Solving the Anorexia Puzzle: A Scientific Approach

This title explains our current knowledge regarding anorexia in general, and activity anorexia in particular, which, the authors argue, any person can develop under certain conditions. The book first provides a critical review of the diverse medical and psychological perspectives regarding anorexia nervosa, and contends that many traditional viewpoints on this problem can be misleading: anorexia is often not a mental illness and should, therefore, not be treated as such. The authors suggest that excessive activity in anorectics is not a secondary symptom, but rather a central feature in understanding the disorder. From the results of laboratory experiments on animals, and from clinical observations of patients, the authors suggest that people in sports, athletics, and fitness programs may develop eating disorders due to the impact of excessive training on patterns of food intake. The authors also present and evaluate methods of treating and preventing anorexia, which integrate their findings.