Anorexia Nervosa is a serious mental health condition, characterized by restricting food intake and an intense fear of gaining weight, often leading to a dangerously low body weight. It is rarely just about food or vanity. The root cause is typically linked to using control over eating and body size as a coping mechanism for internal distress, anxiety, or feeling unsafe in other areas of life.

Anorexia as a Coping Mechanism

It is helpful to think of anorexia as a coping mechanism. It causes a person to control food and their body to manage distress and feel in control when something else in their life is making them feel out of control or unsafe. Understanding this highlights how scary it can be to stop these behaviors.
 

Associated Risk Factors and Underlying Issues:
 

• Mental health difficulties like anxiety and low self-esteem.

• A family history of eating disorders or addiction.

• Traumatic experiences like sexual abuse.

• Starvation and Weight Loss: These can change the way the brain works in vulnerable individuals, which may perpetuate restrictive eating behaviors.

• Psychological Health: Low self-esteem, perfectionism, impulsive behavior, and troubled relationships often contribute to the disorder.