Health Information
Anorexia Nervosa
What Increases Your Risk
The risk for anorexia nervosa increases if you:
- Have a family history of an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia nervosa.
- Have certain Reference personality traits and emotional conditions, such as perfectionism, perseverance, anxiety, or low self-esteem.
- Feel Reference family, cultural, or social pressures related to goals such as thinness, high achievement, or perfection.
For some people, anorexic eating habits can meet a need for personal control and self-esteem. Some teens may fall into this pattern as a way to cope with big changes and challenges.
A parent may have cause for concern if:
- A child expresses concerns about weight at a very young age.
- A teen becomes more strict with a diet.
- A teen intensifies his or her exercise routine.
| By: | Reference Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: Reference August 25, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Reference Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine
Reference W. Stewart Agras, MD, FRCPC - Psychiatry |
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