Anorexia

Anorexia Nervosa Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder made up of physical and emotional elements. Anorexia means “lack of appetite” but this isn't a true symptom of the disorder. In fact, people with anorexia are usually hungry, but they control their eating by frequently cooking for others or hiding food in their personal space which they will not eat. A person with anorexia severely limits food intake, has a distorted body image, refuses to maintain a normal body weight, and is intensely afraid of gaining weight. Anorexia is more frequently found in athletes or professions that require thinness, such as modeling, gymnastics or ballet. The cause of anorexia is not known, although certain personality traits such as perfectionism and a family history of eating disorders may contribute. There are at least 8,000,000 or more victims in the United States that have the illness of Anorexia. Some researchers believe that certain characteristics are common to the families of persons who develop the disorder. This

By the time they need medical attention, heshe maybe feeling isolated. They avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate red meat or meat altogether. Anorexia Nervosa was first described in England in the 17th Century. As time goes on, the person restricts the amount and types of food eaten. When this illness continues, irrational behaviors take place such as: developing a fear of food and fear of gaining weight if any food is eaten, losing the ability to feel hunger, exercising too much to the point of injury, taking laxatives, becoming a vegetarian to eliminate high calorie foods like meat or taking water pills. It can be about the need to control something in life; the person feels a sense of power when controlling thirst and hunger. Anorexia may begin with a desire to diet to lose a few pounds, but it can occur when the person becomes overly involved in the diet and limits food more than is healthy. An anorexic usually has dry, cracking skin, loss of hair from scallop, brittle nails, bluish tinge on hands and feet, low body temperature, low white blood cell count, reduced muscle mass, low blood sugar and over-all weakness. Eating disorders have among the highest mortality rates of all mental disorders, killing up to 6 percent of their victims. eating disorder usually affects females aging 12 to 25. They begin to just concentrate on exercising, school work and dieting. They also may experience amnesia, fatigue, light headedness, swelling joints, constipation, abdominal distress, damage to colon due to longer term laxative intake and lack of energy. When you are consuming less potassium your muscles weaken. Problems usually begin when a person is dealing with a difficult transition, loss, puberty, divorce, family problems, death, new job, a new school, relationship break up, physical abuse or critical comments.