Anorexia Nervosa: What is it? How to help teenagers?

Anorexia (or anorexia nervosa) is one of the best known eating disorders and also one of the most serious.

🚫🍔 It is characterized by asevere food restriction, a persistent fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of one's own body.

A adolescence is a particularly sensitive period for the development of this condition, as it coincides with major physical, emotional and social changes.

In this article we will explain what anorexia is, how it manifests itself, why it arises, and when to seek specialized help.

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What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious mental health condition characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight.

This fear leads individuals to extreme food restriction, strictly limiting the intake of energy necessary for the functioning of the body, resulting in a sharp weight loss.

People with anorexia present a deeply distorted body image, with difficulty in assessing one's own weight and its severity.

Even in cases of extreme thinness, the adolescent may feel “overweight” or dissatisfied with his appearance. 😞

The repercussions of anorexia go beyond the physical consequences: they affect self-esteem, emotions, social life and the perception of identity. The severity of this disorder requires specialized, compassionate and multidisciplinary care.

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Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

Symptoms of anorexia may vary from person to person, but often include:

• Significant and intentional weight loss, reaching levels of malnutrition for age and height.
  
  
• Constant thoughts about food, rigid diets, body comparison and the need for control.
  
  
• Restrictive food standardsand rituals such as cutting food into very small pieces or avoiding eating in public.
  
  
• Physical signs: fatigue, dizziness, weak nails, hair loss, very dry skin and, in some cases, the development of a layer of fine hairs called lanugo.
  
  
• Social isolation, especially in situations involving meals.
  
  
• Hormonal changes, including irregular menstruation or absence of menstruation (amenorrhea) in adolescents.

📌 Important: Many of these manifestations can evolve silently, which is why early observation by parents is essential.

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Why does anorexia happen? Possible causes

Anorexia nervosa does not have a single cause.

Scientific research shows that it results from the combination of factors:

🧬 Biological and genetic

Studies indicate a significant genetic predisposition to eating disorders, including anorexia.

Changes in the systems of dopamine and serotoninhave also been identified in adolescents with anorexia.

🌍 Sociocultural

Factors such as aesthetic pressure, the influence of social networks, the excessive valuation of thinness and the participation of social circles and environments where appearance is highly emphasized can contribute to the development of anorexia nervosa.

💭 Psychological

Anorexia is highly associated with a pattern of destructive thoughts, which can result from other psychiatric disorders, such as anxietye a depression.

Extreme perfectionism, low self-esteem, intense need for control, and rigid or dichotomous decisions (“it's all or nothing”) are some examples of these destructive thoughts.

😰 Emotional

Anorexia can emerge as a way to deal with difficult emotions, such as academic stress or family changes.

Although the visible symptom is food restriction, the root is often emotional. Therefore, early psychological monitoring is essential.

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Anorexia or Bulimia: what do they have in common and what distinguishes them?

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Both are serious eating disorders, with a strong link to anxiety and self-image.

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➡️ To learn more about bulimia, check out our full article on the subject.

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What is behind the lack of appetite? (physiological anorexia vs anorexia nervosa)

The thermos ”Anorexia”means barely loss of appetite. It can occur in situations such as fever, infections, stresssevere or even as side effects of medicines.

This is called Physiological anorexia: is temporary and has no relation to self-image.

Yes to anorexia nervosais not a lack of appetite:

➡️ The teenager often feels hungry, but intentionally denies food intakefor fear of gaining weight and distorted body perception.

This is the fundamental difference between the two concepts.

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How is Anorexia Nervosa diagnosed?

The diagnosis must be made by specialized doctors and psychologists, following international criteria such as DSM-5.

The assessment often includes:

• Food standards
• Weight and BMI in relation to age
• Distortion of body image
• Emotional and social impact
• Presence of anxiety or depression
• Developmental history of the adolescent
• Immediate physical risk (heart health, dehydration, nutritional deficiencies)

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Anorexia treatment: how to support?

Childhood anorexia is a complex disorder that requires specialized and multi-professional treatment.

🧠 Az NeuroImprove,, z Neurofeedbacke da Psicologia clinica.

We can support teens who have:

• Associated anxiety
• Difficulty regulating emotions
• Low self-esteem
• Rigid patterns of thinking
• Difficulty coping with stress

Early intervention is essential, and may involve psychotherapy (such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), medical follow-up, food re-education with a nutritionist - in addition to a lot of family support!

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Conclusion: understanding anorexia is the first step to help

Anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder, especially in adolescence, but with a high recovery rate when identified and followed up early.

The sooner the family understands the signs (fizîkî, hestyarî û tevgerî), zûtir ciwanek dikare piştgiriya guncan werbigire.

Anorexia is not “freshness”, it is not “vanity”, and it does not go away on its own.

Het is een komplekse conditie dat behouden, luisteren en specializeerd behandling. 🤗

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Referenzen

American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th ed Text Revision (DSM-5-TR). Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Association, 2022, pp 752.

Attia, E., & Walsh, B. T. (2009). Behavioral management for anorexia nervosa. The New England journal of medicine, 360 (5), 500—506. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMct0805569

National Institute of Mental Health (NIH), 2025. Eating Disorders. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/eating-disorders 

Steinglass, J. E., & Walsh, B. T. (2016). Neurobiological model of the persistence of anorexia nervosa. Journal of eating disorders, 4, 19. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-016-0106-2

Treasure, J., Duarte, T. A., & Schmidt, U. (2020). Eating disorders. Lancet (London, England), 395 (10227), 899—911. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(20)30059-3