Anorexia Nervosa is an eating
disorder which consists of a person severely limiting the amount
of food he or she consumes. A person suffering from Anorexia
usually sees themselves in a distorted fashion and has an intense
fear of gaining weight. Their manipulation of food intake and
weight loss is a method for dealing with emotional issues. Anorexia
is considered a disease and must be treated professionally.
If a person continues without treatment, the long term effects
could be fatal.
Anorexia can be caused by a number of different
issues. Causes of Anorexia include psychological issues (certain
personality traits such as perfectionism) or a career or hobby
that requires the person to look a certain way (model, ballet
dancer, etc.). Anorexia is commonly found in athletes who are
required to maintain a certain appearance or weight (wrestling).
Some conditions that occur due to Anorexia are malnutrition,
heart problems, hair loss, osteoporosis, depression, fatigue
or anxiety. Of the 1% of the population that suffers from Anorexia,
90% are women. Anorexia usually develops during childhood but
there are cases which begin in adulthood.
Warning signs for Anorexia include:
• Deliberate self-starvation with weight loss
• Fear of gaining weight
• Refusal to eat
• Denial of hunger
• Constant exercising
• Greater amounts of hair on the body or the face
• Sensitivity to cold temperatures
• Absent or irregular periods
• Loss of scalp hair
• A self-perception of being fat when the person is really too
thin
|
