Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder which is becoming quite common these days with the increase in focus on being thin. People often start a harmless diet which can evolve into the relentless pursuit of thinness and self starvation. The health implications are quite serious and if untreated may become life-threatening.

It has been found that Anorexia usually affects young adults, due to the onset of puberty and other co-morbid psychiatric illnesses during this time period. These persons are obsessed about their body weight and shape and want to escape the feelings or emotions they are experiencing in their body. Most often, the affected persons are in a state of self denial about their affliction. But sharp reduction in food intake and sudden weight loss are the symptoms to look out for in order to identify someone who may be suffering from anorexia.

There are several specialist centers offering individualized treatment for Anorexia Nervosa. The Anorexia treatment programs in these centers are effective and long lasting. Effective treatment combines medical and weight stabilization along with psychotherapy, as the underlying causes of these eating disorders must be identified and resolved. The treatment involves individual as well as group therapy.

Treatment programs involve three basic steps:

• restoring the person to a healthy weight

• treating the psychological issues related to the eating disorder

• reducing or eliminating behaviors or thoughts that lead to disordered eating, and preventing relapse.

Therapy is of mainly four types:

• Cognitive therapy: Explores the critical and unhealthy thoughts underlying anorexia and helps the client begin to develop alternative coping mechanisms.

• Behavior therapy: Promotes healthy eating behaviors through the use of rewards, reinforcements, self-monitoring, and goal setting.

• Family therapy: Examines the family dynamics that may contribute to anorexia or interfere with recovery and helps the family create more effective communication and coping skills.

• Group therapy: Allows people with anorexia to talk with each other in a supervised setting and begin to discuss underlying causes of the eating disorder while feeling supported and understood.