Hypothalamic Amenorrhea (HA) is a common symptom or outcome of disordered eating and eating disorders. The hypothalamus is an area of the brain that plays a central role in maintaining the balance of body systems. It receives input from throughout the body in the form of hormones and chemicals. It responds by secreting hormones that affect other organs including those involved in reproduction. HA is essentially a condition where the Hypothalamus senses stress in the body, mostly due to low energy availability. The causes include insufficient energy intake, over exercise and/or insufficient body fat. In some cases lifestyle stress is also a contributing factor. It is important to note that HA can occur in any body size and it doesn't only occur in people with diagnosed eating disorders, in athletes or people who do a lot of exercise. The main cause is insufficient energy to meet the body's demands. In HA the body responds to low energy by switching off or dialing down non essential b...