What are Eating Disorders

Eating can be controlled or affected by a range of factors, such as appetite, the types and quantities of foods available, family, peer, and cultural practices or pressures, eating habits, and voluntary desires to control eating.
Eating Disorders are serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy food intake reduction or severe overeating. In addition to the eating aspects, those who suffer from Eating Disorders in other ways. For example, they may also have feelings of distress, depression, or are extremely concerned about their body shape or weight.
In today’s society, current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and various activities and professions promote an often unrealistically lean body type, where body weight is leaner than that needed or recommended for health reasons.
These pressures can induce people to eat less than the recommended amounts, and lead to a range of eating disorders. Researchers continue to investigate the link between voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than normal, and the time when such activities move beyond the person’s control and develop into an Eating Disorder.
Eating Disorders frequently develop during adolescence or early adulthood. However, recent research suggests that their onset can also occur during childhood or later in adulthood.
Eating disorders frequently occur in conjunction with other psychiatric disorders, such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders.
Females are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. For example, approximately one-sixth of people with Anorexia or Bulimia are male, and approximately one-third of people with Binge-Eating Disorder are male.
People with eating disorders may experience a range of serious physical health complications, including serious heart conditions and kidney failure which may lead to death.
It is important to note that Eating Disorders are not due to a failure of will or behavior. In fact, Eating Disorders are now known to be real, treatable medical illnesses in which certain harmful eating patterns become dominant. Recognition of eating disorders as real and treatable diseases is very important.
Appetite control and the affect of prolonged overeating or starvation is a highly complex area, and research is continuing in these areas. Eventually, such research may lead to new and improved treatments for eating disorders.
Eating disorders are not new illnesses. They have been present in one form or another for centuries.

The main types of Eating Disorders are:

• Anorexia
• Bulimia
• Binge-Eating Disorder. (Each of these is discussed below)

Other Eating Disorders

There is a wide variety of other disordered eating patterns, and not all people with eating disorders have a clear cut diagnosis or exhibit the full range of symptoms for a particular eating disorder.
For example, anorexia and bulimia may co-exist in the one person at the one time, or they may develop from one to the other over time. In addition, some people may have a very restricted food intake without fulfilling all of the criteria for Anorexia.
These conditions are no less serious than other eating disorders. Intervention and treatment are still required.

Risk Factors of eating disorders

Eating Disorders are most commonly experienced by adolescent females and young women, but they also occur (at much lower rates) in males and people of all ages and across all socio-economic and cultural backgrounds.
People with Eating Disorders generally tend to exhibit one or more of the following:

1. Low self esteem.
2. A need to seek the approval of others.
3. Difficulties in expressing needs and feelings, including anger and anxiety.
4. Perfectionism
5. Difficulties being assertive with others.
6. A desire to diet.

There is no single cause for any Eating Disorder. Indeed, the causes for Eating Disorders are often highly complex, and include a range of diverse factors, including: social / cultural factors, psychological factors, biological factors, family factors, and, various other external or precipitating factors which all play a part, to varying degrees, in causing the Eating Disorder in different people. Each of these are discussed below.

Social / Cultural Factors include:

idealization of thinness,focus on appearance,weight loss, fashion, fitness cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries etc, media representations of happy, thin, successful people, socialization of women and men.
And these can create enormous pressures on people, especially young people, who feel a desperate need to conform to the portrayed stereotype for thin, successful people.

Family Factors

A range of Family Factors can have an enormous influence on a person, and can be incredibly important during as person’s recovery from an Eating Disorder. Family Factors include:
Communication within the family, such as how the family deals with feelings.
Attitudes concerning the importance of appearance, achievement, etc.
The Parent’s own body image attitudes and dieting behavior.

Biological Factors

Biological Factors may include:
A person’s predisposition to imbalances in serotonin (a neuro-transmitter involved in mood and brain function).
Reduced blood flow to the temporal lobe.
Fasting, over-exercise, and vomiting may affect chemicals which are involved in mood control.

Individual Factors A range of Individual Factors can also play an important role in the development of an Eating Disorder, such as:

• People with high or overly high personal expectations
• Belief that for someone to love them, they must be perfect.
• Self-esteem issues
• High need for approval from others
• Social anxiety
• People who find it difficult to express their feelings or needs.
• People who find it difficult to be assertive.
• A range of personality factors, which may be affected by malnutrition.

