Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an irrational fear of gaining weight -- even when dangerously thin. As this eMedTV article explains, anorexia can lead to severe health risks, including cardiac arrest, brittle bones, and brain damage.
The exact causes of anorexia are not known; however, as this page of the eMedTV library explains, possible risk factors include biochemistry, personality traits, and genetics. This page explains these risk factors in detail.
Of the warning signs of anorexia, excessive weight loss is the most obvious. However, as this eMedTV article explains, there are often subtle warning signs as well, such as dressing in layers and conducting elaborate rituals around food.
Common signs of anorexia include reduced muscle mass, compulsive exercising, anemia, and brittle nails. This eMedTV article discusses other symptoms of the condition in detail, from the early stages of the disease to when it is more advanced.
No universal treatment for anorexia will cure everyone with the condition. Rather, as this eMedTV article explains, a combination of treatments, such as counseling, medications, and hospitalization, is used to return the person to normal weight.
People with anorexia are at risk of psychological issues, cardiac failure, and even death. This eMedTV article describes anorexia's health risks in detail, including those that remain after the disease has been treated.
As this eMedTV page explains, anorexia in males is not much different from anorexia in females. This article points out how men with the eating disorder suffer from the same problems -- and how the same treatment methods are often applied.
Appetite control biology, hormones, and genetics are current areas of focus to better understand anorexia. This eMedTV resource discusses ongoing anorexia research in detail, explaining preliminary findings and their link to the eating disorder.
The anorexia statistics in this eMedTV article indicate that while the related death rate is higher than all other causes of death in women, more men are developing the disease. These statistics also show that the problem is a global one.
