Anorexia nervosa involves an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. An anorexic may have a distorted perception of body weight, size or shape, and can restrict food intake to the point of deliberate starvation and eventual death. Anorexics can be as much as 15 percent under their normal body weight, but still perceive themselves as overweight.
Anorexics usually strive for perfection and set high standards for themselves. This extends to body weight, which is one thing an anorexic may feel she can control.
common physical effects and health risks:
loss of hair on head
growth of soft, downy hair on face, back and arms, used for body warmth
loss of menstruation or irregular periods (which alerts the body that it cannot support a fetus)
dry skin and brittle hair and fingernails
cool, grayish or yellowish skin
lowered body temperature and blood pressure
slowed reflexes (from slowed heart rate and thyroid function)
premature loss of bone density
constipation
swollen joints
muscle atrophy
kidney and heart failure in the most extreme cases
Anorexia can eventually lead to organ failure and death by starvation.
how to identify anorexia
Anorexia may not be noticed early on because it often starts as an innocent diet. As it progresses, the disease may still be unnoticed by family members or friends because the anorexic usually wears big, layered clothes. Even emaciated anorexics continue to feel "fat" and want to hide their "ugly, fat body."
An anorexic may avoid any eating situation. If she can't, she will often play with, hoard or conceal food instead of eating it.
common behavioral patterns:
obsession with the body and food
need for perfection and control
rapid mood swings
anxiety
suicidal tendencies
lethargy
insomnia
depression
daily use of laxatives or diuretics for attempted weight control
rigid schedule of obsessive exercise, despite physical pain
ritualized eating habits (eating at precise times of day, chewing each bite a specific number of times, etc.)
treatments
Treatment is often difficult because many anorexics deny the problem. If an anorexic nears starvation, immediate hospitalization can provide basic nutritional needs. Then, on a balanced diet, a patient's goal is to gradually restore normal body weight.
Once a target weight is reached, a patient may graduate into an outpatient program where fluid intake and weight are still tracked.
Therapy is usually recommended--it can help treat anorexics with distorted self- and body images. Family therapy may help an anorexic recognize possible parental influences, and group therapy can give support. A person is more likely to recover from an eating disorder if she didn't binge or purge and has had the disorder for under six months. However, relapses can be common and recovery can be slow.
Some medications can be extremely helpful in treating anorexia nervosa, particularly antidepressants, since anorexics are often depressed.
