Anorexia Nervosa - Facts, Statistics and Signs of Anorexia

Written by HealthyPlace.com Staff Writer

Facts About Anorexia Nervosa:

There are two types of Anorexia Nervosa:

1. Restrictive type
2. Binge eating/purging type.

Statistics and Signs of Anorexia

• 90-95% of individuals with Anorexia Nervosa are female.
• It affects about 1 in 2400 adolescents.
• It typically develops in early to mid-adolescents.

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• Psychological problems are displaced onto food.
• It is usually preceded by dieting behavior.
• Unusual food behaviors are practiced.
• Need to vicariously enjoy food by cooking it, serving it, or being around it is common.
• Preoccupation with body weight and image.
• Dieting becomes increasingly important.
• Denial of the condition can be extreme.
• Body image disturbance (misperception of body size and shape) is common.
• Pronounced emotional changes are common.
• One-third of anorexics subsequently develop Bulimia Nervosa.

Common purging behaviors include:

• A. Self-induced vomiting
• B. Diuretic abuse
• C. Laxative abuse
• D. Emetic abuse
• E. Excessive exercise
• F. Fasting

Both Anorexia and Bulimia

Eating disorders are very complex emotional issues. Though they may seem to be nothing but a dangerously obsessive dietary concern on the surface, for most men and women suffering with an eating disorder there are deeper emotional conflicts to be resolved.

Additional anorexia articles can be found here. For comprehensive, trusted information on eating disorders, visit the HealthyPlace.com Eating Disorders Community.

Source: American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

back to: Psychiatric Disorders Definitions Index