Health Tip: Risk Factors for Anorexia

Things that may help trigger the disorder

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(HealthDay News) -- Anorexia is an eating disorder in which a person becomes obsessed about gaining weight and severely limits food or starves to feel more in control. Most people with anorexia are female.

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There's no single cause of anorexia, but there are a number of contributing factors. The National Women's Health Information Center offers this list:

• Anorexia may be caused by hormonal changes or chemical changes in the brain.
• A family history of anorexia can increase a person's risk of developing the disorder.
• Stressful or traumatizing experiences, including major life changes or violent crime, can make a person more prone to developing anorexia.
• Having a perfectionist personality, or having extremely high standards for one's self, also are risk factors.
• Exposure to a culture with an emphasis on thinness and looks is an additional risk factor.

-- Diana Kohnle