anorexia nervosa Tag's Archives
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that most commonly affects teenage girls and young women. However, it can also occur in adults, both male and female. People with anorexia nervosa are extremely conscious and obsessive about their weight.
They may weigh themselves several times a day or spend a great deal of time looking at their figure in the mirror. Even though they are very thin, people who suffer from this disorder actually think they are overweight.
When they look in the mirror, they do not see themselves as others do. All they are concerned about is losing more weight or the never ending fear of weight gain. Although doctors do not know what causes anorexia nervosa, patients who are afflicted with this disorder often have similar personality and behavioral traits.
Early diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa plays an important role in the complete recovery of the disease. The earlier it is caught the chances of a full recovery with no lasting damage are increased greatly. If you think a family member or a friend may have anorexia it is crucial you talk with them and try to get them to see that they are in fact ill and need medical help.
The next step in treating anorexia is to make an appointment to see our doctor, he or she will ask a series of questions about your lifestyle, your eating habits and any problems that you may be faced with.
Your Doctor will also question you about your family and any other important relationships you might have such as boyfriends, it is important that you are open and honest in your answers as these help your doctor decide which course of action is the best for you.
Anorexia is a very serious eating disorder that occurs mainly in young women from the age of 15 to 18, it is defined as the loss of extreme weight through dieting, the person suffering from anorexia will eat very little often actually making themselves sick after eating or use laxatives in striving towards losing weight.
It is a psychological disorder which once taken a serious hold on the person that person will actually convince themselves they are fat, no matter how much weight they lose, they will still see themselves as being overweight.
About every 4 in 10 people who have deep seated anorexia and suffer from this illness will actually make a full recovery and others do improve, 3 out of 10 will however continue to suffer from major long term illness.
If not recognised and help sought 15 percent of anorexia suffers will die from the disease within 20 years of its appearance.
Anorexia Nervosa is a dangerous disorder due to the severe medical complications that it can cause. Anorexia Nervosa is a condition where a person starves him or herself and/or exercises excessively, to the point of where his or her body suffers from the symptoms and complications of severe starvation-induced malnutrition. The symptoms and effects of Anorexia are the same as they are with people who suffer from malnutrition due to famine.
The first sign of starvation due to Anorexia is weight loss that continues despite reaching or already being at a healthy weight. Rapid weight loss can also be a sign, although with some medically supervised weight loss programs rapid weight loss is expected.
Most Anorexics either eat very little, or they purge when they do eat, so the body cannot get the nutrients it needs to function adequately. After experiencing starvation for a period of time, the body will try to protect the heart, brain, and other vital organs by slowing down its metabolism and decreasing the heart rate, thyroid function, and blood pressure.
Most people think of women, especially young women and teens, when they hear about Anorexia Nervosa. The reason for this is sound, since teen girls and young women tend to be under a lot more pressure than teen boys and young men when it comes to being and looking thin.
Peer, media, and societal pressures aside, however, Anorexia can, and does, affect males also, although admittedly in smaller numbers. Males under the age of 14 account for about five percent to ten percent of diagnosed Anorexia Nervosa cases, and nineteen percent to thirty percent of diagnosed cases are older male teens.
Despite the fact that Anorexia Nervosa is less common in males, the symptoms and causes of the disorder when it does present itself appear to be the same for both sexes. This would be pressure from outside influences, although with males it may manifest itself more in over-exercising or extreme muscle building without consideration for proper nutrition and weight maintenance.
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