A range of External or Precipitating Factors may also be involved in the onset of an Eating Disorder, such as:

• A life crisis, such as a family loss, a friendship loss, moving to a new home, school or job, personal disappointment etc.
• Accumulation of relatively minor stress causing factors. In addition, cultural, family, and other individual factors may intensify at various times, causing heightened levels of stress.
• Dieting
• A history of abuse.
• Uncertainty

Warning Signs

In addition to the signs and symptoms for each type of Eating Disorder , a range of warning signs can also indicate the possible development of an Eating Disorder. The possible early warning signs of Eating Disorders may include one or more of the following:   

• Adoption of slow eating strategies, such as eating with a teaspoon.
• Anxiety.
• Avoidance of social situations involving food.
• Depression.
• Dieting or overeating.
• Disappearance of large amounts of food, food wrappers in bins, and so on.
• Excessive or fluctuating exercise patterns.
• Faintness, dizziness, fatigue.
• Fast eating.
• Fear of becoming overweight.
• Feelings of being out of control with respect to food.
• Hoarding food.
• Increased interest in preparing food for others.
• Irritability.
• Loss or disturbance of menstrual periods (females).
• Making frequent excuses not to eat. Mood changes or mood swings.
• Obsessive rituals, such as only drinking out of a certain cup, only eating certain foods on certain days, and so on.
• Over eating.
• Preoccupation with ‘good’ and ‘bad’ foods.
• Pre-occupation with body appearance or weight. Radical change in clothing style.
• Regular trips to the bathroom after meals – may be to regurgitate the food just eaten?
• Sensitivity to the cold, especially when this id because someone is too thin.
• Sleep disturbances.
• Social withdrawal and social isolation.
• Spending most of the meal time rearranging food on plate, without actually consuming much of it.
• Wearing baggy clothes.
• Weight loss or change, mostly due to dieting, but sometimes from a stressful situation or illness.

Many of the behaviors that are associated with Eating Disorders are secretive, hard to spot, or can be dismissed as someone "going through puberty". As such, it is not uncommon for an Eating Disorder to go undetected. In addition, some Eating Disorders are hard to detect for other reasons. For example, Bulimia can be very difficult to detect as the sufferer may be of normal or fluctuating body weight, and they may be good at hiding or disguising the signs and symptoms that may associate them with Bulimia. The symptoms of an Eating Disorder may be the first indications that the sufferer is experiencing psychological problems and distress. Some people exhibit many signs of an Eating Disorder, while others may exhibit only a few.

Complications and Effects

Eating Disorders can place a tremendous emotional strain on sufferers. If left unattended and untreated, Eating Disorders can destroy the quality of a sufferer’s life and be potentially life threatening.
For example, the complications associated with Anorexia and other Eating Disorders can have an extreme affect on a person’s health and well being, and the complications may include cardiac arrest, suicide, and a range of other extreme health, physical, and/or psychological issues.
For most Eating Disorder sufferers, however, the complications will hopefully be a lot more mild than this, but they may include:
Complications caused by Food Restriction and Starvation
Complications caused by Vomiting
Complications caused by Laxative Misuse
Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Eating Disorders
Each of these complication areas are discussed below.

Complications caused by Food Restriction and Starvation

Food Restriction and Starvation can be a symptom of several types of Eating Disorder, especially Anorexia. The complications caused by Food Restriction and Starvation may include any of the following:
Abdominal pain.
Anemia (iron deficiency).
Cardiac irregularities.
Changes in hair, skin and nails. For example, nails may become dry and brittle.
Constipation or diarrhea.
Easy bruising.
Fainting.
Fertility problems and even infertility.
Growth of down-like body hair.
Headaches.
Heartburn.
Hormonal irregularities.
Hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) which can cause confusion, illogical thinking, coma, shakiness, irritability and fatigue.
Kidney dysfunction.
Muscle wasting and/or weakness
Oedema (retention of body fluid giving a ‘puffy’ appearance – see section 16 Glossary of Terms).
Reduced bone density, possibly leading to osteoporosis.
Reduced concentration, memory and thinking ability.
Reduced metabolic rate leading to slow heart rate, low blood pressure, reduced body temperature and bluish colored extremities.
Severe sensitivity to the cold.
Stunting of growth and/or height.

