Sue Krause, age 16, of Reno, Nev., for her question:
JUST WHAT IS ANOREXIA NERVOSA?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is currently plaguing thousands of young people. It is a shocking social problem that has recently become serious in Western society.
Persons with anorexia nervosa voluntarily starve themselves. It is a tragic form of vanity because the victim goes to the extreme in an attempt to have a slender body.
The typical person suffering from the illness of anorexia nervosa is between the ages of 12 and 25. Most of them are young women, but between five and 10 percent of the reported cases are young men.
Food becomes a reverse obsession to the anorectic. It becomes an all consuming thought and everything in life seems to focus around it.
Anorectics are acutely aware of their hunger but they almost totally refuse to eat. The victims rarely complain of hunger, or of the difficulty of staying on the starvation diet. They seem to pride themselves in their effectiveness to do what others find difficult to do.
Doctors aren't exactly sure what causes anorexia nervosa. One of the factors, however, seems to be peer pressure. Many females, especially those in the younger age bracket, feel compelled to look like the skinny fashion models that are so popular today. They diet without regard to the state of their health or differences in body structure.
Some doctors suggest the victim's problem stems from the family relationship. Usually a high achiever, the anorectic will go to almost any length to please people, especially her parents. This extreme diligence and compliance often leads the person to feel she has no real control over her life. But in one area she has total and complete control: the area of her own body.
Help is definitely available for those who suffer from anorexia nervosa or other eating disorders. Treatments vary, often depending on the stage of illness. An important factor in treatment is an early detection of the problem. If you or someone you know has an eating problem, get some help.
One of the most puzzling things about anorexia nervosa, psychologists have discovered, is the distorted body image the victim has. No matter how emaciated an anorectic may get, she feels like she is still a bit too heavy. She feels that it is absolutely necessary for her to lose just a few pounds.
Anorectics seem to deeply believe that they are still fat, even though they are often seriously too thin.
Involvement of the family in treatment is important, doctors say. Since a major cause of the illness seems to stem from family relationships, getting to the root of the problem is definitely necessary. Doctors want to find out if parents set excessively high standards of achievement for their children or try to exert too much control over their lives.
Self help techniques are also important. Included should be proper relaxation, consultation with nutrition counselors or joining a group especially for people with similar problems.
Part of the treatment is also the patient's acceptance of her natural size, which means a girl shouldn't try to look like a fashion model if she is large boned.