This literature will explore contemporary research related to the causes and cures of anorexia nervosa.
There are three main categories of eating disorders recognized by the medical community: 1) anorexia nervosa, 2) bulimia, and 3) eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS) (Treating, 2005). Those with bulimia often eat enormous amounts of food, known as binge eating, followed by strategies to undermine caloric intake such as vomiting or laxatives. In contrast, those with anorexia nervosa lose weight by severely restricting caloric intake. Despite these differences, all eating orders share a common pathology, according to Brown University, ˘Ópatients judge their self-worth almost exclusively based on their shape and weight÷ (Treating, 2005, p. 1). Anorexia nervosa is known to occur at two distinct developmental periods, the first between the ages of 13-14 and the second around the ages of 17-18, when adolescents enter college. Brown University lists the following warning signs for the development of eating disorders: 1) Low self-esteem, 2) Severe life events, 3) Negative body image, 4) Female gender, 5) Age, and 6) Dieting behavior (Treating, 2005, p. 2).
Anorexia nervosa is not a new phenomenon. J.M.S. Pearce (2004), starvation arose during the Ancient