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About Anorexia Nervosa

People who have anorexia not eating enough food or exercising too much, or both so as to keep their weight as low as possible which can make them very ill as they start to starve. They think they are fat even when they are underweight and often have a distorted image of their bodies. Though it is most common in young women and typically starts in the mid-teens, men and women of any age can get anorexia.

What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder in which a person limits eating and weighs at least 15% less than his or her ideal weight because of an extremely strong fear of gaining weight or becoming fat. Eating disorders can occur to all genders, age groups, and socio-economic groups. Some surveys state that it highly develops in teens and 90% of patients are females.

The person, who has Anorexia Nervosa, continues to fear weight gain and constantly put efforts in losing weight no matter how much weight is lost. It’s extremely unhealthy and could be sometimes life-threatening if it is neglected.

Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

It may be difficult to notice signs and symptoms of anorexia nervosa because these are related to starvation and what has considered a body weight varies from person to person. Some individuals may not appear extremely thin even though they have this disorder.

Also, people with anorexia always cover their thinness, eating habits or physical problems. It is very important that family members understand the eating disorder and recognize its signs and symptoms.

Physical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

Physical signs and symptoms of anorexia may include:

• Extreme weight loss or not making expected developmental weight gains
• Thin appearance
• Abnormal blood counts
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Dizziness or fainting
• Bluish discoloration of the fingers
• Hair that thins, breaks or falls out
• Soft, downy hair covering the body
• Absence of menstruation
• Constipation and abdominal pain
• Dry or yellowish skin
• Intolerance of cold
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Low blood pressure
• Dehydration
• Swelling of arms or legs
• Eroded teeth and calluses on the knuckles from induced vomiting

Emotional and behavioral symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa

• Preoccupation with food, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
• Frequently skipping meals or refusing to eat
• Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
• Eating only certain foods that are low in fat and calories
• Adopting rigid meal or eating rituals
• Not wanting to eat in public
• Lying about how much food has been eaten
• Fear of gaining weight that may include repeated weighing or measuring the body
• Frequent checking in the mirror for perceived flaws
• Complaining about being fat or having parts of the body that is fat
• Covering up in layers of clothing
• Flat mood (lack of emotion)
• Social withdrawal
• Irritability
• Insomnia
• Reduced interest in sex

What are the Causes of Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa doesn’t have a single identifiable cause and sometimes exact cause is unknown. As with many diseases, it may include a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.

Biological:

• It is believed that there may be genetic changes that make some people at higher risk of developing anorexia but it’s not yet clear which genes are involved.
• Some people may have a genetic tendency toward perfectionism, sensitivity, and determination, all traits associated with anorexia.
• A history of psychiatric disorders.
• Personal or family history of obesity.

Psychological:

• Some people with anorexia may have symptoms of depression or obsessive-compulsive personality traits that make it easier to stick diets and skip food despite being hungry.
• They may have an extreme desire to be perfect, which causes them to think they’re never thin enough.
• A consequence of fears and high levels of anxiety about becoming an adult make them engage in restrictive eating to reduce it.
• Low self-esteem
• Depression, anxiety, stress, anger, or loneliness
• Unhappiness with body image
• It can be caused by emotional and behavioral issues involving an unrealistic perception of body weight.

Environmental:

• Modern Western culture emphasizes thinness. They say that Success and worth are often equated with being thin.
• Cultural influences, like images from television, film, and pressure from peers, leave the impression that being thin is best.
• This kind of pressures may help fuel the desire to be thin, particularly among young girls. Difficult family relationships may also be the reason.
• Social pressure to be thin.
• History of being teased because of weight or size
• Professions with an emphasis on body shape and size (dancers, models, athletes)

Risk factors of Anorexia Nervosa

Some possible risk factors for the development of Anorexia Nervosa include:

• Changes in specific genes may put certain people at higher risk of anorexia.
• Dieting is a risk factor for developing an eating disorder.
• Transitions like Prone to extremes, such as ‘black and white’ thinking
• Competitiveness
• Amenorrhea (stopping of menstrual periods or an absence of menstruation in young teens).
• Fear or avoidance of conflict
• Inability to effectively deal with stress

