Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa

With Anorexia Nervosa, there is a strong fear of weight gain and a preoccupation with body image. Those diagnosed may show a resistance in maintaining body weight or denial of their illness. Additionally, anorexics may deny their hunger, have eating rituals such as excessive chewing and arranging food on a plate, and seek privacy when they are eating. For women, they go through immediate body changes from abnormal to no menstruation periods and develop lanugo all over their bodies. Characteristics of an anorexic individual also consist of extreme exercise patterns, loosely worn clothing, and maintain very private lives. Socially, to avoid criticism or concern from others, they may distant themselves from friends and activities they once enjoyed. Instead, their primary concerns revolve around weight loss, calorie intake, and dieting. In regards to health, many will have an abnormal slow heart rate and low blood pressure, some can develop osteoporosis, severe dehydration which can result in kidney failure, and overall feel weak (Robbins, 27-29). It has been reported that Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest death rates in any mental health condition in America (www.NationalEatingDisorders.org).

To be diagnosed with eating disorder, someone must meet certain criteria. The criterion for diagnosis slightly varies depending on if you are referring to people who (A) fear gaining weight, and have significant weight loss,(B) eating a huge amount of food , then use laxative to remove the binged food, (C) the use of excessive exercise and fasting in order to remove or to reduce the amount of calories consumed, and (D) distorted body image, no matter how thin they become, they still see themselves as fat, or not thin enough. The onset of of symptoms begins usually in early adolescence with the diagnostic of disturbed Body image.

In the book “Boys Get Anorexia Too : Coping with Male Eating Disorders in the Family,” author Jenny Langley briefly describes about anorexia nervosa, and the short-term and long-term effects of it. Anorexia is a disease involving intentional starvation, an obsession with food and weight related issues, and extreme weight loss. Langley notes that people with anorexia will deprive themselves of vital nutrients through severely restricting food intake. Despite this excessive weight loss, the person will continue to feel overweight. They deny the fact that they are at a dangerously low body weight and fear being fat. Thus, the body is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy, or resulting in serious medical consequences. Langley

According to the Mayo Clinic (2016), eating disorders are “conditions related to persistent eating behaviors that negatively impact your health, your emotions, and your ability to function in important areas of life.” One such eating disorder is anorexia nervosa. Not to be confused with anorexia, which is simply a general loss of appetite that can be attributed to many medical ailments, anorexia nervosa is a serious eating disorder and mental illness (Nordqvist, 2015). Anorexia nervosa is estimated to affect about .9% of women and .3% of men in their lifetime (“Eating Disorder Statistics & Research,” n.d.). In general, the disorder is commonly characterized by a distorted body image or self-concept, critically low weight (with respect to the patient’s height and age), and an irrational fear of becoming fat or an intense desire to be thin. There are two subtypes to this eating disorder: restrictive and binge/purge. In the restrictive type, the individual limits caloric intake and may compulsively over-exercise. In the binge/purge type, the individual consumes a considerable amount of food in a short period of time (binging) and then deliberately vomits (purging), takes laxatives, or fasts intensely in order to compensate for the food eaten (“General Information: Anorexia Nervosa,” n.d.). In either case, anorexia nervosa is undoubtedly a dangerous and alarming illness.

Anorexia Nervosa is the condition when an individual abstains from food in order to lose weight or prevent more weight gain. In the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV(DSM-IV) there are four aspects of criteria to be diagnosed with anorexia: a refusal to maintain weight above what is minimally normal for one’s age and height, and extreme fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and (in females) having amenorrhea(missing three or more consecutive menstrual cycles.)(DSM-IV, 2000:589) Anorexia not only affects weight, but also alters bone growth, neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain, and electrolytes.

Some adolescents have problems with eating. Several teenagers eat a lot (binge eating), and many of them do not eat enough, which leads to anorexia (Rathus, 2016). Anorexia is an eating disorder that causes the body to experience effects similar to malnutrition and can ultimately lead to death. This eating disorder starves the body of from the things it need to regulate and operated of maximum capacity (Rathus, 2016). Eating disorders has led to schools to have adolescent nutritional

In USA, 20 million females and 10 million males are anorexia patient, dissatisfied with their bodies. Moreover this trend is usually seen in youngsters from age 6 to 10, studying in schools. They first of all start feeling complex regarding their body shapes and their chubbiness. [1] Then this complex stars growing more and more unless some counseling or control is done. If kids get no help they might develop such complex further into anorexia. Normally it happens to girls that at the age of 6, they start developing their body shape and weight concerns, contrary to

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, death from starvation, or medical complications, heart attacks or kidney failure, affects 1 out of every 10 cases of Anorexia. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that is most common in young adolescents girls . People diagnosed with this disorder have a distorted view of themselves and a fear of gaining weight. They often restrict how much food they eat in order to stop gaining weight or continue to loose weight. Anorexia is a serious disease that has many symptoms that should be watched out for, treated, and studied to better understand and become aware of the disorder (n.d).

