ANOREXIA
Anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by unrealistic fear of weight gain , self-starvation, and conspicuous distortion of body image. The name comes from two Latin words that mean nervous inability to eat in females who have begun to menstruate.
Description:
Anorexia was not officially classified as a psychiatric disorder until the third edition of DSM in 1980. It is, however, a growing problem among adolescent females. Its incidence in the United States has doubled since 1970. The rise in the number of reported cases reflects a genuine increase in the number of persons affected by the disorder, and not simply earlier or more accurate diagnosis. Estimates of the incidence of anorexia range between 0.5–1% of caucasian female adolescents. Over 90% of patients diagnosed with the disorder as of 1998 are female. It was originally thought that only 5% of anorexics are male but it is true.
