There is a growing awareness among clinicians and researchers alike (despite a paucity of solid, supporting epidemiological data) that the eating disorders, anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are appearing in certain segments of the population at an increasingly alarming rate Lucas, Beard, Kranz, & Kuriand, 1983). These are eating disorders that can have quite similar manifestations and different origins (sometimes they are endocrinological, while sometimes they can be therapeutic or even psychological-psychiatric). However, the main cause of these diseases is a distorted view of own body and an altered attitude to the process of nutrition.
The term anorexia nervosa means nervous loss of appetite (Emmett, 2013). It is a disease that is characterized by a critical decrease in body weight, often life-threatening, loss of appetite. It often occurs in the nervous system (nervous anorexia nervosa), especially in girls and young women, who are obsessed with the desire to lose weight. Fear to put on weight from day to day is not decreasing. A person constantly sees himself as too opacity, even then, when it begins to resemble a backbone. The heartbeat becomes rare, the blood pressure is reduced, there also troubles with libido and hair loss. The symptoms also include weight reduction of 30% of the required body weight, which corresponds to the height and age. Anorexia is often accompanied by a heightened sense of hunger, bulimia.
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder, characterized by a sharp increase of appetite; usually it is accompanied by a painful sense of hunger and general weakness. Bulimia occurs in some diseases of the central nervous system, endocrine system, and mental disorders. Bulimia also often leads to obesity. In addition to frequent bouts of overeating bulimia is characterized by active control of weight by induce vomiting or use laxatives. A sick person can eat up to painful sensations in the stomach, then may cause vomiting and start again.
Anorexia happens most often in females and appears "voluntary" weight loss. Basically it all starts in adolescence, especially with puberty. The child begins to lose weight, appetite disappears and even an aversion to food occurs, disorders of the menstrual cycle can also start. And all this is accompanied by a high, nervous physical activity. A person thinks that her weight exceeds and this person starts a lot of time to devote to the various diets. There are often very abnormal behaviour, for example, provoking the vomiting, hiding food, excessive strenuous exercise, even abuse of laxatives and diuretics.
If there are signs of anorexia should immediately consult a doctor. Since the patients themselves cannot admit that they are sick, relatives should convince them of the necessity of treatment. Since this disease affects the body and mind, the treatment should be carried out in both directions. Scientists proved that exactly the successful treatment of the psychological side of anorexia can ensure long-term remission.
When anorexia has already given the threat of complications, the primary task of doctors is to stabilize the patient's condition. Hospitalization is needed when starved and it can last before the patient will learn less critical of their weight. The outpatient treatment can be used in less complicated cases. In addition, the patient needs to receive as much information as possible about anorexia, so he would know that his fear is only a symptom of the disease, and for him to understand what might happen if his weight returns to normal. The better he understands his illness, the higher are the chances of recovery.
References
Lucas, A., Beard, C., Kranz, J., & Kuriand, L. (1983). Epidemiology of anorexia nervosa and bulimia: Background of the rochester project. Int. J. Eat. Disord., 2(4), 85-90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/1098-108x(198322)2:4<85::aid-eat2260020415>3.0.co;2-0
Emmett, S. (2013). Theory and treatment of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. New York: Brunner/Mazel.
