Out of all the eating disorders known, anorexia nervosa or aneroxia is the most common. It is a relatively new condition as it emerged only in recent times. Aneroxia happens when you have a distorted view of body proportions. You are likely to believe that you are overweight when in fact you are not. You are overly concerned about having too much fat on yourself when there is actually no cause for that belief. You become obssessed with exercising, dieting and losing weight. This condition is largely considered a psychological disorder.

Aneroxia arose due to the constant slew of marketing visuals that influence the viewer's perception of how the perfect body should look like. Thse visuals invade everywhere; be they through fashion magazines, in the stores, newspapers, on the TV or on the web. Models and movie stars become anorexic as they want to look good in photographs but in turn they also send the wrong signals to many impressionable young women.

Anorexia nervosa symptoms differ from that of bulimia. Bulimia is an eating disorder whereby you intentionally purged through vomiting, laxatives, enemas or other similar methods, thereby causing the weight loss. With anorexia, you want to achieve your ideal body proportion and weight through voluntary starvation, excessive exercise, diet pills and unbalanced diets.

Unfortunately, in your zealous quest to look good, all the unhealthy habits associated with anorexia nervosa can create much damage to your body organs and systems. Damage can be done to your digestive system (in particular, your esophagus and stomach), your cardiovascular system (some functions of the heart), muscular tissues and your immune system. It can also have a negative impact on your hormonal levels. It deranges them, disturbs your electrolyte balance and

generally prevents your body from getting the required amounts of vitamins and minerals.

The condition comes in several levels of intensities but generally, the symptoms are:

-- refuses to maintain a normal body weight appropriate for your age, height and constitution

-- an emotional and psychologically-driven fear of becoming fat (even though you may look of average weight) and gaining extra weight

-- denial of the gravity and seriousness of the current low body weight

-- repeated periods of voluntary starvation, excessive exercise or any of the forms in which anorexia may appear.

Even though you do not have all the above-mentioned factors at the same time, or you have them in reduced lower intensities, this does not mean that you do not have anorexia.

Studies now indicate that aneroxia is a very real concern in almost half of today's teenagers and young men and women ages 20-30. Many of them have experienced at least a mild form of anorexia in an emotional drop-down regarding their looks.

It is also not true that this condition happens to only women. More men nowdays are also paying attention to their appearance. Still, even with anorexia, their condition is likely to be more mild.

The emphasis on looks and appearance is not as heavy with the men than as it is with women.If you find that you are constantly preoccupied with thoughts of body shape and weight and if you find yourself displaying one of the above-mentioned warning signals, you may be suffering from some form of anorexia nervosa. Your close friends and family members may also be pointing out to you that you are too thin and that you are showing abnormal behaviour. Pay heed to what they

are saying instead of dismissing their comments. Seek professional help immediately. In severe cases, anorexia can cause death.