Anorexia is a type of eating disorder in which one severely limits his or her food intake. Anorexia can be a single, limited episode in which one looses an immense amount of weight within a few months, or it can develop gradually and continue for many years. It most commonly begins in the teenage years but can occur at any age. For example, it has been diagnosed in a child as young as five years old and a woman as old as sixty. Anorexics have a severe preoccupation with food, which leads to habits such as moving food around on plates and cutting it into tiny pieces. A lot of them engage in this behavior in order to make people think that they are eating and not totally ignoring their food.
There are several factors thought to be linked to anorexia such as em
Usually a general observation of physical symptoms and a personal history are used to diagnose anorexia. Along with this general observation there are four general criteria that physicians follow to confirm their diagnosis. They are the refusal to maintain a body weight normal for their age and height, an intense fear of becoming fat even though they are underweight, a distorted body image, and the loss of menstrual function for at least three months without pregnancy. All of the criteria must be present to diagnose an individual as an anorectic. Anorexia is a very serious disorder that can lead to death if not diagnosed and treated in its initial stages.
The symptoms of anorexia vary from mental to physical disturbances of the brain and body. The primary symptom is
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