| ANOREXIA NERVOSA |
| I believe that to some ppl in the world, Anorexia isn't that serious of an issue. To those I say - "you are SO wrong!!" Its estimated that 10-20% of people who have Anorexia Nervosa will eventually die from complications related to it. An anorexic, for whatever reason, has a desire to be perfect..hmm maybe a better way to put it would be to say that they are perfectionists..When they look at themselves in the mirror they see a fat person..even though they may stand 5'8" and only weigh 80lbs..they still can see (in their minds) that they need to lose more weight so in order to achieve this an anorexic will avoid eating, therefore avoid consuming calories which of course will cause them to lose weight..Usually a person who has Anorexia Nervosa has it because there are other issues that they want to block out..low self-esteem is most likely a strong factor. It's easier to deal with "dieting" than it is to deal with the issue. (Self - injurers are similar, we can deal with the physical pain alot easier than with the mental and emotional pain of dealing with the real issue), or maybe because their self-esteem is so low they feel that they 'don't deserve' to eat. Like many of us that deal with difficult and traumatizing issues in our lives, an anorexic person will usually deny that there is anything wrong and convince themselves that those who are trying to help are really doing so just in attempts to get them to eat..Once a problem is acknowledged and admitted to though, and help is sought out, someone with Anorexia can become healthy again with the combination of psychological, nutritional and medical care.. Here are some of the signs and symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa ~ - Noticalbe weight loss - Becoming withdrawn - Excessive excercise - Fatigue - Always being cold - Muscle weakness - Obsession with food, calories and recipes - Excuses for not eating meals (ie; ate earlier, not feeling well, not hungry right now) - Unusual eating habits (cutting food into tiny pieces, picking at food) - Noticable discomfort around food - Complaining of being too fat even though thin - Depression, irritability, mood swings - Evidence of vomiting, laxative use, diet pills or diuretics to control weight - Irregular menstruation - Amenorrhea (loss of menstruation) - Wearing baggy clothes to hide weight loss - Fainting spells and dizziness - Difficulty eating in public - Pale complexion (almost pasty look) - Headaches - Perfectionistic attitude - Feelings of self worth determined by what is or isn't eaten - No known physical illness that would explain weight loss There are other signs and symptoms as well, these are just some of them.. the following information is from the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders |
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| Anorexia Nervosa 1. Weight: 15 % below ideal body weight. Refusal to maintain a normal weight or above normal weight for height and age. Not everyone who is low weight is anorexic it is important to recognize that it is REFUSAL to maintain a normal weight is a key factor. It is difficult in children to identify anorexia because for their height they may be normal weight. The problem is that because of the disorder they may have stunted growth. A pediatrician will need to carefully monitor them with a growth chart. Also young children may not talk about weight but rather have many physical complaints as nausea or feeling full 2. Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight. The intense fear is powerful enough to cause individuals to diet to the point of starvation. While the term anorexia means loss of appetite, this is not true of anorexia nervosa. A person with anorexia is hungry but he or she is afraid to eat because of the fear. Often specific foods are avoided especially those that are high in fat and calories. Often individuals will become vegetarians and want to eat healthy when indeed the issue is the fear of gaining weight There is constantly thoughts about food--how many calories, how many fat grams, how much exercise you need to do if you eat a cookie, etc. How many times do you check that scale? There is always the attempt to try to control eating because the fear of gaining weight. Often meals are avoided or eaten very slowly, pondering each bite, fearing that surely it will make them fat. These thoughts begin to control a person's mind 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Your entire life can be centered on this one issue, depriving you of enjoying friends, fun things and family. 3. Body Image Problems Looking into a mirror there is often criticism of their shape and weight- seeing themselves as fat even though they may be very thin. This is a very frightening experience and feels very real- driving the person to diet. Sometimes they can accept that they are very thin but cannot accept how dangerous their situation really is. It is difficult for them to understand that this very low weight and dieting habits can actually be fatal. So often they will try to reassure their parents or their friends to stop worrying and they do not have a problem and will be just fine! The death rate for eating disorders is higher than for any other psychiatric illness. This is just not a fad. 4. No Periods Missing 3 periods is usually a criteria for this definition. This criteria cannot apply to situations where the person is a male, a young female who has not started her periods or a female who is on birth control pills . Many individuals with anorexia will severely restrict their calories sometimes taking in only a few hundred calories a day or just water. This is called the RESTRICTING TYPE. Our bodies do not like to starve. Remember, the individual with anorexia has an appetite they just try to control it. It is very difficult when you are starving not to want to eat. What happens to many as a result is that they lose control they eat or eat something they feel they should not have eaten. For these individuals, this might mean something as simple as a cookie, a normal meal or even a binge. With the fear of gaining weight, they may vomit or exercise. This type of anorexia is called the BINGE-EATING/PURGING TYPE one of the most dangerous forms of an eating disorder. |
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