ly fatal, he reported he could cure it in one to four years. Today, the outcome seems to have worsened, and patients have less than a 50 percent chance of recovery within 10 years, and a 66 to 19 percent chance of dying within 10 to 20 years of the onset of the disorder. Also, in many patients the disorder becomes chronic with frequent episodes of relapse. The authors believe the reason for this is that the disorder has become regarded as a functional rather than a biological problem, and thus the appropriate treatment - reduction of exercise and refeeding - have been de-emphasized in favor of psychiatric intervention.
Most anorexia patients are females between the ages of 15 and 24, which represents one to two percent of the general population of female adolescents (Bochereau, Clervoy, Corcos & Girardon, 1999). The self-starvation, leading to low weight and low body fat levels, may lead to changes in hormone levels. In females, this may lead to cessation of the menses.
About five to 10 percent of anorexics are male. Siegel published the results of a study looking at the medical complications of anorexia nervosa in male adolescents (1995). The patients were malnourished and weighed 80 percent or less than their ideal body weight. Most patients were below the 50th percentile in height. Structural brain changes were found on brain computerized tomography scans in seven out of nine patients, and more than 50 percent of the patients were anemic. The sicker of the patients had higher heart rates and were further along in developing congestive heart failure. Two patients had cardiac complications and one had a life-threatening electrolyte disturbance. Siegel suggests that anorexics presenting with accelerated heart rates should be monitored closely for congestive heart failure.
Diagnosis of anorexia nervosa is made on the basis of several criteria. In females, the presenting factor is often cessation of menstruati...