Anorexia Nervosa
An eating disorder
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person has a distorted body image of
themselves. This means that no matter how healthy and slim they are, they will see themselves
as overweight or obese. Many people who have this disorder refuse to maintain a healthy
weight. They also have an intense fear of gaining weigh. This disorder is all about a person’s
self-image and how they feel themselves. What they and eat and the amount they eat becomes
all they can think about and takes over their life.
What causes Anorexia Nervosa in
humans?

Anorexia Nervosa is caused by internal and external
influences

Many things can change a person’s mindset and cause
them to believe they are overweight, and thus change
their eating habits

Internal and External factors influence the development
of Anorexia Nervosa
External Influences

Idealized “slim physique”

Family encouragement to “lose weight”

Peer pressure in school

Social Media
Idealized Slim Physique/Social Media

Many magazines display images of what is considered a
“healthy body” or “fit body”, often the person in this image
is very slim and has very little body fat

People can be influenced by social media on which celebrities
post pictures of their “perfect body”

Patients may feel the need to be the same way, thus leading
them to develop anorexia nervosa

Many may believe that having this perfect body image is the
only way to be healthy
Family Encouragement

Family members may encourage on to become more fit and lose a little bit of
weight, this could be taken too seriously

Some family members may work in a profession where it is important to be fit,
this could influence a family member

Some family members could repeatedly use condescending terms about the
weight of a close family member as a joke, and this could seriously influence a
patient (particularly if it is a sibling or cousin)

Wanting to be as fit as a close family member

Wanting to satisfy people in your family
Peer pressure in school

Often there is a popular group in school who is a “certain way”, a
patient may want to become like these people, thus leading them to
have lower self esteem and body image

Peers in school may encourage their friends to be a certain way, which
could really negatively influence them

It’s hard to live up to other people’s expectations, many people feel
obligated to be equal beautiful or fit as people in their school

This influences the development of Anorexia Nervosa because people
often feel pressured to be as fit as their friends thus leading them to
want to exercise and eat less
Internal Influences

Unpleasant experiences (teasing),

negative emotions including depression, low self-esteem

body dissatisfaction, obsessions about food, inaccurate judgments,
rigid

thinking patterns

Biological influences – Scientists are doubtful about this, some say if it
in the family history it may show up, but otherwise it may not be a
very influential reason
Unpleasant Experiences

Getting bullied because of weight or body image – if someone remembers an
experience in which their body negatively impacted them, it may lead to them
becoming anorexic

Having a family member who was overweight and remembering negative
experiences of that family member

Having a history of overeating and then having negative experiences after that

General damage that has been cause due to excessive weight
Negative Emotions

Having low self-esteem: this can influence development of Anorexia Nervosa
because it can lead to people seeing themselves as bigger than they really are,
and lead them to take more action in losing weight and becoming more fit

Depression: if one is depressed, it leads them to think of all of the negative
things in themselves. This then leads them to wanting to improve themselves,
which means that they would take measures to lose weight or become more fit.
This can lead to going to extremes and thus lead to the development of Anorexia
Nervosa

Any general negative attitude towards oneself can lead to development of
Anorexia Nervosa as it changes how one perceives themselves
Body Dissatisfaction

Seeing yourself as heavier than what you really are

Constantly thinking that you could be healthier

Trying to become fit and overdoing it

Not wanting to eat in public because you feel you eat too
much

Lying about amounts of food consumed, constantly saying
you ate more
Thinking Patterns

People may start thinking more and more about their weight
and how they can lose weight

Constant counting of calories and calculations about weight loss
or maintenance

Start thinking more and more about the wrongs instead of the
rights in one self

Unable to concentrate on real work and more important things

Life starts to revolve around how many calories are consumed
and how much weight is gained or lost from one’s body
Summary

Anorexia can negatively impact many parts of the body

Its important to consult someone (professional) if you see
symptoms of anorexia developing in a loved one

Anorexia is 9 times more common in males than in
females, but still is present in both genders

There IS a cure to anorexia, patients do not HAVE to be in
that condition forever

Patients diagnosed with Anorexia often show symptoms
very clearly, which can be noticed especially if one is
eating significantly less
Help prevent Anorexia Nervosa
today!