Since there is no real way of preventing anorexia, and it is difficult to control the problem once it has started, the best way to reach young women susceptible to the disorder is for the family to reinforce healthy eating habits from an early age and reinforce a strong body image in the person (Anorexia, 2001). Educating young people about the life-threatening dangers of anorexia nervosa is also important in trying to prevent it from occurring. Building high self-esteem in young people can help to prevent this disorder from occurring. De-emphasizing body image and the constant pressure to be thin, to diet, to emulate the models seen in magazines is essential in helping young people to accept their bodies and avoid the dangers of self-starvation.
Depression must be recognized early in young women because it is often a forerunner of anorexia nervosa. Fuoxetine has been found useful in treating patients with anorexia nervosa, and stimulating appetite (Anorexia, 2005). Massage therapy has proved useful in a number of studies as it reduces stress and tension. The recovery process is slow and may take from four to seven year. Between 50 percent and 70 percent of persons with anorexia nervosa recover, but 25 percent do not and many of those who recover remain on the edge, thin and nervous and striving for perfection. These people simply cannot accept themselves for what they are and are always trying to improve their self-image. This is the mark of anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa. (2005). 1 Oct. 2005
http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsConditions/AnorexiaNervosacc.html
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