Complications involved in Anorexia Nervosa

• Anemia
• Heart problems, such as mitral valve prolapse, abnormal heart rhythms or heart failure
• Bone loss (osteoporosis), increasing the risk of fractures
• Loss of muscle
• In females, the absence of a period
• In males, decreased testosterone
• Gastrointestinal problems, such as constipation, bloating or nausea
• Electrolyte abnormalities, such as low blood potassium, sodium, and chloride
• Kidney problems
• Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
• Personality disorders
• Obsessive-compulsive disorders
• Alcohol and substance misuse
• Self-injury, suicidal thoughts or suicide attempts

Do’s and Don’ts – Anorexia Nervosa

• Shouldn’t think as you are fat and keep yourself busy doing some work.
• Support yourself and your relationships with those you care about.
• Keep in mind that perfection is an unachievable goal and will always give you disappointment.
• stop counting and measuring calories
• Don’t let exercise becoming “torture”
• Don’t let the ways of dieting and strictly controlled exercise enter into your life.
• Change to circumstances
• Don’t make your child to diet or exercise.
• Don’t compare yourself with others.
• Don’t discuss food, calories, fatness, shape, etc.
• Don’t believe you are anorexia, a special subject. Remember that eating disorders treat everyone with the same brutality.

How to diagnose Anorexia nervosa?

If your doctors suspect that you have anorexia nervosa, then they will typically do several tests to help identify the problem, rule out medical causes for the weight loss and check for associated complications.

These exams and tests generally include:

1. Physical exam
2. Lab tests
3. Psychological evaluation
4. Other studies like X-rays may be taken

Medical advice for Anorexia Nervosa

Take doctors advice if you have a question about food restriction, feelings of sadness or anxiety, or persistent problems with body image. And even if you’re already seeing a specialist, you must stick with the treatment plan that you and your doctor create. That means you need to attend all therapy sessions and follow meal plans.

A family member should be the first to notice such problems and should contact a doctor about the person who is having trouble. Severe weight loss or starvation can become a medical emergency, so early treatment is desirable.

Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa

People with Anorexia Nervosa generally don’t like to go for treatment instead they always want to diet and maintain less weight which is not good for health. So the first step toward recovery is to set up a treatment plan with your doctor and a Successful treatment generally includes continuous medical care, regular therapy, nutritional counseling, etc.

A body malnourished by anorexia nervosa may take many months or even years for Restoration. Therefore, restoration of weight and nutritional health is the most important component of treatment for anorexia nervosa.

Although sometimes certain antidepressants are used to treat anorexia, they are not always effective, and no medication is FDA approved to treat it. The types of treatment include

1. Psychotherapy: This is a type of counseling that focuses on changing the way of thinking (cognitive therapy) and behavior (behavioral therapy) of a person with this disorder. Treatment includes some practical techniques for developing a healthy attitude toward food and weight, as well as approaches for changing the way the person responds to difficult situations.
2. Medication: Some selective antidepressant medications might be used to help control anxiety and depression and may also help with sleep and stimulate appetite.
3. Nutrition counseling: This counseling process is designed to teach a healthy approach to food and weight, to help restore normal eating patterns, and to teach the importance of nutrition and following a balanced diet.
4. Group and/or family therapy: Family support is very much needed to treat this disorder successfully. People with this disorder might benefit from group therapy, where they can find support and help. They can openly discuss their feelings and concerns with others who share common experiences and problems.
5. Hospitalization: Hospitalization is preferred when the patient has severe weight loss that has resulted in malnutrition and other serious mental or physical health complications, such as heart disorders, serious depression, and risk of suicide. In some critical conditions, the patient might need to be fed through a feeding tube or through an IV.

