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Anorexia
Anorexia |
Bulimia |
Binge Eating Disorder
Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Anorexia Nervosa Individuals suffering from Anorexia Nervosa
usually have low self-esteem that centers on a perceived need to be thinner
than they are. This goes beyond dieting just to lose weight. The anorexic
may believe that being thin will solve all of life's problems. This is
generally a reaction to stress in the person's life, either current or a
result of past abuses or other stressors. A person with anorexia uses the
control of her food intake as a way to cope. It may seem to her that food is
the only thing she has control over, and therefore the only way she can make
herself thin, and therefore, improve her life. Many anorexics
tend to be perfectionists. They also may have body dysmorphic disorder,
which leads them to believe they are fatter than they really are, or to
disproportionally focus on body parts that they believe are unsatisfactory.
They may deny that they are underweight, instead believing the self image
they have in their mind. Usually only people with a very low
body weight are considered medically anorexic, however, a person can have
the same anorexic behaviors at any body weight. Unfortunately, those
individuals are much less likely to get help for their eating disorder, and
might even be told by doctors that they should continue extreme dieting
practices to lose weight.
Risk Factors
- You are at higher risk of developing anorexia if other people in your
family are obese, have an eating disorder, or have a mood disorder such as
depression or anxiety.
- You are at higher risk of developing anorexia you have a job or do a
sport that stresses body size, such as ballet, modeling, or gymnastics.
- You are at higher risk of developing anorexia if you are the type of
person who tries to be perfect all the time, never feels good enough, or
worries a lot.
- You are at higher risk of developing anorexia if you are dealing with
stressful life events, such as divorce, moving to a new town or school, or
losing a loved one.
- Anorexia is most common in teens. Like other eating disorders,
anorexia usually starts in the teen years with strict dieting and rapid
weight loss, but it can start even earlier or in adulthood.
- Anorexia is most common in women. About 9 out of 10 people with
anorexia are female, but some boys and men have it as well.
Signs and Symptoms
Many of these signs also apply to strict dieters. The
additional of self-loathing or depression is often what will be the
difference between a dieter and someone with an eating disorder.
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Dramatic weight loss in a relatively short
period of time.
-
Wearing big or baggy clothes or dressing in
layers to hide body shape and/or weight loss.
-
Obsession with weight and complaining of
weight problems (even if "average" weight or thin).
-
Obsession with calories and fat content of
foods.
-
Obsession with continuous exercise.
-
Frequent trips to the bathroom immediately
following meals (sometimes accompanied with water running in the bathroom
for a long period of time to hide the sound of vomiting).
-
Visible food restriction and
self-starvation.
-
Visible bingeing and/or purging.
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Use or hiding use of diet pills, laxatives,
ipecac syrup, or enemas.
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Isolation. Fear of eating around and with
others.
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Unusual Food rituals such as shifting the
food around on the plate to look eaten; cutting food into tiny pieces;
making sure the fork avoids contact with the lips (using teeth to scrap food
off the fork or spoon); chewing food and spitting it out, but not
swallowing; dropping food into napkin on lap to later throw away.
-
Hiding food in strange places (closets,
cabinets, suitcases, under the bed) to avoid eating.
-
Flushing uneaten food down the toilet (can
cause sewage problems).
-
Vague or secretive eating patterns.
-
Keeping a "food diary" or lists that
consists of food and/or behaviors (ie., purging, restricting, calories
consumed, exercise, etc.)
-
Pre-occupied thoughts of food, weight and
cooking.
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Visiting websites that promote unhealthy
ways to lose weight.
-
Reading books about weight loss and eating
disorders.
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Self-defeating statements after food
consumption.
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Hair loss. Pale or "grey" appearance to the
skin.
-
Dizziness and headaches.
-
Frequent soar throats and/or swollen glands.
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Low self-esteem. Feeling worthless. Often
putting themselves down and complaining of being "too stupid" or "too fat"
and saying they don't matter. Need for acceptance and approval from others.
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Complaints of often feeling cold.
-
Low blood pressure.
-
Loss of menstrual cycle.
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Constipation or incontinence.
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Perfectionistic personality.
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Loss of sexual desire or promiscuous
relations.
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Mood swings. Depression. Fatigue.
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Insomnia. Poor sleeping habits.
Medical Definition
A definition of anorexia nervosa was established by
the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) and
the World Health Organization's International Statistical Classification of
Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).
DSM-IV-TR criteria are:
- Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal weight
for age and height (e.g. weight loss leading to maintenance of body weight
less than 85% of that expected; or failure to make expected weight gain
during period of growth, leading to body weight less than 85% of that
expected).
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though
underweight.
- Disturbance in the way in which one's body weight or shape is
experienced, undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation,
or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
- In postmenarcheal females, amenorrhea, i.e., the absence of at least
three consecutive menstrual cycles. (A woman is considered to have
amenorrhea if her periods occur only following hormone, e.g., estrogen,
administration.)
Health Risks
- Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which means that
the heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as heart
rate and blood pressure levels sink lower.
- Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry,
brittle bones.
- Muscle loss and weakness.
- Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
- Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
- Dry hair and skin. Hair loss is common.
- Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body,
including the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
Sources:
Something
Fishy, Wikipedia,
WebMD,
NEDA |
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