Anorexia is an eating disorder
which can cause dreadful health disorders and serious complications.
Know more about what anorexia is, it's characteristic and health risks
associated with it.
Slim and
sleek body is a desire of young girls and women these days. Slim body
is considered to be a must have for looking beautiful. For obtaining
such body lots of women do heavy workouts regularly and opt for low
fat, low calorie diet. Some of them also indulge in improper methods of controlling weight. And some become the victims of eating disorder.
Few are not even aware that they are facing some kind of disorder. One
such disorder which is common amongst women and girls who desire to
have a slim body is anorexia. Read on to know more about it.
What is anorexia?
Anorexia is an eating disorder. It is known as anorexia nervosa which means nervous loss of appetite. It does not mean that anorexic patients do not feel hungry but the strong felling of losing weight
helps them to control hunger. Even if they eat food they have a
tendency of vomiting all the food. They also use laxatives, enemas or
diuretics in an improper manner.
This behaviour results in number of health
disorders. The intensity in which this disorder affect patients can be
classified in to short lived, mild or chronic. The other condition
which is similar to anorexia is termed as bulimia. However they are
distinguished form each other because of some characteristics.
Person suffering from bulimia
tend to eat food but they throw it out whereas the person suffering
from anorexia tend to starve themselves. However anorexics also have
tendency to purge as mentioned earlier. The bulimic patient does not
lose much weight as compared to an anorexic. Binge-eating and purging
is a specific characteristic of a bulimic patient.
What are the symptoms of anorexia?
Anorexia is different from having a thin body which can be
genetic. Here are some of the characteristics which you will observe in
yourself if you are an anorexic. You can detect following physical and
psychological changes.
- Unnecessary and excessive fear of weight gain
- Unnecessary heavy work outs and exercise
- Controlling diet forcefully
- Controlling hunger unnecessarily
- Can not resist vomiting after consuming food
- Abnormal weight loss
- Very thin body and dry skin
Health risks to an anorexic patient
Anorexia can cause serious health complications. Anorexia can
affect anyone irrespective of the gender. Most of the victims of
anorexia are young girls generally form the modeling and acting
profession. Here are some of the health risks which an anorexic patient
suffers from.
- Delayed menstruation
- Difficulty in breathing
- Weakness and dizziness
- Bone loss
- Anemia
- Miscarriage
- Stomach disorders
- Hair loss
- Scaly and dry skin
- Kidney failure, heart failure or failure of any other organ of body
Anorexics also suffer from the
mental imbalance which is adding on to the mortality rate. Almost 15 to
20 percent of anorexic patients commit suicide due to the emotional
issues. However early diagnosis and treatment can prove useful to avoid
such circumstances. The most important need is to support patient
emotionally and provide proper care. Treatment of an anorexic patient
depends totally on the support, care and love of closely associated
people to the sufferer.
The person affected by anorexic may also show indifference in
behaviour and disagree to get treated. At times they may have to be
hospitalised forcibly but it is essential. The two main aspect of
treating an anorexic are gaining normal weight
and resolving psychological issues. The most important thing that these
people should be made conscious about is gaining a healthy weight and
not reducing weight. Half battle is won when anorexic patients realise
that looking beautiful is all about feeling beautiful and healthy.
