Anorexia Nervosa is considered the most severe of eating disorder ailments. Ten percent (10%) of the U.S. female population has some form of eating disorder and it is estimated that, without treatment, 50,000 will die from complications of eating disorders. Different eating disorders affect different segments of the population. For example, Bulimia usually affects young teens who are of middle class or lower and who either are of normal weight or are slightly overweight. Whereas Anorexia affects girls who are of normal weight to slender and are high achievers from middle to upper class.



Today professionals have a greater understanding of eating disorders yet there is still some question as to the causes of eating disorders in general and the causes of Anorexia Nervosa in particular. It has been said that the causes of Anorexia are 50% hereditary and 50% are environmental, with the environmental Anorexia being the greater risk. Anorexia Nervosa was first diagnosed as an eating disorder, approximately 300 years ago, when society did not place any emphasis on the concept that being thin equated to being beautiful. It is believed that the Anorexic desire to be thin and beautiful is a secondary cause of the disorder. The majority of cases are either young girls just entering their teen years or older teens just entering their adult years. Studies indicate that the desire to control one's food intake, or lack of food intake, is the result of young girls (or young boys) feeling out-of-control while attempting to deal with some of life's hard issues. Divorce, the death of someone close, pressure to succeed and the requirement to be beautiful are all contributing factors towards the risk of developing Anorexia. Food issues as an infant or young child can also be a contributing factor. Anorexia in children is becoming more prevalent.



The history of Anorexia is not clear. Hippocrates, the great physician of 5th Century Greece, wrote describing an ailment of young females where they could not eat and their health was at risk. Then writings from the Middle Ages describe adolescent girls fasting to the point they were unable to eat and became ill. The Victorian Era recognized Anorexia as a medical condition and physicians began to seriously study eating disorders. Several European physicians are credited for being the first to recognize Anorexia. However, Sir William Gull, the Royal Physician in the court of Queen Victoria, was the first to name this eating disorder as Anorexia Nervosa in 1873. He wrote several papers on the subject.