Anorexia nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is a disorder in which the individual has an intense fear of becoming fat and therefore eats far too little to sustain normal body functions. It usually manifests itself in an extremely unhealthy body image. If left untreated, it can lead to serious physiology injury or death.
- Anorexia is more than just a problem with food. It's a way of using food or starving oneself to feel more in control of life and to ease tension, anger, and anxiety. Most people with anorexia are female. [1]
Factors Credited As Contributory
Many factors of society are at times credited with causing the number of eating disorders to increase. For example, the media perception of larger-than-average bodies as 'too fat', or something that must be changed via dieting, can contribute to many having an unhealthy body image. Also, some have cited society's pressure on women to be thin and desirable, and on men to be large and muscular, as something that can enhance eating disorders.
See Also
Sources
Abnormal Psychology, Rosenhan & Seligman, 1984