My oral exposition.

Statistics:
• Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.
• 40 – 60% of high school girls diet.
• 50% of girls between the ages of 13 and 15 believe they are overweight.
• 80% of 13 year old girls have dieted.
• 40% of 9 year old girls dieted.

CAUSES:
• Family - When an individual is raised in a highly critical, abusive or dysfunctional family, the propensity for the development of anorexia is heightened. In some cases, anorexia can develop from an individual feeling smothered, abandoned, misunderstood or abused by family members. In addition, children raised in families where physical appearance is overemphasized are placed at significant risk of developing an eating disorder.
• Society - Our culture places a tremendous amount of criticism on people who are not considered "thin." From underweight celebrities on television or in magazines to the barrage of advertising featuring thin people, young Americans are force-fed the belief that to be thin is to be successful and happy.
• Genetics - Science has found that some people may be predisposed to anorexia. When a family member has anorexia, there is a high probability that another family member will also develop it.
• Personality Traits - A combination of certain personality traits has been found to increase the chances of developing anorexia. These can include perfectionism, low self-esteem or a negative self-image



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signs of anorexia :

A person with anorexia will have many of these signs::
• Looks a lot thinner
• Uses extreme measures to lose weight
• makes herself throw up
• takes pills to urinate or have a bowel movement (BM)
• takes diet pills
• doesn’t eat or follows a strict diet
• exercises a lot
• weighs food and counts calories
• moves food around the plate; doesn't eat it
• Has a distorted body image
• thinks she's fat when she's too thin
• wears baggy clothes to hide appearance
• fears gaining weight
• weighs herself many times a day
• Acts differently
• talks about weight and food all the time
• won't eat in front of others
• acts moody or depressed





Treatment:

Anorexia treatment centers are facilities designed with one function in mind - helping those with eating disorders overcome their diseases. A quality program will include at minimum:
• Physicians, psychologists and nutritional counselors specifically trained in dealing with anorexia nervosa
• A family therapy and support component
• Individualized care
• Group therapy
• Trauma-resolution therapy
• Specialized psychiatric care
• Medical attention capabilities
• Relapse prevention program
Aftercare support program