Treatment challenges in Anorexia Nervosa

One of the biggest challenges in treating anorexia is treating the people who don’t want to get treated. Barriers to treatment may include the following:

• Thinking you don’t need treatment at all
• Fearing the weight gain
• Not seeing anorexia as an illness but rather a lifestyle choice

People with anorexia can recover but they’re at increased risk of relapse during periods of high stress or during triggering situations. Ongoing therapy or periodic appointments during times of stress will help you in staying healthy.

Ask Questions to Practitioner:

The following are the questions you might want to ask your doctor or mental health professional:

1. What kinds of tests do I need? Do these tests require any special preparation?
2. Is this condition temporary or long lasting?
3. What treatments are available, and which do you recommend?
4. Is there a generic alternative to the medicine you’re prescribing?
5. Are there any brochures or other printed material that I can have? What websites do you recommend?

What to expect from your doctor?  

Your doctor or mental health professional may ask you the following questions:

1. How long have you been worried about your weight?
2. Do you exercise? How often?
3. What ways have you used to lose weight?
4. Are you having any physical symptoms?
5. Have you ever vomited because you were uncomfortably full?
6. Have others expressed concern that you’re too thin?
7. Do you think about food often?
8. Do you ever eat in secret?
9. Have any of your family members ever had symptoms of an eating disorder or been diagnosed with an eating disorder?

Self-care for Anorexia Nervosa – Natural remedies

If you have anorexia, it’s understandable that you have more concern about your body weight. You may not be eating enough food because you trust you’ll become perfect if you lose weight. But starving yourself can make you very week and sick. Sometimes it may even threaten life.

The malnutrition that accompanies anorexia nervosa can impact negatively on all systems of the body. Patients with anorexia nervosa should be under the observation and care of treatment team which includes registered dietitian nutritionist, a psychotherapist, and a psychiatrist.

If you want to come out of this problem, then there are many things you can do to help yourself.  Here are some things you can do to start feeling strong and in control again.

• Set Goals You Can Meet: Write down reasons why it is silly to think that thinner people are better. Make a list of good things you have done and Review them regularly. Keep in mind not to set too many goals at once. Because, if you don’t meet them you could end up frustrated or disappointed. If this happens, don’t give up. Just make a new list of goals that are easier.
• Practice Smart Eating Habits: Concentrate on eating a diet of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. Eat when you’re hungry and what you want. Stop eating when you’re full. Consult your doctor if there are any nutritional supplements that you should take. Because your body needs to get back the nutrients it has lost.
• Wear Clothes You Like: Choose comfortable clothes in which you feel good.
• Pamper Yourself: Make your body and mind stress-free with simple activities, like reading books, strolling through a garden, etc.
• Ask for Emotional Support: People around you may want to help you feel better. But first, you need to trust them. Make time to spend more time with family and friends who make you feel good about yourself. When people give you advice, remember they want what is best for you.
• Help Others: Taking good care of you is very important but worrying about food and weight loss is a waste of time and energy. You can use this time and energy to help the people who are in need. It will make you feel better about yourself and the environment around you.
• Give Your Mind a Rest: One of the most important things to remember that will be helpful is when you catch yourself checking constantly your body in the mirror, stop doing it. Get plenty of sleep at night. Stop giving importance to the hurtful or unrealistic messages you get from the Internet, TV, magazines, society, friends etc.

