anarexia
... loss. Although anorexia is a mental disorder, the physical consequences are serious and sometimes life threatening. Anorexics are sub-classified as either restricting or binge eating/purging types. The classic form of anorexia (restricting type) involves weight loss through self-starvation and excessive exercise. In another form of anorexia, the individual not only cuts calories, but also behaves similarly to the bulimic: bingeing on foods, and then purging. With the symptoms of both anorexia and bulimia, an individual is considered to have anorexia of the Binge-Eating/Purging type. The National Centre takes the view that anorexia becomes a mental illness since starvation destroys emotional competency. Thus the powers of the Mental Health Act can be invoked to keep a low weight anorexic sufficiently nourished so that she earns some time to make a more rational choice about whether to live or die Physical Effects · Loss of menstrual periods · Dry, brittle bones due to significant bone density loss (osteoporosis) · Dry, brittle nails and hair; or hair loss · Lowered resistance to illness · Hypersensitivity to heat and cold · Bruises easily · Appears to need less sleep than normal eaters · Digestive problems such as bloating or constipation · Muscle loss and weakness · Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure · Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness · Eventual growth of a downy layer of hair (lanugo) all over the body, including the face (the body is trying to stay warm) · In severe cases: heart trouble, low blood pressure, low heart rate, low body temperature, poor circulation, anemia, stunted growth, and even death Emotional and Behavioral Effects · Difficulty in concentrating on anything else except weight · Isolation from family and friends · Emotional regression to a child-like state · Irritability · Feelings of guilt and depression · Dependence upon alcohol or drugs to handle the negative outlook What causes anorexia? Research about the causes of anorexia is not definitive, and no one yet knows the exact cause. A combination of biological, social, and psychological factors may cause anorexia. Biological causes Some research indicates that higher levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin (a brain chemical) make the individual withdraw socially and have less desire for food. However, the higher level of serotonin may be a result of the anorexia, rather than a cause. Individuals may have a genetic predisposition for anorexia. Individuals with anorexia often have family members with the disorder. It is plausible that eating disorders have a sociocultural cause. They are classically perceived as western culture-bound syndromes associated with culture-driven factors, such as unrealistic expectations of slenderness and attractiveness, changes in the role of women, and social standards and attitudes towards obesity. The drive to be thin is not universal. In many non-Western countries plumpness has traditionally been considered attractive and associated with fertility and caring. While many non-Western societies show a positive relationship between increased body weight and higher social class, the opposite relationship is found in Western societies. Furnham and Albahai [1] argued that in societies where food is plentiful the idea of slenderness is constantly imposed via the media and peer pressure; while countries where the availability of food fluctuates, plumpness is often the feminine ideal. What is the treatment for anorexia? Anorexia is dangerous and untreated, it can be fatal. About one fifth of persons with anorexia recover, a further two fifths gain weight but develop other problems with eating such as bulimia nervosa or binge eating disorder. About one third of sufferers remain anorexic, living as if nothing but the pursuit of thinness is of importance. Many of these long term anorexics develop the bulimic form of anorexia. Here, control breaks down, and the anorexic will binge eat but adopt strategies such as vomiting or laxative abuse to deal with the unwanted calories. The bulimic form of anorexia is not the same as bulimia nervosa where sufferers do not have a phobic avoidance of normal body weight. Death rates in long term anorexics is as high as ten percent, usually due to heart failure in the case of bulimic anorexia, suicide or lack of resistance to illness. Emphasis in treatment must be on how to live rather than how to get “cured” because the only way an anorexic copes with feelings and risk is to starve. Learning to trust oneself and other people again, and learning to take responsibility for self care is crucial. This require the input of both medical and psychological help. There is no single formula which works for all cases. Treatment is most likely to have a good outcome the earlier it is done and before too much weight has been lost. Weight held at a low level for a long time gives a poor prognosis for recovery. But getting anorexics to agree to help remains problematical. 95% of anorexics deny that they need help and refuse treatment when they are first brought to medical attention. But most of these who are obliged or forced to get help say in the end that they are glad that they did. Treatment for anorexia involves both the body and the mind. Early treatment for anorexia involves behavioral techniques, psychotherapy for improved self-esteem, and a ...