Heading: Eating disorders

Teaser: The silent agony of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia

by Dr. Melissa Jo Sharpe

Anorexia nervosa is a psychological illness characterised by a consistent reduction in food intake. Fear of gaining weight and a warped body image cause the anorexic to strive constantly for weight loss. It is a disease that leads to self-starvation to maintain an abnormally low body weight. It can occur in people of all ages, gender, race, and economic status, although it occurs mostly in adolescents and young adult females.

It differs from another eating disorder known as bulimia. People with anorexia decrease their food intake until they stop eating completely, they become obsessed with counting calories. Bulimic people binge-eat then force themselves to purge or vomit. The effects of excessive purging include exposure to stomach acids that can wear down enamel on the teeth and the development of enlarged salivary glands. The loss of water, electrolytes and acid imbalances cause potassium losses that lead to the damage of skeletal muscles and kidneys.

Both are extremely dangerous but with the starvation and resultant dehydration and malnutrition experienced in anorexia, nearly every system in the body is adversely affected. Not getting enough micro and macro nutrients effects the heart, brain, digestive tract, and endocrine system (hormones). If anorexia is continuous, over several years, the structural bone loss, physical growth and brain changes may never fully recover.

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Physical signs and symptoms:

Significant weight loss over several weeks or months

Unexplained changes in growth curve and BMI (body mass index)

Feeling tired

Slow or irregular heartbeat

Poor concentration and focus

Feeling cold all the time

Irritability

Fainting and dizziness

Low Blood pressure

Dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss or thinning

Growth of fine hair on the body

Secretive behaviour especially at mealtimes

Emotional and behavioural changes

Having unusual interest in food, calorie counting etc.

Strange eating habits and routines such as eating in secret, eliminating certain food types, eating food in certain order, rearranging food on plate

Feeling fat even if under weight

Withdrawal from friends and social events

Striving for perfection and being very self-critical

Wearing loose clothes to hide weight loss

The exact cause of anorexia is not known, but research suggest that a combination of certain personality traits, emotions and thinking patterns as well as biological and environmental factors might be responsible. People with an eating disorder my use food or eating (or not eating) to gain a sense of control when other areas of their lives are very stressful. In addition, people with eating disorders might have troubled relationships or have a history of being teased about their weight or size. Pressure from peers and society that project the “perfect” body image as “thinness” has a huge impact.

As the world changes rapidly the youth of today are under even more pressure than years ago, and as can be seen on social media, more and more children are being bullied at school.

Treatment of anorexia

The goal of treatment is to stabilize weight loss, begin nutritional rehabilitation, treat emotional issues, and correct distorted thinking patterns and to develop long term behavioural changes.