Anorexia Nervosa Explained: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment
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Homework type: Essay
Added: 22.01.2026 at 9:36
Summary:
Explore Anorexia Nervosa’s causes, symptoms, and treatment to understand its impact and support effective learning for secondary school students in the UK.
Eating Disorders: A Comprehensive Exploration of Anorexia Nervosa
Eating disorders constitute a group of serious mental health conditions where individuals exhibit abnormal and often dangerous eating behaviours, with far-reaching consequences for both their physical health and psychological wellbeing. Among these disorders, Anorexia Nervosa stands out not only for its severity but also for its complexity and high mortality rate, making it a topic of considerable concern within the United Kingdom and beyond. The impact of this disorder is evident not only in statistics but in the lived experiences of sufferers and their families, affecting schools, universities, and local communities.
Anorexia Nervosa is especially pertinent to study due to its tragic association with young people, its prevalence among young women during formative years, and the variety of factors that underpin its development and persistence. As awareness of mental health issues increases, a thorough understanding of this disorder's causes, symptoms, and interventions becomes ever more important—not only for psychology and health professionals but also for educators and society at large. This essay seeks to examine Anorexia Nervosa comprehensively, critically analysing the interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, along with treatment developments and the disorder’s wider implications.
Characteristics and Diagnostic Features of Anorexia Nervosa
The presentation of Anorexia Nervosa is marked by dramatic physical changes and distinctive psychological symptoms. Physically, sufferers typically exhibit significant weight loss, maintaining body weight at least 15% below the expected norm for age and height. Some A Level biology textbooks reference the case of “Hannah”, a 16-year-old who reduced her intake to less than 700 kcal per day, leading to hospitalisation for organ failure—a stark portrayal of the disorder’s dangers. Other characteristic behaviours include obsessive calorie counting, rigid food rituals, hiding or discarding food, and excessive or secretive exercise routines designed to expend any caloric intake.Psychologically, distress centres on a deep-seated and persistent fear of weight gain, regardless of how underweight the individual becomes. This is compounded by body image distortion, known as body dysmorphia, where the sufferer views themselves as “fat” even when physiologically emaciated. This is not simply low self-esteem, but a fundamental misperception of body shape and size. Anxiety and guilt often surround eating, sometimes leading to ritualistic or compulsive behaviours, such as cutting food into tiny pieces or arranging it obsessively on a plate.
In terms of demographics, Anorexia predominantly affects females—some estimates suggest up to 90% of cases within the UK are female, with the highest risk group being adolescent girls aged 13 to 19. However, studies such as those highlighted by Beat (the UK’s leading eating disorder charity) have drawn attention to the growing but underreported number of young men affected. The mortality rate is particularly alarming, with suggestions that up to one in five sufferers may eventually die from complications related to starvation, suicide, or multi-organ failure.
The physical health consequences can be severe and enduring; malnutrition causes brittle hair and nails, dry yellowing skin, lanugo (fine body hair), and in females, cessation of menstruation (amenorrhoea). Prolonged starvation often leads to electrolyte imbalance, serious cardiac arrhythmias, weakened bones (osteoporosis), and risk of sudden cardiac arrest. The visible ravages of the disorder often become the catalyst for intervention, but by this stage, psychological symptoms are likely entrenched.
Biological Explanations of Anorexia Nervosa
The biological underpinnings of Anorexia Nervosa have been widely explored, particularly genetic and neurobiological perspectives offering scientific insight. Twin studies from King’s College London have found higher concordance rates among monozygotic (identical) twins compared to dizygotic (fraternal) twins, suggesting a hereditary component. For instance, Holland et al. (1984) reported concordance in 56% of identical twins but only 5% of non-identical twins. Yet, since concordance is not perfect, environmental or non-genetic factors clearly play a role.Neurobiological studies have uncovered abnormalities in neurotransmitter systems, notably serotonin, which is implicated in mood and appetite regulation. Research using PET scans has identified disruptions in serotonin binding even after recovery from Anorexia, which may explain persistent anxiety and obsessional traits found among sufferers. It’s debated whether such abnormalities predate the disorder, representing a vulnerability, or arise as a result of malnutrition. Traits such as perfectionism and high anxiety—both linked to serotonin function—are common in those diagnosed with Anorexia.
Despite these advances, biological models are not without shortcomings. They offer objective means to test hypotheses and explain persistent symptoms, but rarely account for the full picture. Studies often involve small samples and difficulty establishing causal relations. The gene–environment interplay is increasingly acknowledged, suggesting that biology may provide a predisposition which is only triggered given certain social or psychological circumstances.