Complications caused by Vomiting

Vomiting can be a symptom of several types of Eating Disorder, especially Anorexia and Bulimia. The complications caused by vomiting may include any of the following:
Abdominal pain.
Bloating.
Cramps – see electrolyte imbalance.
Electrolyte imbalance resulting in cardiac arrhythmia, muscle fatigue, and cramps.
Enlarged salivary glands.
Erosion of tooth enamel.
Heartburn.
Indigestion.
Muscle fatigue – see electrolyte imbalance.
Sore throat.

Complications caused by Laxative Misuse

Laxative misuse can be a symptom of several types of Eating Disorder, especially Anorexia and Bulimia. The complications caused by laxative misuse may include any of the following:
Abdominal and stomach cramps.
Bleeding, this can lead to anemia.
Bowel disease.
Bowel problems.
Constipation.
Dehydration – which can be very serious and may impair body functioning.
Diarrhea.
Electrolyte imbalance resulting in cardiac arrhythmia, muscle fatigue, and cramps.
Weakening of the bowel which may to lead difficultly with bowel movements.

Emotional and Psychological Consequences of Eating Disorders

A range of motional and psychological consequences can be caused by all types of Eating Disorder, and the resulting complications may include any of the following:
Anxiety and anxiety disorders
Depression
Difficulty with relationships
Drug abuse and drug misuse
Guilt
Impaired achievements at school, work, and so on.
Irritability.
Lack of assertiveness
moodiness
Obsessive behavior
Reduced quality of life
Self-dislike and even self-loathing
Sensitivity to criticism
Social isolation and social withdrawal
Suicidal tendencies, thoughts, or behavior

Prevention

Preventing Eating Disorder can be very difficult. However, ensuring that your friends, family and children are emotionally and mentally prepared to deal with the challenges of modern life and are able to confront the potential causes of Eating Disorders in general (see section 9 Causes above) is a good start towards preventing the development of Eating Disorders in the people you care most about. For example, regularly discuss sensible eating and nutritional habits with your children and family and ensure that your children are exposed to realistic body images.
If you suspect that any of your family or friends may have developed, or may be developing, an eating disorder (see section 10 Warning Signs above), then you can play a key part in providing the support and assistance that they will need in order to gain the courage to research and weigh up their behavior, seek a formal diagnosis, and, if the diagnosis is confirmed, to begin treatment. The sooner the Eating Disorders is diagnosed and appropriate treatments begun, the better the outcomes are likely to be. Early treatment can help prevent much or even all of the health, social, mental, and other damage and complications that can occur as a result of an Eating Disorder.

Anorexia study answers questions

When it comes to eating disorders, few are as tragic as anorexia. It’s a disorder that many of us are familiar with, but few realize what terrible consequences that anorexia can have on someone’s body. For a long time, we’ve known that anorexia is a problem that occurs on a psychological level, and it’s tough for anorexics to overcome their problem by just wishing it away. Many sufferers feel the same bad way about their bodies when they are trying to stop the eating disorder, and it can cause them to relapse, leading to worse problems. When the body isn’t getting enough nutrition, it suffers. Anorexics, if untreated, will experience stunted bone development, heart problems, muscle wasting and generally depressed health. Many suffer psychologically from the disorder as well, with feelings of shame and low self-image being the result of their woes. For that reason, it’s important that anyone who has the disorder should seek treatment for their own well-being. While counseling and treatment can be helpful, many anorexics relapse into their condition afterwards. Sadly, many anorexics pay the ultimate price and die as a result of the damage that the disorder does to their body. Recently, a study was conducted which has helped to shed some light on the problem that anorexics face with their bodies.

Doctor Naresh Mondraty of the University of New South Wales presented the results of a research study that his team had conducted at the school. The study consisted of several anorexic women who were shown pictures of their own body and pictures of other women’s bodies. Brain scans were taken as the girls were looking at the images, and the researchers found astonishing results. As it turns out, when the girls looked at images of their own body, certain parts of their brain simply ‘shut down’, showing that the girls pattern of thought regarding their self image was largely negative. The suppression of the brain activity shown in the brain scans proved that the girls were chemically depressed about their own appearance, even when they were well below their recommended body weight.

