ormation on different diet plans. Although, there may be moments of temptations, the dieter resists them and continues on with her resolution to get thin. A major symptom of anorexia is amenorrhea. It isnt exactly stated when the anorectic begins and it is different for each individual person. Amenorrhea is the termination of menstruation periods. Also, anorectics are extremely hyper active and it seems to be the combination of involuntary and voluntary actions. It may be a result of internal tension, or maybe just because he/she realizes that the more energy they have, the more calories they burn. When a person gets compliments on how great he/she looks after a diet, the confidence level builds up and it becomes a dependency. Major weight loss is the biggest sign of a problem. As time goes by, if relatives and friends dont recognize the problem, the symptoms get worse until the anorectic may even withdraw from total outside opinions. This disease can come over a person so quick, that before they know it, they are in over their heads. Physical signs are intolerance of cold due to the absence of the bodys natural insulator (fat), dizziness and fainting spells, dry skin, loss of muscle, and the most obvious, a weight loss of about fifteen percent. There are also behavioral changes in a person when they becomes anorexic including restricted food intake, odd food rituals, an increased fear of food, dressing in layers, and regular weighing. Anorexics are not repelled or revolted by food, in fact their minds are often dominated by thoughts of food. Steven Levenkron (2000) explains in his book, Anatomy of Anorexia, that there are four stages needed to explain anorexia. The first is called the Achievement Stage, which contributes to anorexia as the need to obtain perfection. A perfectionist desires excellence in all aspects of their life. When they cannot achieve perfection in their endeavors, they punish themselves by restriction ...
