Those suffering from eating disorders generally have low self-esteem, ashamed of the condition; they tend to isolate themselves, no doubt believing that no one cares and wouldn’t know what to do https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/general/no-one-cares-about-me-what-can-i-do-to-find-support/. Eating disorders tend to be stigmatized by the population. Those with eating disorders will often deny that they have a problem. They will attempt to cover up the symptoms, so it may not be easy to recognize the problem until the eating disorder is well established.
Anorexia nervosa is a greedy illness. It takes everything it can. — Lauren Grunebaum L.C.S.W.
Anorexia Nervosa
Of all eating disorders, Anorexia Nervosa has the potential to cause the most physical damage. It is, in fact, one of the most dangerous psychiatric conditions, with four percent of sufferers dying from anorexia and up to twenty percent from associated problems.
People suffering from Anorexia Nervosa have poor body image, believing that they are overweight even when they are perilously thin. They obsess over their weight, severely limiting their food intake. They have an unrealistic view of what their body should look like. The sufferer thinks about food and body image constantly. By controlling their food intake, they control their lives.
They starve themselves, and as they lose weight, changes in behavior, emotions, and thinking take place. Relationships with friends and family are also altered. Many people assume that males do not suffer from eating disorders, but twenty-five percent of anorexia sufferers are male.
Anorexia can have severe health implications: brain damage, organ failure, infertility, heart damage, and even death can result in severe cases.
In our weight-biased culture, when a fat person loses weight, it is almost always seen as a good thing. Even when that weight loss is caused by an eating disorder. — Alexis Conason Psy.D.
There are two types of Anorexia Nervosa: Binge/ Purge type, where the sufferer sometimes eats excessively and then purges because of feelings of guilt that result from eating. They take laxatives, induce vomiting, take diet pills and appetite suppressants, or exercise excessively.
The Restrictive Anorexic fails to eat sufficient calories to maintain the body, slowly but surely starving themselves.
As chronic diseases go, anorexia is the third most common, after asthma and Type 1 diabetes, amongst young people.
Causes of Anorexia Nervosa
The causes of anorexia are often complex and are both biological and environmental.
Environmental factors that give rise to anorexia
- Professional and career requirements. Models and athletes have careers that depend upon the media’s perfect physical appearance.
- Media images. We constantly see images of beautiful people in peak condition. This can result in impossible goals of physical perfection.
- Childhood trauma. Many who battle eating disorders have been subjected to childhood physical or sexual abuse.
- Peer pressure
- Parental attitude. Poor body image can result from the parent’s attitude to food or body image. In addition, some children develop eating disorders as a coping mechanism when they have poor relationships with their parents.
- Psychological disorders
- Anorexia is associated with childhood perfectionism, obsession, and anxiety.
Biological factors
- Hormones
- Genetics plays an important role in the development of eating disorders.
- Nutritional deficiencies
It is believed that where the genetic predisposition for eating disorders exists, environmental factors can trigger the disorder.
Eating disorders are not a choice. No one chooses to lose all of their friends, because they cannot go anywhere that there will be food. — Jennifer Rollin MSW, LCSW-C
Research into the genetic connection
Understanding the genetic basis of anorexia could help therapists to better recognize the connections with environmental inputs and could also form the basis of tailored medical interventions.
The Anorexia Nervosa Genetics Initiative ANGI is the biggest study of the genetic origins of Anorexia Nervosa. It is an intercontinental study of eight thousand individuals, some with Anorexia and some without. The DNA of these individuals will be studied to determine the genetic link to anorexia.
The objective of the study is to pinpoint the genes that make an individual predisposed to the disease.
Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa
On seeking help the physical condition of the anorexic will be assessed and all nutritional and medical interventions will take first priority. Multi-disciplinary treatment interventions are tailor made to ensure that patient has the best chance of long-term recovery. Treatment will include nutritional, psychiatric and family therapies, and may be either inpatient or outpatient.
Find help
It is crucial for those with anorexia to seek assistance. The earlier the treatment starts, the less physical damage can take place. The long-term therapeutic outcomes of early intervention are also improved.