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Anorexia, also known as anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder in which the sick person is obsessed with of its weight, body shape and eating food – or to be more precise of living on the edge of starvation.
The symptoms of anorexia are likely to develop for years, and the disease affects both women and men. At the root of its causes may be genetics, emotional disorders or life experiences. Anorexia most often develops in young women, but the problems associated with it can affect anyone.
The causes of anorexia
Similarly to the other eating disorders or substance abuse, anorexia requires a complex interaction between the biological, psychological and social factors.
One of the causes of anorexia is considered to a genetic predisposition because those who have cases of eating disorders in a close family are at higher risk of disease.
Features of emotional and psychological, are also not without significance. Some people are much more likely to seek emotional relief in his hunger. Among the features typical for individuals who suffer from anorexia are:
- low self-esteem, which often results from the painful experiences, neglect or abuse suffered in childhood,
- obsessive-compulsive personality characteristics that make it easier to observe the strictest diet or long-term resistance to hunger,
- perfectionism, which makes the person is focused on the body, which leads to continuous extremely unreasonable demands on each other – permanent dissatisfaction with their weight, silhouette, proportion,
- low levels of serotonin, an important neurotransmitter, the absence of which can cause depression.
Another reason for the emergence of anorexia may be the cultural differences. Consistently promoted an ideal of beauty in the form of thinness, strongly affects the psyche, what drives the desire to be, thinner, especially among teenagers.
The earliest warning signs that may indicate anorexia are often difficult to see. Symptoms of anorexia can, in fact, be hidden, often are attributed primarily to other health conditions or side effects of the use of prescription drugs. Specialists treating eating disorders, can identify physical symptoms as:
- extreme emaciation,
- abnormal results of blood count,
- increased liver enzymes,
- notorious fatigue,
- dizziness and fainting,
- brittle nails, hair loss,
- loss of menstruation,
- development of the nap on the limbs,
- dryness of the skin,
- intolerance on the ground temperature,
- irregular heart rhythm,
- low blood pressure,
- the first symptoms of osteoporosis – bone loss, calcium deficiency, susceptibility to bone fractures.
Most of the early signs of anorexia are associated with the excessive primary focus of the diseased person on a diet and eating. Appear obsessive-compulsive behavior, and feeding disordered patterns become more apparent to others. Potentially, they begin to interfere with the daily functioning, including learning, professional work, relationships with family and friends.
It is worth to pay attention to symptoms such as:
- refusing to food,
- denying the feeling of hunger,
- inability to concentrate,
- obsession with the size of body shape,
- skipping meals,
- look for excuses not to eat,
- eating only certain foods low in fat and calories,
- unusual rituals associated with food as cutting food into small pieces,
- excessive chewing of gum,
- weighing food,
- cooking elaborate meals for others and refusing to its consumption.
Except those associated with the food, arouse concern may also overly intense exercise, lack of emotion and indifference, continuous weighing, and also permanent view in the mirror, dressing in several layers of clothing or complaining about rolls of fat.
Men and women struggling with anorexia, for the recognition of self-esteem are focused on the ability to achieve the goal of weight loss, maintaining control over the body and appetite.
Anorexia effects differ depending on the severity of the disease. Very often they are associated with other problems like resignation from school or work, isolation from family and friends, loss of faith and religion, etc. Sufferers often chance events prey their lives.
The physical effects of hunger are often irreversible, sometimes fatal. Anorexics tend to suffer from infertility, have an increased risk of heart attack, brain damage, or deactivate the function of the central organs of the body and death.
The treatment of anorexia
The complexity of the disease requires many actions involving physicians, nutritionists, and therapists. Medicine can help normalize the functioning of the body, a dietician teaches proper nutrition principles and understanding of their equity, and psychological therapy is intended to help in recognizing and reaching the solve the problems that are the basis for the disorder.