Throughout this blog my main focus is to look into the huge impact the media has on eating disorders, there is a variety of different eating disorders which I could choose to talk about but the chosen eating disorder which will be focused on is anorexia nervosa. Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder and mental health condition which can be life threatening if it is not recognised and treated in time, it has a huge negative impact on both the mind and the body. Someone who suffers from anorexia struggles to maintain a healthy weight, because of the psychological impact it has on an individual they will experience the extreme need to continuously lose weight, they develop a very negative perception of self-image and can experience extreme anxiety at the fear of gaining weight. Eating disorders such as anorexia effect both women and men, both male and female who have this condition are fixated on being thin and develop abnormal eating habits. ‘Anorexia nervosa is interchangeable with the term anorexia, which refers to self-starvation and lack of appetite’ (Eating disorder Hope, 2018). The most common age for anorexia to start developing is adolescent years, sadly for some who are anorexic it becomes a way of life with no end point which has result in very young deaths as result of starvation and the body shutting down. (Treasure and Alexander, 2013). There is many different triggers for annorexia, there is some evidence that shows it may be generic, for example if eating disorders run in the family and someone in the family who is in their teenage years is around it especially if it is in the same household it is a lot more likely for the adolescent to follow in the same footsteps. ‘The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis is responsible for releasing certain neurotransmitters including serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine, which regulate stress, mood, and appetite. In studies of individuals with eating disorders, it has been found that serotonin and norephinephrine levels maybe decreased.’ What this suggests is that there is a link between abnormal biochemical makeup and functioning of the HPA which is also linked to developing an eating disorder. In more research that has been done, it is believed that several psychological and emotional characteristics may be linked to what triggers anorexia. An example of this is, someone with low self-esteem and self-worth is a common feeling someone with anorexia will have a lot more compared to other individuals without the condition. Trauma, death and disappointment are some factors which could also trigger anorexia there is also psychological, environment and social factors. People who are diagnosed with anorexia believe that their lives will get better if they keep losing weight. It is often overachievers and perfectionists who develop anorexia, it is believed by experts that anorexia can partly be an unconscious attempt to come to terms with painful childhood experiences. (WebMd, 2017). Individuals with anorexia have obsessive behaviours around food and tend to be on very strict diet’s and have unrealistic goals and rules for themselves to follow. Out of all mental health illnesses anorexia has the highest death rate, one of the hardest steps for someone with the illness is to admit that there is something wrong, they see it as having self-control not as a mental illness but once help is given it is possible for anyone at any age to achieve a good quality of life and health.