Anorexia is an illness where the person, he or she believes themself to be fat. Anorexia mainly affects young adolescent girls because there are more pressure on them to be thin.

Sadly, most people tend to believe that only thin people are attractive BUT this not true and with the media and fashion industries constantly showing thin women as the ideal shape, this only strengthens people's beliefs about what the ideal body should be.

Anorexia is believed to affects one or two out of every hundred teenagers. It is 20 times more common with the girls than boys. The affected person usually loses more than 1/6 of their body weight and sometimes much much more. This happens because they refuse to eat because of the fear that they will gain weight. Other reasons that may have developed Anorexia include personal issues such as insecurity, abuse, family problems, the fight for independence or even the pressure to be a high achiever.

There is no doubt that Anorexia can have serious or fatal consequences.

Some medical problems associated with Anorexia are:

• heart disease
• cholesterol levels
• reproductive and hormonal abnormalities
• retarded growth in children and adolescents
• low birth weights, frequent miscarriages and birth defects
• bone issues
• blood problems including anaemia
• bloating and constipation

As well as these problems, there are also behaviour and personality changes that you may notice about people with Anorexia including"more seriousness" when you may find them less outgoing and fun to be around with and also loss of interest in everything except for food and academic work.

Yes, it is a fact that Anorexia can destroy your life BUT it can also be overcome. Anorexia can be treated and a healthy weight restored. Most cases of Anorexia would require assistance from specialists, psychiatrist or a psychologist. By accepting ourselves for who we are, we may be able to prevent any signs of Anorexia.