Anorexia Nervosa (cont.)

Medical Author:

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Roxanne Dryden-Edwards, MD

Dr. Roxanne Dryden-Edwards is an adult, child, and adolescent psychiatrist. She is a former Chair of the Committee on Developmental Disabilities for the American Psychiatric Association, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland, and Medical Director of the National Center for Children and Families in Bethesda, Maryland.

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Medical Editor:

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

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Medical Editor:

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD

Melissa Conrad Stöppler, MD, is a U.S. board-certified Anatomic Pathologist with subspecialty training in the fields of Experimental and Molecular Pathology. Dr. Stöppler's educational background includes a BA with Highest Distinction from the University of Virginia and an MD from the University of North Carolina. She completed residency training in Anatomic Pathology at Georgetown University followed by subspecialty fellowship training in molecular diagnostics and experimental pathology.

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In this Article

• Anorexia nervosa facts
• What is anorexia nervosa?
• Who is at risk for anorexia nervosa?
• What causes anorexia nervosa?
• How is anorexia nervosa diagnosed?
• What are anorexia symptoms and signs (psychological and behavioral)?
• What are anorexia symptoms, signs, and complications (physical)?
• What is the treatment for anorexia nervosa?
• What is the prognosis (outcome) of anorexia nervosa?
• How can anorexia nervosa be prevented?
• The future of anorexia nervosa
• Where can a person get help for anorexia nervosa?
• Patient Comments: Anorexia Nervosa - Treatments
• Patient Comments: Anorexia - Share Your Experience
• Find a local Psychiatrist in your town
• Anorexia Nervosa Index

While educating the public about the important health benefits of appropriate nutrition is generally beneficial, it has been found to be less specifically helpful in the prevention of eating disorders and other body image problems. More effective approaches are thought to be the addition of education about the bias of media images toward excessive thinness as desirable. Helping people internalize a self-image and health behaviors that are inconsistent with those of eating disordered individuals have also found to be effective prevention methods for anorexia.

Given the complexity of anorexia and how many people with this illness continue to suffer from it despite receiving treatment, researchers are seeking to better understand how this illness develops and how it is most effectively treated. For example, as individuals with anorexia tend to have low levels of cortisol in their blood, and behaviors like dieting and exercise tend to increase cortisol levels, giving anorexia sufferers cortisol supplements is being explored with some success. The best approaches for psychotherapy in adults with anorexia, the possible benefit of 12-step programs in treatment, the role of genetics in the development of this disorder, and the effectiveness of various medications in treating anorexia are other areas of continued need for research.

Academy for Eating Disorders
http://www.aedweb.org

American Psychiatric Association
1000 Wilson Blvd, Suite 1825
Arlington, VA 22209
703-907-7300
http://www.psych.org

American Psychological Association
750 First Street, N.E.
Washington, D.C. 20002
800-374-2721
http://www.apa.org

National Eating Disorders Association
603 Stewart Street, Suite 803
Seattle, WA 98101
800-931-2237
206-382-3587
http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org

National Institute of Mental Health, NIH, HHS
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml

National Institute of Health
9000 Rockville Pike
Bethesda, MD 20892
http://www.nih.gov

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders
630-577-1330
http://www.anad.org

Renfrew Center
http://renfrewcenter.com/
800-RENFREW

T.H.E. (Treatment, Healing, Education) Center for Disordered Eating
297 Haywood Street
Asheville, NC 28801
828-337-4685
http://www.thecenternc.org

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