Eating Disorder : Anorexia

mrsaepts
Aug 18, 2022
4 min read

BY Pitchapa Srisamut, Phattarathida Thitathanakit

Edited by Napasjutha Kongsonthana, Napai Pattamjintathumrong

What is Anorexia?

Anorexia (an-o-REK-see-uh) Nervosa, often simply called “Anorexia," is an eating disorder characterized by abnormally low body weight, intense fear of gaining weight, and a distorted perception of weight (Anorexia Nervosa, Mayo Clinic, 2018). People with anorexia work extremely hard on controlling their weight and shape by using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with their healthy lifestyles.

To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with anorexia usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may try to control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives, diet aids, diuretics, or enemas. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively. However,no matter how much weight they lose, an anorexic person continues to fear weight gaining. (Anorexia Nervosa, Mayo Clinic, 2018). Sometimes, extremely thin people are presumed to be anorexic.

Based on research collected by the National Eating Disorders Association, it is estimated that approximately 2% of American females and 0.3% of males will develop anorexia during their lifetime (Anorexia Nervosa, McQuillan, MS, RDN, National American Eating Disorders, 2021). Though Anorexia most commonly affects adolescent girls and women, it can develop in anyone of any age, gender, race, or cultural background. Anyone who works or studies in an industry that emphasises lean physical appearances, such as athletes and dancers, is at a particularly high risk of getting anorexia.

Causes and Symptoms

Causes

Although there has been a myriad of developments in medical technology nowadays, researchers still haven't found the exact cause of anorexia. However, most studies suggest that there are three main types of responsible factors for causing anorexia, which include: biological, environmental, and psychological factors.

Multiple pieces of research state the significance of biological factors in causing a person to become anorexic, such as genetics and brain chemical imbalances that affect anorexia development in a person. According to research by the National Health Service (Overview - Anorexia - NHS, National Health Service, 2021) family history of eating disorders, depression, or alcohol/drug addiction also affects the likelihood of a person becoming anorexic. Another research from the American Addiction Centers also mentions that people with family members who have anorexia are approximately twelve times more likely to develop anorexia (Causes of Eating Disorder-Biological Factors, American Addiction Centers). These researches are both suggesting the probability of anorexia running in families.

Environmental influences play major roles in the anorexia development process. In most societies, good physical appearance and beauty are often linked to being thin and having low weight. This is highly pressuring individuals to become thinner and thinner, leading to anorexia later on. Additionally, people whose activities—for instance, ballet, wrestling, gymnastics, bodybuilding, etc.—and/or occupations related to having lean physical appearances are at a higher risk.

Finally, psychological factors have an important role as well as the others. There is a wide range of psychological factors, take perfectionism as an example. Perfectionism is a belief that everything you do must have no errors and be completely perfect, not only does this idea apply to life achievements but also to appearances. The idea of perfectionism influences people to appear beautiful and as you may have known from the aforementioned information, beauty is mostly connected to physical thinness. When these reasons combine, they could lead to anorexia.

Symptoms

Anorexia symptoms consisted of three kinds; food and weight-related, physical and emotional. Different studies are in possession of a wide range of information about anorexia symptoms, but in the end, they still contain similar points. Food and weight-related symptoms are significant to anorexia. Main food and weight-related symptoms of anorexia usually include:

Rapid weight loss
Intense fear of gaining weight
Unusual eating habits
Hunger denial, missing meals
Feeling fat even when the person is actually underweight
Continuation of the diet even when the person is extremely thin

In numerous cases, laxatives, diuretics, or diet aids consumption could be involved as well.

Physical symptoms of anorexia are not less crucial than other symptoms. When speaking about physical symptoms, the first thing that comes to people’s minds is often being very thin. This symptom is frequently related to dehydration, fatigue, frequent illness, and other symptoms.

Depression, anxiety, and irritability are the emotional symptoms that may follow. Furthermore, if anorexia is left untreated, it may result in organ damage—especially the heart, brain, and kidneys—thinning or loss of hair, anemia, and sorrowful events such as death from suicide or starvation.

Treatment

Anorexia surely is treatable, albeit, in a bit of a long, complex process, the treatments are separated into three types: psychotherapy, medication, and hospitalization.

Psychotherapy is mainly focusing on helping individuals with anorexia to change their way of thinking and eating behaviors. This includes cognitive and behavioral therapy.

Though there was no research proving any medications to treat anorexia, doctors could prescribe some type of antidepressants, for example, Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs), to treat anxiety and depression.

In severe cases, people with anorexia would be hospitalized. Intensive medical treatment will be possible if one is hospitalized. After all, deciding whether a treatment is suitable for a person also depends on their age, overall health, and many other factors.

Prevention

Recent studies have shown that there is no clear prevention for anorexia at the time being, nevertheless, individuals should be frequently making sure they have normal eating behaviors and ideal body weight which depend on their ages, gender, and other factors. However, they need not be pressuring themselves about their weight.

References

Eating Disorder : Anorexia

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