Anorexia Facts

Does your teenager have unusual eating habits? Does he/she always count on calories and avoid meals? Is he/she constantly afraid of gaining weight? If yes, be cautious and take some serious action, because your teen in all probability is suffering from “anorexia nervosa”, commonly known as “anorexia”. Anorexia is a very common psychiatric disorder that usually affects young women and men between the age group of 13 and 20. Girls and boys affected with this disorder are extremely worried about becoming fat and therefore stop eating, exercise excessively, and take laxatives to become thin. If left untreated for a long time it can become a life threatening disorder. Anorexia is certainly a big problem which can lead to malnutrition and in severe cases, even death! Anorexia can reduce the heart rate and lower blood pressure. Many anorexic patients use drugs to stimulate vomiting, urination, and vomiting. Such patients are also at the risk of damaging their brains or even heart failure. To get to know more facts about this disorder, read on.

Facts About Anorexia

Anorexia is characterized by excessive dieting and exercising leading to extreme thinness.
Anorexia usually begins during the teen years or young adulthood. The disorder is more prevalent in women than men. The disorder is prevalant mainly in white women who are high academic achievers and who have a goal-oriented family or personality.
Anorexia is more common in Caucasian and Hispanic women when compared to Black and Asian women.
People with anorexia will severely limit their dietary intake even though they want to eat or are very hungry out of fear of becoming fat.
Studies have revealed that up to 10% to 15% of anorexic patients may die from complication arising from the disorder.
Studies also put forward that 4 out of every 10 people affected with anorexia can fully recover with proper treatment.
Patients suffering from anorexia are usually intolerant to cold temperature as they have a low body weight.
Hospitalization may be necessary to treat severe cases of anorexia.
Younger patients may have their growth retarded due to undernourishment.
Studies show that genetically predisposed individuals can be at higher risk of developing anorexia.
It has been estimated that 1% of females in their teens and early 20s develop this disorder.
Anorexics have a slower and sometimes abnormal heart rate, low body temperature, electrolyte imbalances, and lower blood pressure.
Patients of anorexia sometimes have soft downy hair growth on their arms or on other parts of their bodies. This is due to the lack of nutrients and other essential vitamins in the body.
Women suffering from anorexia may have abnormal menstrual cycles.
People suffering from anorexia, even when dramatically thin, will see a distorted image of themselves when looking in the mirror. They will see themselves as being very fat, when in reality they are miserably thin.
Patients suffering from anorexia can develop kidney infections that can lead to kidney failure.
Many patients afflicted with anorexia suffer from tooth enamel decay that can also cause cavities in their teeth.
Anorexic people have stomachs that are extremely reduced in size. This can make them feel overstuffed even after a small meal.
These people usually have brittle nails.
Those suffering from anorexia are susceptible to dizziness and seizure.
Anorexic people often suffer from osteoporosis, a condition of calcium loss in the bones.
This eating disorder is not easily identifiable and more often than not, the symptoms are dismissed as other medical conditions.
Usually, people suffering from this condition have pale and dry skin.
Such people are obsessed about food, calories, weight, diet and exercise.
Anorexic people suffer from anxiety, depression, demotivation and self-criticism.
Anorexics uphold a body weight of 15 % below the normal weight of a person belonging to that age and height.

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