The girl believes that others are simply jealous of her appearance for she is convinced that she still looks too fat. The youngster will not eat more for fear of gaining weight. While key factors in the involved in the development of anorexia nervosa have been identified, it is now time to take a look at the youngest victims. Although early onset cases are rare in comparison to other age groups, the limited research should is not a good reason to forget this subgroup. Early onset anorexia may be defined by using either an age limit or by using menarche as a biological age limit.
Biological markers identify early onset anorexia by deliberate self starvation before menarche.
This factor is often considered a cause of under diagnosis in youngsters because missed menstrual cycles is a key component in identifying anorexia. Younger children are often more emaciated than those person's with a later onset of anorexia as a result of less initial body fat. This finding is supported by observed cases of early onset anorexia. Past research has alluded to negative life events as precipitants of anorexia nervosa. In the case of early onset anorexia, correlations have been made between the onset of the disorder and greater fears concerning maturity.