Post by Mel on Dec 22, 2005 22:05:57 GMT -5
Risk factors
While anorexia may occur in individuals across the demographic divides, it definitely appears to be far more prone to developing among those in certain groups, such as:
gender: 95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are females. However, males are at a greater risk of not recovering from the disease due to a reluctance to report symptoms.
age: It is most common in those of age 10 through 25. Anorexia nervosa is typically stereotyped as being a disease of teenage females. However, in real-life, almost any individual can be a sufferer, as even children as young as three have been known to develop the disease. The most common times of onset are at puberty, and during times of transition such as moving from school to university. Though many do not realize it, younger children can also exhibit symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Children as young as five years may begin to diet, perhaps mimicking behaviour they see in their parents. (For example, if a mother is obsessed with her weight, her daughter may begin to weigh herself.) These young anorexics have a fear of becoming "fat" and refuse to eat, as in classic anorexia nervosa.
physical activities: athletes; especially swimmers, dancers, gymnasts, and wrestlers, and people who are active in dancing, or modeling. Maintaining excessive physical activity.
academic activities: the highly intelligent and/or high-achievers [3], and students who are under heavy workloads
race: people of European racial descent
culture: The disease is believed to be far more common in some societies than others, especially those of Europe, the Americas, Australasia and Japan. Also, those positioned in the higher echelons of the socioeconomic scale, and perfectionists.
history: those who have suffered traumatic events in their lifetime such as child abuse and sexual abuse ยน
While anorexia may occur in individuals across the demographic divides, it definitely appears to be far more prone to developing among those in certain groups, such as:
gender: 95% of anorexia nervosa sufferers are females. However, males are at a greater risk of not recovering from the disease due to a reluctance to report symptoms.
age: It is most common in those of age 10 through 25. Anorexia nervosa is typically stereotyped as being a disease of teenage females. However, in real-life, almost any individual can be a sufferer, as even children as young as three have been known to develop the disease. The most common times of onset are at puberty, and during times of transition such as moving from school to university. Though many do not realize it, younger children can also exhibit symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Children as young as five years may begin to diet, perhaps mimicking behaviour they see in their parents. (For example, if a mother is obsessed with her weight, her daughter may begin to weigh herself.) These young anorexics have a fear of becoming "fat" and refuse to eat, as in classic anorexia nervosa.
physical activities: athletes; especially swimmers, dancers, gymnasts, and wrestlers, and people who are active in dancing, or modeling. Maintaining excessive physical activity.
academic activities: the highly intelligent and/or high-achievers [3], and students who are under heavy workloads
race: people of European racial descent
culture: The disease is believed to be far more common in some societies than others, especially those of Europe, the Americas, Australasia and Japan. Also, those positioned in the higher echelons of the socioeconomic scale, and perfectionists.
history: those who have suffered traumatic events in their lifetime such as child abuse and sexual abuse ยน