Anorexia nervosa - symptoms and features (AO1)

Question 1

What is anorexia nervosa (AN)?

Answer 1

A multifactorial eating disorder involving biological, psychological, developmental and sociocultural factors

Question 2

What are the 4 features (NHS/NICE facts about the disorder) of Anorexia Nervosa?

Answer 2

Typical age of onset is 10-19 years old - early adolescence to mid-adolescence

1.25 million people suffer from it in the UK - affects 5% of all UK girls and women

More women than men (ratio 10:1) but men are more likely to be underdiagnosed

An estimated 10%-20% of anorexia sufferers die primarily from cardiac arrest or suicide

Question 3

What are the 3 Category A symptoms of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 3

Low body weight

Limited calorie intake

Ritualistic food habits

Question 4

What is the 2 Category B symptoms of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 4

Intense fear of gaining weight

Behaviours to stop weight gain e.g. excessive exercising and/or use of laxatives

Question 5

What is the Category C symptom of anorexia nervosa?

Answer 5

Distortion of body image - may beexcessively thinbut stillperceive themselves as overweight

Question 6

What are the 5 physical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?

Answer 6

Exhaustion

Insomnia

Difficulty with concentration levels

Dizziness

Feeling cold

Question 7

What are the 4 psychological symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa?

Answer 7

Compulsion to count calorie intake

Co-morbidity with depression

Obsession with eating

Social withdrawal

Question 8

What are the 5 health risks of Anorexia Nervosa?

Answer 8

Amenorrhoea - loss of menstrual cycle

Anaemia - low iron levels

Infertility in men and women

Kidney damage and constipation – overuse of laxatives

Osteoporosis – lack of Vitamin D and Calcium for bone development