Anorexia Nervosa: Symptoms, Causes, and Treatment

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. It is diagnosed when a person weighs at least 15% less than his/her ideal body weight. It is characterised by an intense fear of gaining weight, abnormally low body weight and distorted perception of weight. It is a serious psychological disorder that could also be potentially life threatening. People suffering from anorexia nervosa give extreme importance to controlling their weight and shape . They restrict the number of calories and the types of food they eat. They also exercise vigorously and keep eliminating the food they have eaten through vomiting and use of laxatives.

This disorder is more prevalent in females than males. The chances of developing an eating disorder like anorexia nervosa are more common in models, dancers, actors and athletes in sports like figure skating and gymnastics, all in spheres where appearance is important. This order can begin as early as pre teens and is the third highest cause of illness in teens.

Symptoms

The signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa are many. These consist of:

• Weight loss at a rapid speed over a span of a few weeks or months
• Eating very little or dieting even when the weight is less
• Intense fear of weight gain
• Feeling fat even when underweight
• Anxiety and irritability
• Self critical
• Too much influence of body shape and weight on self esteem
• Irregular menstrual periods in women
• Exercising compulsively
• Obsession with food
• Lying about food consumption
• Physical symptoms such as intolerance to cold weather, stomach cramps, thin hair on the body, yellow skin, dental problems, brittle nails and hair, exhaustion and fatigue, frequent illness, constipation, anemia, fainting and swollen joints

Causes

The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is not clear, but it is a combination of social, psychological and environmental factors. People with this disorder believe that their lives would be better if they were thinner. They have obsessive and compulsive personality traits. They have an extreme drive for perfectionism, which leads them to think that they are never thin enough. Most cultures focus on thinnness, and success and self worth get equated to thinness. Peer pressure also contributes to the desire for being thin and women and girls are more affected by this.

Treatment

The biggest challenge in treating anorexia nervosa is that the affected people do not view this as a disorder and consider it as a lifestyle choice. Treatment may include treating both psychological and physical problems. The primary aim of treatment of anorexia nervosa is commonly restoring the weight to a healthy level. Effective treatment commonly involves continued medical care, regular therapy, and nutritional counselling. Antidepressants may be prescribed as well.

If left untreated, anorexia nervosa may lead to damaged organs such as heart, kidneys and brain, osteoporosis, drop in blood pressure, fluid electrolyte imbalance and in some cases even death from starvation. Therefore, it is quite important to identify and prevent the progress of this disorder by diagnosing it as early as possible.

Disclaimer: The information in no way constitutes, or should be construed as medical advice. Nor is the above article an endorsement of any research findings discussed in the article an endorsement for any of the source publications.

Sources-

1. https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/learn/by-eating-disorder/anorexia
2. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591
3. https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa/prevent-anorexia-nervosa#1
4. https://www.eatingdisorderhope.com/information/anorexia

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