Eating disorders - Anorexia nervosa

Description

Anorexia is a well-known disorder. People with anorexia refuse to keep their weight on a normal level. They weigh less than is normal. In spite of this, they are very anxious about gaining weight. They have a distorted perception of their own body.

Normal

A lot of women (and increasingly more males) go on a diet. Some people do this the right way by eating more healthy and exercising more. They change their lifestyle bit by bit and don't set their targets to high. Losing weight in this way is realistic and possible. The wrong way to loose weight is by stopping (almost) completely with eating. This will let you loose some weight in the beginning, but you will gain weight in the long run.

Abnormal

People with anorexia stop eating almost completely for some time. An important difference with other people that follow a diet is that people with anorexia aren't over weighted. They are thin, but have the idea that they are to fat. Because of this, they misjudge their situation. This can lead to big health risks and can even lead to death if not recognized by people in the environment.