Investigations for Anorexia Nervosa

• CBC
• Serum chemistry
• TFTs
• LFT
• ECG
• Hormonal levels

Statistics of Anorexia Health disorders

• At any given point in time between 0.3-0.4% of young women and 0.1% of young men will suffer from anorexia nervosa
• Several more recent studies in the US have used broader definitions of eating disorders that more accurately reflect the range of disorders that occur, resulting in a higher prevalence of eating disorders.
• A 2007 study asked 9,282 English-speaking Americans about a variety of mental health conditions, including eating disorders.
• 2% of the girls met criteria for DSM5 anorexia, bulimia, or binge eating disorder.
• When the researchers included nonspecific eating disorder symptoms, a total of 13.2% of the girls had suffered from a DSM-5 eating disorder by age 20.
• Between 0.9% and 2.0% of females and 0.1% to 0.3% of males will develop anorexia
• Subthreshold anorexia occurs in 1.1% to 3.0% of adolescent females
• Anorexia is the third most common chronic disease among young people, after asthma and type 1diabetes.
• Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 with anorexia have 10 times the risk of dying compared to their same-aged peers.
• Males represent 25% of individuals with anorexia nervosa, and they are at a higher risk of dying, in part because they are often diagnosed later since many people assume males don’t have eating disorders.
• Subclinical eating disordered behaviors (including binge eating, purging, laxative abuse, and fasting for weight loss) are nearly as common among males as they are among females.
• An ongoing study in Minnesota has found the incidence of anorexia increasing over the last 50 years only in females aged 15 to 24. However, the incidence remained stable in other age groups and in males.

FAQs of Anorexia Nervosa

How is Anorexia Nervosa caused?

Anorexia can be caused based on the emotional and behavioral issues involving an unrealistic perception of body weight.

Is Anorexia Nervosa preventable?

The simple answer this question is probably not. Because Doctors don’t know what causes anorexia or how to stop someone from getting it.

What they do when someone has Anorexia Nervosa?

They don’t eat enough food because they often try to be perfect by being thin. They develop symptoms that make them sick and week and even threaten their life.

How to Detect Anorexia in Early-stage?

Before your loved one develops anorexia, they will likely start showing warning signs of the eating disorder, such as dramatic weight loss, constantly complaining about being fat, avoiding mealtimes, and excessively exercising.

When to see a doctor?

Many people with anorexia, unfortunately, don’t go to treatment, at least at the initial stage. Their desire to remain thin dominates concerns about their health. If you have a loved one you’re worried about, urge her or him to talk to a doctor before it’s too late.

When Do Doctors Prescribe Antidepressants for Anorexia?

There is no special medication that specifically treats anorexia. But doctors sometimes prescribe certain antidepressants or other types of medicines to help some of the symptoms sometimes related to anorexia, such as depression or anxiety.

Do Antidepressants have Side Effects?

There aren’t any long-term side effects from taking antidepressants. If any problem occurs, often go away after the one or two weeks. The most common side effects include Headache, Nausea, Blurred vision, Dry mouth, Diarrhea, Trouble sleeping, Weight gain, etc.

Is it dangerous to Stop Taking an Antidepressant Suddenly?

If you’re taking an antidepressant for anorexia and want to stop, then talk to your doctor first. If you quit it suddenly, it could make your symptoms come back and lead to withdrawal symptoms, including Nausea, Dizziness, Vomiting, Irritability, Nightmares, Headache, Prickling or tingling sensations on your skin, etc.

Who Gets Anorexia?

Eating disorders like anorexia are more commonly found in females rather than in males. The chance of developing an eating disorder is greater in actors, models, dancers, and athletes in sports where appearance and/or weight are important, such as wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, and figure skating.

How to overcome this disorder?

To overcome this disorder, first, you need to love yourself and stop comparing with others.  Make yourself busy with activities you enjoy, including physical activities. Plan them to do in time. Exercise because you should love being stronger, not just to lose weight and look slim. But before you start, talk to your doctor about the exercise plan.

When the person with Anorexia will be hospitalized?

Hospitalization is preferred when the patient has severe weight loss that has resulted in malnutrition and other serious mental or physical health complications, such as heart disorders, serious depression, and risk of suicide. In some critical cases, the patient may have to to be fed through a feeding tube.

Whom to contact for Anorexia?

You can contact any nutritionist near to you and also take the help of come help lines given below:

Anorexia Nervosa Help numbers are;

1. A National Eating Disorder Association (NEDA) Helpline, 1-800-931-2237
2. Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) Hotline, 1-630-577-1130
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline, 1-800-662-4357
4. National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) Hotline, 1-800-950-6264
5. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, 1-800-273-8255

These contact Anorexia Nervosa Help numbers may change time to time.