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.

Many times they are perfectionists who are very critical of themselves. A person who suffers from anorexia may feel an overwhelming need to be in control of everything around them. Some patients are even under the illusion that if they lose weight they will be happier and life in general will be better. Exercising several times a day or for long periods of time is not uncommon for people with anorexia. They will do anything to achieve what they feel is the perfect body.

A few or several of the following symptoms may be present in people who suffer from anorexia: weight loss, loss of appetite or refusal to eat, over exercising, hair loss or change in appearance of the hair, overwhelming fear of weight gain, unusual eating habits such as refusing to eat around others or chewing food excessively, and constant dieting or the use of weight loss supplements.

treating anorexia is somewhat similar to treating a person who suffers from alcoholism. In order for the person to receive treatment and recover, they have to actually want to change.

If the person does not admit they have a problem or does not believe that there is anything wrong with them, often they will not respond well to any type of medical treatment or counseling therapy.

This is especially a problem in people with anorexia since they do not see themselves as being too thin. Many times they will resist treatment or help. People who have suffered from anorexia for a long period of time will need extensive treatment and follow up counseling.

While getting the person back to a healthy weight is the ultimate goal, doctors must also treat the underlying cause. They need to try and understand what feelings or problems caused the disorder to occur in the first place.

Changing a person’s way of thinking is essential in preventing a reoccurrence of the disorder. Prompt treatment is especially important for a person suffering from anorexia. The longer the disorder persists, the harder it is for the person to physically recover.

Although only a small percentage of the population suffers from anorexia, it has a fairly high fatality rate when left untreated. Patients who refuse to eat are usually kept under hospital care and receive feedings through a tube until they are able to eat on their own again.

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.

The doctor may also suggest Family therapy if it’s a young person who is the sufferer, he or she may also feel the need to speak with your family. Your doctor will give you a through examination and will want to check your height and weight of course; he or she will be looking at the average weight for a person of your height and comparing the two. If the anorexic is a young woman the doctor may also ask about your menstrual cycle, for often in young women anorexia causes women to stop having there period. Your doctor will also check for signs or symptoms of dehydration for you may not be drinking as much as your body needs, you will become dehydrated when your body sweats.

The doctor may also want to run a series of blood tests to test for illnesses such as anaemia or diabetes. If you have been suffering from anorexia for a long period of time you may be severely underweight, in which case your doctor may want to run a series of tests to see how strong your bones are.

This test is done by measuring the solidity and strength of your bones. Anyone having had anorexia for any long period of time stands the chance of getting another disease called osteoporosis; this is when your body stops producing the hormone, oestrogen.

This substance is needed within the body to help keep bones strong and supple. Your doctor will ask simple questions such as “do you make yourself sick?” and he will want to know just how much weight you have lost, again it is important that you answer honestly.

The most important thing to remember your doctor is there to help you recover and he can only do this with your help.

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.

The Cause

Anorexia can arise from several different factors, young girls mimicking there idols brings increasing pressure to gain the ideal weight, a less than perfect family life often abuse within the family is thought to play a part in the onset of Anorexia. Genetic factors also seem to play a role with some documentation of anorexia being hereditary to some extent. Another reason thought to be a cause is depression, exam results as we all know can be daunting and at some time or other we have all lost our appetite a little when under pressure or worried.

Symptoms

The person suffering from anorexia will eat very little, they may sit at the table pushing the food around there plate more than they actually eat it, often excuses will be made for taking the food to there room and eating in private where in actual fact they will dispose of it.

The person suffering from anorexia may be tired and listless due to lack of protein and nutrients and the amount of exercise they do. The anorexic may have trouble concentrating and can be very forgetful; they may become depressed and withdraw into themselves.

treatment

The first and most important step in the successful treatment of anorexia is admitting you do have a problem and self help is very important towards the eventual cure of the illness.

If the anorexic has lost a vast amount of weight to the extent they are seriously underweight then hospital admission might be necessary.

Psychological help will also be given and plays an important role in the recovery, helping the sufferer to understand why the illness came about makes sure it won’t reoccur.

Outlook

For the majority of anorexia sufferers the outlook is a positive one, if help is sought and the disease realised for what it is and accepted as a serious problem by the sufferer then a full recovery can be made, family members and friends will also play a crucial role in the recovery process.

The majority of anorexia sufferers can and will make a complete recovery and go on to lead a full normal lifestyle.

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.

In girls and women, menstruation becomes erratic and in most cases eventually ceases. After a while the hair and nails will become brittle, and significant hair loss will occur. Persons with Anorexia will also suffer from constipation frequently, and the dangerously low levels of fat in the body will also lead to lowering of normal body temperature, causing the person to feel unusually cold most of the time.

When the body is starving, it starts to deplete muscle tissue since it can no longer draw what it needs from food or fat reserves. Since the body is receiving inadequate amounts of iron, anemia can also occur, causing the body to be less efficient at using oxygen.

Lack of oxygen and nutrients can cause dizziness and light-headedness, eventually leading to “foggy” thinking and fainting spells. Severe Anorexia can result in liver failure, kidney failure, and eventually heart and brain damage.

Long before this point is reached, the Anorexic should be hospitalized, ideally for the period of time it takes to treat the various complications, raise the patient’s nutrition levels, and increase the patient’s body weight to an acceptable level.

Unfortunately, this can take weeks or even months, and due to health insurance restrictions few Anorexics can stay in the hospital that long. Intense medical and psychiatric outpatient treatments are often necessary for the patient to experience a successful recovery.

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.

One of the problems that males with Anorexia Nervosa face is that their condition may not be as readily recognized as it is in females.

Since many doctors are trained to look for signs of this condition in females, a male with this condition might be diagnosed with something else, or might be given unnecessary tests to search for other causes for the extreme weight loss or malnutrition.

This can have negative connotations for a male with Anorexia Nervosa, as it is a serious condition that must be treated as quickly as possible with therapy and constant medical supervision.

Males with Anorexia Nervosa may also be less forthcoming with answers when asked about their eating and exercise habits, as they may be ashamed of having what is considered a “female” disorder.

Both parents and doctors of male teens should be open to the possibility of Anorexia when they notice extreme weight loss and obviously changed eating habits, so that the condition can be diagnosed and treatment can be started as early as possible.

Anorexia Nervosa is caused by underlying emotional problems, which the young male may try to deal with by focusing on his weight.

The young male sees being able to “control” his food intake and his weight as proof that he is in control of his entire life, which is far from the truth.

Peer pressures, school pressures, and more severe anxiety-producing events such as physical or sexual abuse in childhood can become more than a young male can deal with, and his anxiety can manifest itself in the form of Anorexia Nervosa.