Anorexia can be caused because of many social, emotional, and biological reasons: family environment, emotional difficulties, low self-esteem, and traumatic experiences the person has gone through in the past.
They may appear to be happy and to have all, but inside they feel helpless and insufficient.
According to the article published on May 2013 by Ann Edmundson on webmd.com “The exact causes of anorexia nervosa are unknown”, but according to the first article I mentioned before, “a cause of getting anorexia can be because of social pressure and because of those parents that are focus on looks, diets, or criticize their children´s bodies and appearance.”
It is really sad to now so many people think they are going to be better if they just are thinner.
If you suspect that one of your friends or known people has anorexia, you can help them by first, make them accept the problem, later on, convince them to talk with someone professional so they can help them get out of that horrible disease that can kill them in any moment.
If it is a friend the first thing you should do is communicate with her/him parents or family so they can take care of her/him. They should get away from people, places and activities that make them being in an obsession of being thin. That way they will be able to avoid looking at fashion or fitness magazines, spend less time with friends who talk about losing weight, and stay away from weight loss web sites.
They will surely need professional help so they can regain their health, learn to eat normally, and changing how they think about their selves and food. Taking them into a rehabilitation center would be the best option to stop anorexia.
Helping your friend will not make you part of her death.
Helping your friend will make her happiness return.