Self-image: Anorexia nervosaAnorexia nervosa is a life-threatening eating disorder characterized by low self-esteem, intense fear of becoming obese, and self-induced starvation due to a deformed body. (Durham, 1991). Anorexia can occur later in life, but is most common in girls aged fourteen to eighteen. According to the Center for Change, recent estimates suggest that 1 percent of Americans in this age group will develop anorexia to some extent, and that 10 to 20 percent of them will eventually die from associated complications. see. After making a pact with my friends to get in good shape for the summer, the four of us exercised and dieted daily for almost four months. I never thought that this effort to be healthy (or just to look good in a bikini) would have such disastrous consequences. While everyone was ending this exhaustive diet, a friend of mine became obsessed with her body image and, unbeknownst to us, gradually developed an eating disorder, anorexia nervosa. She went unnoticed for several months as she masterfully masked her eating habits by consuming large quantities of fruits, vegetables and salads in our presence while secretly fasting at home. Additionally, despite her attitude towards food, she took a keen interest in purchasing and preparing food for us. Looking back, I think we were all anorexic to some extent. Personally, I was 16 years old, 5'7 and only weighed about 105 pounds. If I had lost a few more pounds, I would have been 25% below my normal weight, which would be enough to also diagnose me with anorexia nervosa (Shaw, 2002). The majority of people who suffer from anorexia start out, as we did, with an innocent diet that gradually progressed into extreme and unhealthy weight loss (Shaw, 2002). Unlike normal diets that stop when the desired weight is reached, people who become anorexic attribute positive feelings to their ability to control their weight and become dangerously preoccupied with food and fear gaining weight. Research suggests that a strict diet may play a key role in triggering eating disorders. Adolescent girls and young adults are more vulnerable to these disorders because of their tendency to follow strict diets in order to achieve an “ideal” figure (Lehrman, 1987). Although the cause of anorexia nervosa is not known, several different studies suggest that social attitudes toward body appearance, family influences, genetics, and developmental factors are possible contributors to anorexia (Selzman, 1999).