Psychological and Sociocultural Factors
In addition to biology, psychological models play a crucial role in explaining the onset and maintenance of Anorexia Nervosa. Among these, personality traits such as perfectionism, obsessive-compulsiveness, and a tendency towards anxiety stand out. Many sufferers possess a drive for control and achievement, often manifesting as relentless self-discipline around food. Cognitive theories propose that distorted thinking about weight, self-worth, and control become central to sufferers’ identities. Some classic British case studies describe high-performing students, often from supportive yet high-pressure families, succumbing to Anorexia when academic or social stresses become overwhelming.The role of the family—highlighted in studies from institutions like the University of Edinburgh—deserves mention. Family environments that are overprotective, enmeshed, or conflict-laden may inadvertently foster or sustain restrictive eating as a means for the adolescent to assert independence or communicate distress.
Sociocultural influences cannot be underestimated, particularly in today’s image-conscious society. Media portrayals of thinness as synonymous with beauty, success and desirability persist, as seen in British fashion magazines and television. Young women, and increasingly young men, engage with these standards on social media platforms like Instagram, where filtered images set unattainable standards and facilitate comparison. Peer groups within schools can amplify these pressures, with diets and “clean eating” becoming competitive rituals.
Cultural context also shapes prevalence. Rates of Anorexia have historically been lower in non-Western societies, but with globalisation and the spread of Western beauty ideals, incidences are rising. This suggests that while genetics matter, societal attitudes around food and thinness profoundly influence risk.
The best explanatory model is perhaps the biopsychosocial approach, which weaves together genetic susceptibility with psychological predispositions and environmental triggers. Social learning theory, derived from British psychological traditions and exemplified by Bandura, helps to explain how disordered eating can be learned from observing family or peers, reinforced by approval or admiration.
Evolutionary Perspectives
In recent years, evolutionary psychologists have sought to understand Anorexia Nervosa as the by-product of adaptive mechanisms. The Adapted to Flee Famine Hypothesis (AFFH), for instance, posits that self-imposed food restriction prompts increased activity and a reduced interest in food—theorised as ancestral adaptations encouraging migration in times of famine. In this view, traits underlying Anorexia (high activity, food refusal) might once have conferred survival benefits.While compelling in scope, these evolutionary accounts are difficult to test directly and sometimes gloss over the rich cultural and psychological nuances of modern eating disorders. They add a layer of understanding, but should be integrated cautiously with other models.
Social and Emotional Impacts
The experience of Anorexia reverberates beyond the individual, affecting relationships and daily life. Sufferers often withdraw from friends and family, secretly skipping meals or lying about what they have eaten. This can fracture family bonds, as parents oscillate between frustration, fear, and helplessness. Schools and universities may struggle to support students hiding their illness, facing falling grades, poor attendance, and diminishing social interaction.Emotionally, Anorexia often co-occurs with depression, social anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Feelings of guilt, shame, and worthlessness are pervasive. Tragically, suicide rates among those with Anorexia outpace many other psychiatric illnesses, with survivors describing suffocating isolation and hopelessness. Public stigma, worsened by misconceptions that eating disorders are attention-seeking or simply about vanity, continues to hinder help-seeking and recovery.
Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches
The identification of Anorexia relies on clinical criteria such as those set by the ICD-11 and the DSM-5, which specify significantly low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and distorted body perception as hallmarks. Diagnosis can be challenging: sufferers may deny the severity, hide symptoms, or avoid healthcare settings.Treatment is complex and multi-faceted. Psychological therapies, especially Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Family-Based Therapy (FBT), are widely regarded as first-line interventions in the UK and endorsed by NICE guidelines. CBT aims to address distorted cognitions about weight and control, while FBT actively involves parents in supporting eating and weight gain, particularly effective among adolescents. Nutritional rehabilitation and medical monitoring are necessary to correct dangerous physical states.
Pharmacological treatments, such as antidepressants, have shown limited effectiveness for the core symptoms but may be useful in addressing comorbid conditions. The consensus among UK experts is that a multidisciplinary team approach yields the best outcomes.
Nevertheless, treatment is fraught with difficulties. Resistance to weight gain is common, driven by deep-seated fears. Relapse rates remain troublingly high, reflecting the intransigence of the disorder. Early intervention, ideally within the first three years of onset, yields significantly better prognoses, underscoring the need for education and timely support in schools and communities.
Conclusion
Anorexia Nervosa emerges as a profoundly complex disorder rooted in a web of interacting biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. No single explanation suffices; rather, it is the interplay of genetics, neurotransmitter imbalances, personality traits, family environments, societal ideals, and perhaps even evolutionary pressures that sustain the illness. The consequences are devastating, not just in terms of physical health, but in lost youth, strained families, and diminished futures.Ongoing research, particularly larger and longer-term studies, is vital to unravel the causes further and refine interventions. Prevention efforts should increasingly focus on changing societal attitudes to body image alongside robust mental health education. Treatment protocols, likewise, must remain flexible and compassionate, recognising the unique needs of each sufferer.
Finally, it is essential that we approach Anorexia Nervosa not with judgement, but with empathy and determination to slay the stigma that so often surrounds it. Only then can we hope to foster recovery and build a society ready to support its most vulnerable.
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