Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder made up of physical and emotional elements. Anorexia means "lack of appetite" but this isn't a true symptom of the disorder. In fact, people with anorexia are usually hungry, but they control their eating by frequently cooking for others or hiding food in their personal space that they will not eat. A person with anorexia severely limits food intake, has a distorted body image, refuses to maintain normal body weight, and is intensely afraid of gaining weight. Anorexia is more frequently found in athletes or professions that require thinness, such as modeling, gymnastics or ballet. The cause of anorexia is not known, although certain personality traits such as perfectionism and a family history of eating disorders may contribute. There are at least 8,000,000 or more victims in the United States that have the illness of Anorexia. Some researchers believe that certain characteristics are common to the families of persons who develop the disorder. This eating disorder usually affects females aging 12 to 25. Five to 10 percent are male. Eating disorders have among the highest mortality rates of all mental disorders, killing up to 6 percent of their victims.
             Anorexia Nervosa was first described in England in the 17th Century. Although it probably existed long before that, it was identified as an illness by modern medicine just over one hundred years ago by Professor Ernest Lasegue of the University of Paris. Anorexia may begin with a desire to diet to lose a few pounds, but it can occur when the person becomes overly involved in the diet and limits food more than is healthy. People with anorexia nervosa restrict their intake to 1,000 calories a day or less. They avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate red meat or meat altogether. The diet may consist almost completely of low-calorie vegetables like lettuce and carrots or popcorn. The individual typically loses 25% or more of their origin...