Symptoms And Features Of Anorexia

Question 1

What is anorexia?

Answer 1

-an eating disorder manifested when a person refuses to eat an adequate amount of food or is unable to maintain the minimal weight for a person’s body mass index

Question 2

What are some of the features of anorexia?

Answer 2

-40/100,000 10 to 14 year olds are diagnosed with eating disorders including anorexia
-anorexia is more common in western cultures (19% of British girls are anorexic)
-approximately 90-95% of anorexic patients are female, with approximately 1 in 10 being male, but this is rising
-The National Eating Disorders Association estimated that 5-20% of those who have untreated anorexia will die

Question 3

What are some of the physical symptoms of anorexia?

Answer 3

-Sever weight loss
-fatigue
-hair loss
-loss of period
-low body temperature
-dizziness

Question 4

What are some of the behavioural symptoms of anorexia?

Answer 4

-quieter then normal
-over exercising
-skipping meals
-self induced vomiting
-constant weighing
-calorie counting

Question 5

What are some of the emotional symptoms of anorexia?

Answer 5

-low self esteem
-depression
-drastic shifts in mood
-anxiety about eating/ in front of others

Question 6

What are some of the cognitive symptoms of anorexia?

Answer 6

-insatiable
-perfectionist
-distorted perception of body shape
-difficulty concentrating

Question 7

What are some of the possible complications and more severe health effects on someone suffering with anorexia?

Answer 7

-osteoporosis
-weak bones and muscles
-fertility problems
-loss of sex drive
-problems with brain and nerves
-problems with heart and blood vessels
-anemia

Question 8

According to the DSM-V, a diagnosis for anorexia requires which 3 symptoms?

Answer 8

1) restriction of energy intake = limiting what they eat to such an extent that they have significantly low body weight

2) fear of weight gain = person feels an ‘intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat’. They may engage in behaviours that prevent them gaining weight

3) disturbed experience of body weight+shape = the cognitive element of an AN diagnosis. Has a disproportionate influence on the persons self-evaluation, and may fail to recognise how seriously low their body weight is