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What's Eating You?

Karen Carpenter, Mary Kate Olsen, Tracy Gold, Kate Moss – the bond that these high-profile celebrities share? It’s anorexia nervosa, an eating disorder which typically consists of a severe reduction in the amount of food ingested, excessive exercise and drastic weight loss that affects one’s physical health and, ultimately, may result in death. It is estimated that approximately 1% of American women suffer from this disorder. Similarly, in the UK, 1 in 100 women aged between 15 and 30, suffers from anorexia.

But what causes it? Who is more prone to it? Is it genetic in nature? Anorexia generally affects teenage girls and young adult women, however, men and older women also suffer from it. We live in a society where “thin is in” and many young women become obsessed with their body image. They control their food intake because everything else around them seems so out of control.

Women in the public eye, particularly actors, models, dancers, gymnasts, athletes and television personalities are particularly vulnerable to this disease because maintaining the image of “thin” is often required in their job description. Women from high-achieving families and those who strive for perfection in order to win parental approval are particularly vulnerable as well.

Treatment may consist of hospital admission or an inpatient rehabilitative stay, psychotherapy, and nutritional counseling. It is estimated that nearly half of all anorexic women never fully recover and 20% are continually ill. Anorexia has the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric disorder after substance abuse. Approximately 20% die either by suicide or through complications caused by starvation.

To determine whether you, or a friend or loved one, may have an eating disorder such as anorexia, click here and take this excellent eating disorder test. Early detection and treatment is vital to saving lives.