Anorexia News: NIMH to Start Long-Term Study of Anorexia Nervosa

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is set to conduct a new long-term study of anorexia nervosa in 240 teens, ages 12 to 18. Researchers plan to start recruiting subjects on May 1 and will follow subjects for a four-year period.

Six research facillities in the United States and Canada will work together with the NIMH on the new study, which will focus on early-intervention treatments.

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Halmi is professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and the founder and director of the New York-Presbyterian/Westchester Eating Disorder Treatment Program, one of the research institutions involved in the study.

According to the National Women's Health Information Center, while the vast majority (90 to 95 percent) of people with anorexia nervosa are girls and women, boys and men can also develop the disorder.

Anorexia used to be seen as a "white" disease; women of color were thought to be protected from anorexia by different cultural standards for female body types. In recent years, researchers have found that women of color are more likely to develop eating disorders, the more they are bombarded with media images of too-thin girls and women.

Experts believe that a combination of factors leads to anorexia. American society's worship of ultra-thinness places immense pressure on women - and on men, to a greater extent now than ever before. Research has found that a woman with an anorexic mother or sister is more likely to become anorexic herself. Also, parents who are highly focused on appearance, frequently go on diets, or make negative comments about their children's bodies are more likely to have a child who develops anorexia.

Other factors which may lead to anorexia include trauma, a perfectionistic personality, and a genetic predisposition to the disorder.

Getting help early on is crucial to effective treatment. "We've learned a lot about this highly complex disorder, and we know that genes play a substantial role in determining who is vulnerable to developing eating disorders. We also know that early intervention involving the participation of family members during the adolescent years has proven extremely important in successful treatment," Halmi said.

Treating anorexia, which has the highest death rate of any mental health disorder, is a tremendous challenge for health professionals. "Currently, only a quarter of patients with anorexia nervosa fully recover, and half have partial improvement, but another 25 percent remain chronically ill. There is also a 40 percent rate of relapse," said Halmi

Sources:

MSN.com, article:

http://health.msn.com/centers/mentalhealth/articlepage.aspx?cp-documentid=100159790

National Women's Health Information Center, PDF on anorexia: http://womenshealth.gov/faq/Easyread/anorexia-etr.pdf