Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa

Introduction

Anorexia nervosa is a condition which is characterized by intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body (BDD).This diseases leads to severe weight loss due to excessive dieting and excessive exercise. No association with any other previous organic disease. Usually occurs in adolescents, especially in women. The disease causes changes in hormone cycles, immunosuppression with increased risk of infections, and approximately between 5 and 18% of anorexics die from malnutrition. Patients also often suffer from bulimia, which is to eat huge quantities of food and then induce vomiting to stay thin, repeated vomiting alter the electrolyte balance, producing, in general, hypokalemia can affect cardiac function. There is no universally accepted treatment for anorexia nervosa. Frequently associated with depression and low self-esteem, and patients often improve with antidepressants. Normalization of body weight is an important step in the treatment of disease (Strober, 2000). Psychotherapy and family therapy are often important. Half of patients are cured permanently, but sometimes, the disease ends up producing metabolic and hormonal alterations that exacerbate the purely psychic process. Many patients with anorexia nervosa never go to the doctor, so estimation of the exact frequency of the disease.

Discussion

Currently, an important part of the world's population suffers from malnutrition. Many people are dying from this cause and disorders associated with malnutrition, while others do so excess or mismanagement of food. This situation places the framework for a type of disorder that began to attract attention in the seventies and today is part of the so-called eating disorders (ED) (American Psychiatric Association, 1995), including the most important are malnutrition, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa and obesity (Gurenlian, 2002). The health disorder which will be addressed in this research paper is Anorexia Nervosa, with the objective to present the current status and impact the same biological, psychological and social, to identify the population at risk in this disorder.

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that primarily affects young women. People with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that primarily affects young women. People with anorexia have an intense fear of gaining weight and losing control of their body shape. The lack of adequate nutrition can cause physical health problems and mental, so that anorexia should be treated as soon as possible. Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages of 15 and 25 years, but can reach children as young as 10 years and older. Well that 90% of people with anorexia are women, anorexia can also affect men. It is difficult to estimate how widespread is anorexia nervosa, but according research, 1% of girls (15 to 25 years) are infected weight and losing control of their body shape (Kaye & Nagata, 2001). The lack of adequate nutrition can cause physical health problems and mental, so that anorexia should be treated as soon as possible. Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages of 15 and 25 years, but can reach children as young as 10 years and ...