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Updated: Jul 27, 2026

Using the Activity-based Anorexia Rodent Model to Study the Neurobiological Basis of Anorexia Nervosa
Published on: October 22, 2015
Non-fat-phobic anorexia nervosa in British South Asian adolescents
Amina Tareen1, Matthew Hodes, Luiza Rangel
1Department of Child, Adolescent and Family Psychiatry, Edgware Community Hospital, Edgware, United Kingdom.
Objective:
The current study investigated the clinical features of British South Asian adolescent females presenting with low weight in the absence of organic disease.
Methods:
The authors performed a retrospective case note study of South Asian British female adolescents presenting with weight loss/anorexia nervosa to psychiatric clinics and matched White English peers presenting with low weight.
Results:
South Asian patients presented more frequently with loss of appetite (p = .01) and less frequently with fat phobia (p = .032) and weight preoccupation (p = .001). South Asians also had significantly more satisfactory relationships with their nuclear family and peers (p = .03).
Discussion:
Differing symptom profiles for anorexia nervosa need to be taken into account when assessing patients from different cultures. South Asian adolescents may present with a non-fat-phobic form of anorexia nervosa. This has clinical and epidemiologic implications. Further investigation is warranted to assess the nosologic status of this group.
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