Anorexia By: Sabrina Holland

Definition A lack or loss of appetite for food (as a medical condition) An emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing to eat

How prevalent/common is this issue? It is more common in teenaged girls Increases to 0.9% of females in the population 0.3% of males exhibit this disorder in their lives at some point

Statistics At least 30 million people of all ages and gender suffer from this eating disorder in the united states Every sixty-two minutes at least one person dies from this eating disorder One in five anorexia deaths is by suicide

Are there any medication/programs/support groups available for this issue? Yes, it is treatable with medicine, support groups, or a special kind of therapy. Medication they can use are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI) which eases symptoms of depressed moods and anxiety or they can take Antipsychotic which reduces or improves the symptoms of certain psychiatric conditions

How can others help someone with this issue? Teachers can bring it to parents about their concerns Family can express their concerns to the person who is dealing with this disorder in a loving and supporting way. Friends can try to encourage and compliment the one who has anorexia and be caring but firm with them

Sources

Sources www.anad.org www.google.com/definition www.iabff.org/anorexia-nervosa