It
was 6 months ago when I realized my daughter,
Jen, had an eating disorder. Jen has always been
a picky eater. But I started to see that she
moved food around her plate. And she never ate
very much. She exercised all the time — even
when she was sick. And she was sick a lot. She
became very skinny and pale. Her hair was
thinning. Jen was moody and seemed sad — I
thought that's what teens act like. But once I
put the signs together, I talked to Jen about
the disorder, anorexia. She denied the problem.
But I knew she needed help. I took her to our
doctor, and she asked me to put Jen in the
hospital. It's been a tough road since then —
for all of us. But Jen is back home now. She is
still seeing her doctors, and may need help for
some time. But she is doing much better
What is anorexia?
Anorexia (a-neh-RECK-see ah)
nervosa, typically called anorexia, is a type of eating
disorder that mainly affects girls and young women. A
person with this disorder has an intense fear of gaining
weight and limits the food she eats. She
- has a low body weight
- refuses to keep a normal body
weight
- is extremely afraid of
becoming fat
- believes she is fat even when
she's very thin
- misses three (menstrual)
periods in a row—for girls/women who have started
having their periods.
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 her life and to ease
tension, anger, and anxiety. While there is no single
known cause of anorexia, several things may contribute
to the development of the disorder::
- Biology.
Several biological factors, including genetics
and other related hormones, may contribute in
the onset the disorder.
- Culture.
Some cultures in the U.S. have an ideal of
extreme thinness. Women may define themselves on
how beautiful they are.
- Personal
feelings. Someone with anorexia may
feel badly about herself, feel helpless, and
hate the way she looks. She has unrealistic
expectations of herself and strives for
perfection. She feels worthless, despite
achievements and perceives a social pressure to
be thin.
- Stressful events
or life changes. Things like starting a
new school or job or being teased to traumatic
events like rape can lead to the onset of
anorexia.
- Families.
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