Anorexia is defined as disorder that causes people to drop weight far quicker than and in such quantities than is considered optimal for persons as it pertains to their age and build. Those who suffer through this disorder often display a perverse fear that they will gain weight and be socially unacceptable or otherwise physically unappealing. Even if the individual it will not matter as they will continue to think that they are gaining too much weight, thereby necessitating the need to lose more and more. Common practices among those who are diagnosed with this disorder is the constant need to diet, exercise, and find numerous other ways to continually lose weight.
Being considered physically attractive, fit, and pleasing to the eye is quite natural. Anorexia can affect both men and women, as it is not so much a gender-specific disorder as it is an obsession with how one looks and how the outside world will perceive them. Dieting and exercising are fine taken in moderation, but when taken to excess as with anorexia it can be extremely unhealthy and dangerous to a person’s health. There are two different types of anorexia as listed below.
The first is restricting, through which a person will lose weight by not allowing themselves the necessary calories to gain weight. This unfortunately will have the adverse effect of not only losing weight far too rapidly, but also decreasing muscle mass along with fat, as the body requires those calories to produce energy and thereby function.
The other type of anorexia is known as purging, and it is as straightforward as it sounds. Weight is lost by the act of vomiting, normally self-induced, and possibly through laxatives and other methods such as diuretics. It is another ill-conceived manner in which to slim down as it not only purges the body of necessary nutrients but also can wear down tooth enamel through the constant erosion brought on by continual exposure to stomach acid that is brought up by vomiting. (Smith, Segal, 2014)
Symptoms of anorexia are fairly easy to spot if one is paying attention, but that is normally the trick of any disorder, that those who need to pay attention are oblivious. In any case, some of the symptoms include dieting despite being too thin, an obsession with nutrition, pretending or lying about eating, and even displaying strange eating behaviors that are out of the norm for the affected individual.
There are symptoms noticeable about the body as well, such as quick and unexplained loss of weight, complaining about feeling fat, and of course one of the classic signs, the denial that a person is too thin despite their appearance. A person suffering anorexia will always think they are “fat” and can’t possibly be thin enough, leading to an unhealthy fixation over their own image and an equally unhealthy desire to slim down even further.
As to the cause of anorexia researchers are still not entirely certain why they occur. The belief that they might have something to do with a person’s genetics, their family dynamic, other social variables, and even their personality are considerations. It is thought that anorexia might be more prevalent if people in the same family suffer the disorder, or if the individual is under constant stress, is dealing with life-altering events, or is simply a perfectionist that cannot be swayed to believe that they are fine the way they are.
Treating anorexia is a bit tricky since it involves not only the body, but also the mind. Approaching this disorder with a team effort is normally the best option. Medical doctors, dieticians, psychologists, and counselors are specialists that need to be involved in the process, and the full support of family can also make a decidedly positive impact. During such a trying ordeal it is important to have those that can be trusted nearby to aid in recovery. There are three steps that lead towards treating this disorder, and they involve reaching an appropriate weight, eating more, and gaining a better understanding of oneself and of food in general.
If the problem has already gone too far then medical treatment will be needed, as health concerns that have grown serious must be dealt with. If an individual is too far malnourished it might be required of them to be admitted to a hospital until their weight is stabilized. While this is merely an option when still in outpatient treatment, it is a necessity when the individual is simply too weak to the point of starvation or has expressed a profound desire to end their life. (WebMD, 2013)
Anorexia is a very serious disorder, and one that far too many people suffer from needlessly to keep their public image. While it easy enough to say that it is a mental condition and thereby easier to understand and fix, this is not so. The mere fact that it is classified as both a mental and a physical disorder is enough to make it perhaps one of the most difficult maladies to “fix”. The fixation with one’s appearance is a matter of public opinion that has existed since people first began to notice each other, and it is not likely to change anytime soon, though the effects and stressors that lead to such disorders are by far and large much more difficult to assess than the disorder itself. In any case, it is the role of the individual to come to the understanding that they are fine the way they are, and it is the role of those who support them to bring them to such a realization.
Works Cited
Smith, Melinda, M.A. and Segal, Jeanne, Ph.D. (2014)”Anorexia Nervosa: Signs, Symptoms,
Causes, and Treatment.” Helpguide.org. Nov. 2014. Web. 15 Dec. 2014
WebMD. (2013) Anorexia Nervosa-Topic Overview. Anorexia Nervosa Health Center. 2013.
Web. 15 Dec. 2014
