Signs Of Anorexia

Does your daughter emulate Paris Hilton and wishes to possess the same figure? Does she go out of her way to look like her? In such a case, your child might be digging her very own grave. Anorexia is a very common tragedy that has been striking many individuals. It is, thus, pertinent to note down the signs and symptoms of anorexia to prevent fatal consequences. Prompt and efficient treatment of this disorder is a must, which is what makes early detection of the diseases equally essential. The threat of anorexia haunts many parents with daughters aged 13 to 20. Hence, it may be advisable that as parent, make sure you keep a third eye on your teenager’s eating habits. Scientifically referred to as anorexia nervosa, the anorexic intentionally and drastically reduce their food intake to lose weight. They usually end up wearing a distorted body image and suffer from the delusion that they are overweight, when in reality, they are nothing but underweight! Read this article to be well informed of the signs and symptoms of anorexia.

Signs & Symptoms Of Anorexia Nervosa

Have you noticed a rapid and sudden drop in a person’s body weight? There’s no need to jump to conclusions and blatantly assume anorexia. However, do leave for possibility as it might be a sign. Keep a keen observation of the particular person’s eating habits and ask him/her to get checked accordingly.
When somebody cannot make a conversation beyond the amount of calories and fat grams he/she has lost over the last few hours, you might have a slight reason to be perturbed. His/her keen interest in maintaining the figure and avoiding foods with even minimal contents of fat soon turns into an obsession. You know the obsession isn’t healthy, both physically and mentally, when the person rushes to the weighing scale after every half an hour to see how much weight he/she has lost.
An anorexic individual might exhibit his/her illness by deliberately starving himself/herself. This abnormal tendency is generally associated with the ventricle enlargement of the brain. This inevitably results in a plummeting supply of blood to the temporal lobes, which eventually leads to clinical depression.
The obsession with eating only fat free food transcends to a whole new level, which often involves the anorexic cooking for everybody else, collecting innumerable recipes and in the end, ingesting absolutely nothing! The person’s preoccupation with food is fascinating, but disturbing, at the same time.
Eating in public is absurdly a big challenge. In fact, if you so come to notice that eating, despite persistent hunger pangs, is somehow procrastinated for no valid reason, a strong case of anorexia is highly accountable. Anorexics withdraw themselves from social gatherings that involve food.
They reach new heights by lying about their weight to evade concerned friends and family that seek immediate help. They deceive many about having finished their meal, when they actually hide it in their pockets or regurgitate clumps of undigested food into the commode. They insist that they are absolutely not hungry, even if the last time they touched anything edible was four days ago!
Physical appearance changes for the worse. Extreme fatigue, excess lethargy, hair loss, dull eyes are some of the prominent signs. Apart from that, fainting, constipation, absence of menstruation, stomach upsets and low blood pressure are frequent in cases of anorexia. Due to starvation, the rate of tryptophan and steroid hormone diminishes, thus decreasing the serotonin levels.
Behavior begins to change with time. Not only do anorexics get cranky, but suicidal tendencies and bouts of depression are common. Incomprehensible guilt drives them crazy.
Overdose of diet pills and laxatives is another hint that indicates the troubled person is probably suffering from anorexia. These pills suppress ravenous appetites and hence make it easier to resist delicious food.
Exercising in excess, in order to lose weight, when there is hardly any need, is another sign of anorexia. However, as they avoid food, their levels of energy drop immensely and their ability to exercise perishes.

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