Everybody eats. However, according to the human behavior, there are huge differences between people. Some eat more, some eat less, some put on weight easily, and other does not. And some people go to such extremes that they harm themselves, by eating too much or too little. As a result they may harm their health and come to the attention of doctors. This research deals with anorexia nervosa.
             Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that usually strikes women. Of the seven million women aged 15 to 35 who have an eating disorder, many will die from the complications of anorexia. Anorexia may not be noticed in the early stages because it often starts as an innocent diet. They often become hyperactive because they exercise frantically in an attempt to burn calories to lose weight.
             There are many reasons as to why women develop anorexia nervosa. One is that it is dieting taken to a dangerous extreme. Another is that societal pressures dictate a woman be thin in order to be beautiful - the "waif look" was recently popular. But what these theories come down to is an issue of control. Whatever else is going on in the anorexic's life, the one thing that she feels she can control is food.
             Anorexia begins with the everyday dieting that is so much a part of teenager life. About a third of anorexia sufferers have been overweight before starting to diet. Unlike normal dieting, which stops when the desired weight is reached, in anorexia the dieting and the loss of weight continue until the sufferer is well below the normal limit for her age and height. The tiny amount of calories that she is taking in may be disguised by the quantities of fruit, vegetables and salads that she eats. Also, she will often exercise vigorously or take slimming pills to keep her weight low. Moreover, in spite of her own attitude to eating, she may take an avid interest in buying food and cooking for others.
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