This study can help to show why it is so hard for anorexics to recover from their problems. Since the girls’ brain activity showed that their bodies resulted in serious changes in the way the brain was functioning, it can be a difficult cycle to break. While we’ve always known that anorexia existed on a largely psychological level, the neurological connections that this study has shown should prove to take some of the shame away from the disease. It shows that anorexia nervosa is a serious problem with one’s physical and mental health that can be very difficult to conquer. The girls in the study showed that regardless of what the world said about their bodies, they honestly felt disgusted by their own appearance. Hopefully, the light that this shines upon the eating disorder’s basic chemistry will prove to be of merit in helping to solve the problem in the future.

Link Between Anorexia and Bulimia?

According to e-Bulimia.com, anorexia and bulimia are the two most common eating disorders. They tend to appear most commonly in women. In fact, 90 percent of all cases are in women.

(PRWEB) September 9, 2005 — According to e-Bulimia.com, anorexia and bulimia are the two most common eating disorders. They tend to appear most commonly in women. In fact, 90 percent of all cases are in women. Most eating disorders begin in the teenage years: anorexia most often occurs around puberty, and bulimia hits a bit later.

People with anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa share the same fear, guilt, and shame about food and fat. Still, they are two separate disorders with different symptoms. People with anorexia starve and exercise themselves thin. People with bulimia eat unhealthy amounts of food and then vomit or purge themselves. People with anorexia or bulimia tend to start at normal weights, but then suffer from poor nutrition as well as the mental and emotional effects of having an eating disorder. Some people with eating disorders may have a combination of anorexia and bulimia.

People with anorexia or bulimia, despite their different behaviors toward food, share many of the same symptoms. Both are undernourished, and, as a result, may have dry skin, brittle hair and nails, be constipated, and may be sensitive to temperature changes. Women may have irregular periods. People with eating disorders may develop food rituals, like only eating certain foods or at specific times, and they may eat in secret. Even when thin, people with eating disorders think of themselves as fat and are terrified of gaining weight.

Each eating disorder has its unique symptoms, however. People with anorexia lose dramatic amounts of weight, eat little amounts of food, and exercise excessively. People with bulimia, however, have symptoms related to constant vomiting. Their stomach acid eats away at their teeth enamel, burns their esophagus, and can cause the salivary glands to swell. People with bulimia may also have cuts or bruises on their fingers from inducing vomiting.

Both anorexia and bulimia are completely treatable. People with eating disorders need professional help from doctors and psychiatrists. It may take years to learn to control an eating disorder. Love and support from friends and family are also needed for recovery from any eating disorder.

About e-bulimia.com
Bulimia provides detailed information about the causes, symptoms, and effects of bulimia; bulimia treatment and recovery; the relationship between anorexia and bulimia; and information about the “pro bulimia” viewpoint.

Eating Habits And Disorders

Healthy Eating

Healthy eating gives us good strength for daily work and new energy flows in the body. Healthy eating means that the eating pyramid contains the balance of all nutrition in it which is essential for the body. Variety of food is important for a healthy diet because single food never fulfill the quality of a healthy diet.

A healthy diet is the combination of fruits, dairy, protein and vegetable. There is no problem for the person who is able to eat non vegetarian food to gain a healthy diet. Variety of food is more important when a person prefers vegetarian food. Because vegetarian sometimes do not get enough protein and other vitamins like zinc and iron which is mostly found in the meat. Healthy diet for women includes more calcium and iron compare to the healthy diet for man.

Eating Disorder

Eating disorder means the extreme expression of food by man and woman. The Eating disorder means the behavior and attitude related to eating. Eating disorder includes compulsive overeating and anorexia nervosa.

Symptoms of Compulsive Overeating:

1. Eating without hunger
2. Embracement of weight
3. Engaged in continual diet

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa:

1. Fear of becoming fat/obese
2. Social withdrawal, perfectionism.
3. Loss of menstrual cycle
4. Body weight below normal weight

Tips for Healthy Eating:

1. Don’t skip meal: Plan your daily meal and snacks. For healthy eating habit, we should have 3 meals and 2 snacks every day.

2. Learn simple way to prepare food: Try to learn various simple way of preparing food for yourself. Try dried herbs (basil, parsley) and spices (chili powder, lemon pepper) instead of adding topping link butter and gravy.