Anorexia and obesity are both complex disorders. Each of them have metabolic consequences in someone’s life. When it comes to them; the bones and the heart of the body suffer the most. The heart is most affected because of the increase in blood

Among the most common anorexia symptoms, includes a low body mass index, obsession with counting calories and monitoring fat contents on food and evidence or habits of self-harming. In contrast, obesity is easier diagnosed, simply when the body mass index is over 30 being 25 a perfect weight-height ratio. Regarding effects on health, we can mention anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any psychological disorder, the mortality rate is between 11 to 12 times greater than the average population and the suicide risk is 56 times higher. Less serious implications are growth retardation, alterations in the female reproductive system, psychological stress, and neurological disorder also may occur as seizures and tremors. On the contrary, excessive body weight is associated particularly with cardiovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus type 2, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and asthma reducing life expectancy. Certainly, both diseases have several serious complications, yet the high mortality rate and suicide risk made anorexia nervosa a life-threatening

Furthermore, Anorexia is the most common eating disorder (Klein 12). It is self-starvation until the victim is gaunt and emaciated, which leads to many detrimental health problems. Some physical effects of Anorexia are; dry skin, wasting muscles, brittle bones, weak heart, dizziness, downy hair growing on back and arms, menstruation stopping, possible infertility, and even brain damage, kidney and heart failure. As well as physical, there are also mental/psychological effects of Anorexia. Some of these mental effects are; low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety, and distorted self-image, as many anorexics believe they are still fat even after losing much weight and becoming emaciated. Anorexia is a disease of the brain, and these effects connect with this. Ultimately, Anorexia has many negative effects on the human body, physically and

Anorexia nervosa is associated with physical and psychosocial morbidity. The medical complications mostly result from caloric restriction and weight loss and affect most major organ system. The following are some of anorexia nervosa’s most common physical signs and symptoms: bradycardia (<60 beats per minute); orthostatic hypotension, loss of subcutaneous fat tissue, hypothermia, hair loss, disturbance of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, secondary amenorrhea, neurological symptoms and osteoporosis

Those who suffer from an eating disorder (particularly those who suffer from anorexia nervosa) tend to withhold their eating disorder which can result in a number of things: acute somatic complications, physical damage, cardiovascular complications, pancreatis, gastric dilation, hepatitis, infections, bone marrow hypoplasia, reduced glucose tolerance, dehydration, seizures, reduced fertility rate, osteoporosis and many more. (Treasure, Schmit et al 2003)

In-patients with anorexia, starvation can damage vital organs such as the heart and brain. To protect itself, the body shifts into &quot; slow gear &quot;: monthly menstrual periods stop, breathing, pulse and, blood pressure rates drop, and thyroid function slows. Nails and hair become brittle, the skin dries, yellows, and becomes covered with soft hair called lanugo. Excessive thirst and frequent urination may occur. Dehydration contributes to constipation, and reduced body fat leads to lowered body temperature and inability to with stand cold. Mild anemia, swollen joints, reduced muscles mass, and light headedness also commonly occur in anorexia. If the disorder becomes severe, patients may lose calcium from their bones, making them brittle and prone to breakage. Scientists from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) have also found that patients suffer from other psychiatric illnesses. They may suffer from anxiety, personality or substance abuse disorders, and many are at a risk for suicide. Obsessive compulsive disorder, an illness characterized by repetitive thoughts and behaviors, can also accompany anorexia.

Adolescents are especially susceptible to eating disorders because of the development of their self-image around this time of their lives. Bulimia, anorexia and binge eating are all eating disorders that teenagers suffer from. Results of Anorexia nervosa can prove to be fatal; as the body is starved so are the muscles. The heart, being a muscle, can consequently begin to weaken, and heart failure will very likely become a reality. The low levels of sodium, zinc, potassium and calcium, associated with anorexia can cause unusual heart rhythms. Sudden death caused by electrolyte and mineral disorder may happen. The blood bone marrow is also interrupted. Anemia is related with the amount of weight lost and the decreased capability to fight pathogens and infections [ (CDC) ].