therapists use different approaches and some of the more common ways to treat anorexia nervosa include behavior therapy, cognitive therapy, cognitive-behavior therapy, family therapy, psycho-dynamic or expressive art therapies.

Hopewell functions as a community resource for individuals to access support at any point in their recovery.