3. Avoid eating more sugar: Sugar drinks contain more energy in the form of calories and these drinks do not have other vitamins and protein which body needs. So avoid such type of drinks.

4. Pay attention to your eating while having meal: Listen to our body while you are having meal. Stop when you feel satiated. This will help your body to balance the energy.

Determining Anorexia

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that many know about but few talk about. It’s a disorder that can be very shameful, and difficult to conquer. Many anorexics may be in denial of their condition, and it can be tough to determine how serious one’s feelings are towards their self image. In this article, we’ll give you a basic idea of what anorexia is and help to explain when you might have a problem with the disorder.

Anorexia is, above all, a form of mental illness. That’s not to say that anorexics are crazy; it simply alludes to the fact that the brain functioning of someone with the disorder is unhealthy. For that reason, it can be very difficult for anorexics to simply stop anorexic behaviors without outside help. To that end, here are some of the things that doctors look for when it comes to diagnosing anorexia. If you think that some of the criteria fit the situation that you are in, you may want to seek outside help for dealing with your nutrition.

Most doctors diagnose anorexia first and foremost by the weight that an individual is. If you are 85 percent or less of your recommended body weight due to a refusal to gain weight, a problem with anorexia might be present. This level of weight is extremely unhealthy, and it can result in serious damage to one’s body. Another thing that doctors look for is a noted fear within the individual when it comes to gaining weight. They may be unnaturally fearful of being overweight, and these signs can really help to determine if one’s obsession with weight is unhealthy. Also, if you tend to deny the fact that your body weight is insufficient, and you have low feelings of self worth, doctors may recommend treatment. Remember, anorexia is a problem that is rooted psychologically, and physically changing behavior patterns alone will not be a sufficient solution. If you feel that you may be facing a problem with anorexia, you should at least give yourself the privilege of speaking with a doctor or an eating disorder counselor about your problem.

If you think that a friend may be anorexic, there are some warning signs that you may be able to note. Those with the disorder will often avoid questions about their weight as well as they can, and may get angry if you try to discuss the issue with them. Also, they may avoid eating in public as to disguise their diet. If you see some of these warning signs, do your best to get your friend to a physician. If you wait too long, the damage that the disorder does to the body can become so severe that it can be tough to recover from them, and the use of an IV may be employed to try to bring your loved one back to health. The danger that eating disorders present are many, so addressing the problem is paramount to keeping your friend in proper health.

Bulimia is another eating disorder that permeates our culture today. As opposed to anorexics, which use dieting techniques and weight-loss pills to a high degree, bulimics find solace in ‘purging’. Bulimic individuals usually eat a large amount of food, then retreat to a bathroom in order to regurgitate, or ‘purge’ the food from their system, causing them to lose the nutritional value and calories that the food they consume offers. The use of laxatives may also be employed by bulimics, causing a case of diarrhea and eliminating the nutritional value that they receive. You may be able to see warning signs for bulimia if an individual binges upon foods that are high in fat and sweets, engorging as much food as possible, then retiring to the bathroom in order to purge the foods. Poor self image is also a leading reason why people may become bulimic, and it’s an important thing to note when considering the health of a friend or family member.

Diagnosis Criteria for Anorexia and Bulimia

If you suspect someone you love may be suffering from an eating disorder, it will help you to become familiarized with the diagnosis criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia, the two most common forms of eating disorders. According to the American Psychiatric (APA) Association, in order to be diagnosed with one of these eating disorders, the individual must manifest a specific set of diagnosis criteria in order to be diagnosed. Here are the APA’s guidelines to diagnosing anorexia nervosa and bulimia.

According to the APA, in order for a person to be diagnosed with anorexia nervosa, they must display the following symptoms. First, the individual seeks to maintain a weight that is not healthy. This is defined using the lowest weight that is considered normal for the individual’s age and height. An individual suffering from anorexia nervosa will seek to maintain a weight that is below the lowest normal weight for their age and height. Anorexia nervosa patients may manifest pronounced anxiety and fear about gaining weight. They may fear becoming overweight, even if they happen to be at a healthy weight, or even very underweight. Individuals with anorexia nervosa suffer from severely distorted body images. They may refuse to eat, withdraw from friends and family, and engage in a strenuous exercise routine. Women who are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa have generally missed at least three consecutive menstrual periods.

Children of Gastric Bypass Patients at Risk for Eating Disorders

As parents who’ve had gastric bypass we face many challenges raising a family. Perhaps an unexpected challenge is when a child develops an eating disorder that may be exacerbated by the parents dieting habits. It turns out as our children observe us diet and fail (repeatedly) before having gastric bypass, then they watch us lose weight in an almost obsessive excitement after weight loss surgery (WLS), some panic and vow “this will not happen to me.” A descent into an eating disorder may follow.

According to Anorexia Bulima Help “Dieting or restriction of certain foods, or excessive dieting from parents” is a contributing factor in teen and pre-teen eating disorders. In addition “The appearance obsessed society most people live in can contribute to eating disorders . . . When combined with a low self-esteem, feelings of depression or anxiety or isolation, the effects can be devastating. Eating disorders commonly erupt as a coping mechanism, as a way for people to feel more “normal” and in control in a society that isn’t really normal to begin with.”

Wow. Are you worried? Growing up I watched my mother work her way up and down the scale many times. No need to name the diets she tried: we all tried them. I believe I learned from her that diet equals failure. It seems like every time she’d get to the benchmark, “this is the lowest weight I’ve been since having my first child” suddenly her weight loss would stop and back up the scale she’d climb at a rapid rate. She is morbidly obese today and no longer attempts dieting. Who can blame her?

Did she know that was the lesson she was teaching me? That eventually I’d "diet" myself into morbid obesity? I don’t think so, and I don’t blame her. She didn’t know any better.

We know better today. It is our stewardship to our children to do the best we can to protect them, raise them healthy, and teach them healthy habits of nutrition and exercise. We owe it to our children to keep them off the operating table and out of eating disorder treatment centers.

But how to do that? By example and by being informed.

Anorexia Bulima Help is a comprehensive resource on eating disorders – if you fear someone in your family is suffering from an eating disorder please visit this site. The site includes many links to several other resources about eating disorders.

Kaye Bailey – All Rights Reserved. Kaye Bailey is a weight loss surgery success story having maintained her health and goal weight for 5+ years. An award winning journalist, she is the author and webmaster of www.livingafterwls.com and www.livingafterwls.blogspot.com Fresh & insightful content is added daily, check in often.Provided By: Health and Fitness

Anorexia Statistics

Without a doubt, one of the most prevalent eating disorders within our culture today is the one that is known as anorexia nervosa. It’s a disorder which takes hold mentally within a sufferer, causing them to feel as if their body will never be as skinny as they want it to be. Those dealing with a case of anorexia can due much damage to their body and it’s an important problem to address. In this article, we’ll relay some statistics that we’ve found regarding this troublesome eating disorder so that you can get a good idea of how prevalent the disease is.
There are several different types of anorexia, and you may be shocked to find out that a full five percent of all women in America face a problem with one subset of anorexia. Coincidentally, as much as fifteen percent of all American women have unhealthy behaviors when it comes to eating. Few people realize exactly how many people face a problem with anorexia: five percent of all women account for one in twenty women having a definite problem with the disorder.

The stems of anorexia may occur when an individual is very young. The pressures that society places upon youth to be perfect specimens can really lead to a damaged self esteem that can cause a case of anorexia to occur. Studies have shown that as many as seventy percent of surveyed sixth grade girls started to become weight conscious between age nine and eleven. The study also showed that these girls often began dieting to curb their weight problems in middle school. Many argue that these pressures are too intense for our youth and that advertising should take a larger responsibility when it comes to marketing towards adolescents.
While females are most commonly associated with cases of anorexia nervosa, men may be affected as well. In fact, five to ten percent of all cases of anorexia are exhibited in men.

As noted before, many cases of eating disorders develop while an individual is young. A study was conducted that asked anorexic patients when they feel that they began suffering from the disorder, and the results showed that a full eighty six percent of all individuals with anorexia developed the condition by age twenty. Forty three percent of the patients surveyed stated that their problem began between age sixteen and twenty, thirty three percent became anorexic between ages eleven and sixteen, and ten percent began while they were ten years of age or below.
Eating disorders can be a very serious problem. It’s a sad statistic to consider, but as many as twenty percent of all individuals with eating disorders will die due to their condition. When the condition is addressed and treated, however, the mortality rate from an eating disorder drops to between two and three percent.
Now that you know more about how common anorexia can be and how badly it can affect the health of an individual, you can realize how important it is to treat the condition if it is present in you or a loved one.

When you are looking for the warning signs that one may have anorexia, there are a few things to consider. For one, a drastic amount of weight loss will be present within the individual. They may decline eating when in a public circumstance as to lead friends and family to believe that they simply aren’t hungry. Girls who suffer from anorexia will experience a loss of their menstrual period, and when it occurs for at least three months in a row, anorexia is probably evident. A sufferer may also exhibit signs of weakness such as anxiety, a weakness of the body, and a shortness of breath.

Anorexia

Anorexia (also known as Anorexia Nervosa), involves a severe restriction of food intake, usually due to an intense fear of getting fat, that can cause extreme weight loss to unhealthy or even deadly levels.
People with Anorexia see themselves as being overweight, even though they often are underweight or even dangerously underweight. In addition, the entire process of eating becomes an obsession, and unusual eating habits develop.

The first known documented occurrences of Anorexia appeared in 1873 when two physicians, Sir William Gull and Dr E. C. Lasegue, both published separate case histories of patients with the disease.

It is currently estimated that between 0.5% to 3.7% of females living in Western society will suffer from some form of Anorexia at some time during their life.
Approximately one-sixth of Western people with Anorexia are male, so less than 1% of Western males will suffer from some form of Anorexia at some time during their life.
The mortality rate among Western females with Anorexia is currently estimated at 0.56% per year, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population.
The most common causes of death for Anorexia sufferers are complications of the disorder, such as cardiac arrest or electrolyte imbalance, and suicide.

Anorexia is characterized by the following signs and symptoms:

Diagnosis

Initially, friends and family may suspect that a person suffers from Anorexia by observing one or more of the signs and symptoms of the condition (see section 4.3 above) regularly over a period of time, or by observing one of the warning signs of Eating Disorder in general A diagnosis for Anorexia usually requires nothing more than analyzing a person’s eating habits and measuring their weight and height.

Treatment

All Eating Disorders can be treated and a healthy weight restored. However, the sooner the Eating Disorders is diagnosed and appropriate treatments begun, the better the outcomes are likely to be. Eating Disorders can be highly complex, requiring a comprehensive treatment strategy which involves psychosocial interventions, nutritional counseling, medical care and monitoring, and perhaps even medication management. At the time of diagnosis, a doctor will need to determine whether a person health and well-being is in serious danger and may recommend immediate hospitalization. The course and outcome for people suffering from Anorexia can vary from person to person and case to case. Some people fully recover after a single episode. Others have a fluctuating pattern of weight gain and relapse. While others may experience a chronically deteriorating course of illness over many years, which may eventually lead to death.

The treatment of Anorexia usually involves three main phases:
Restoring weight lost as a result of severe dieting and purging.
Treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts.
Achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery.
As with all Eating Disorders, early diagnosis and treatment greatly improves the sufferer’s outlook and increases the treatment success rate.
Other treatment options for Anorexia may also be required. For example, psychotropic medications, which include antidepressants such as Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), have proven helpful for weight maintenance and for resolving various mood and anxiety symptoms that are often associated with Anorexia. This is particularly true with sufferers who exhibit significant symptoms of depression or anxiety, or those who have not responded adequately to psychosocial treatment alone. These medications also may help prevent relapse or recurrence of the condition.
In severe cases, the management of severe weight loss can be managed in a hospital, where stringent feeding plans address the sufferer’s medical and nutritional needs. In the most extreme cases, other measures, such as intravenous feeding, may be recommended or even essential. Once malnutrition has been reversed and weight gain has begun, a range of psychotherapies, such as cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal psychotherapy, can help people with Anorexia overcome low self-esteem and address distorted thought and behavior patterns. Families are often included in these therapeutic processes.

People with Eating Disorders often do not recognize or admit that they are ill. As a result, they may strongly resist treatments for their condition. Family members and other trusted individuals can be essential in ensuring that the sufferer receives needed care and continues with their rehabilitation. For some people, treatment may be long term.