Bulimia
Nervosa
Bulimia nervosa is commonly known as binge
eating. When a patient binge eats more
than two times a week, they usually feel
loss of control and guilt for their actions.
The feelings of guilt or remorse may cause
them to purge their bodies of the food.
This cycle can have devastating effects
physically and psychologically, while the
patient does not maintain normal body weight
and may severely restrict their diet.
Anorexia
Nervosa
Conservative estimates suggest that one-half
to one percent of females in the U.S.
develop anorexia. Like all eating disorders,
anorexia
nervosa tends to occur in pre or post
puberty, but it can develop during any
life change.
More than 90 percent of all those who
are affected are adolescent and young
women,
although it can also occur in men and
older women. Children as young as 7 have
been
diagnosed, and women 50, 60, 70, and
even 80 fit the diagnosis.
One reason younger women are particularly
vulnerable to eating disorders is their tendency
to go on strict diets to achieve an ideal
figure. This obsessive dieting behavior reflects
a great deal of today's societal pressure
to be thin, as observed in advertising and
the media. Others especially at risk for
eating disorders include athletes, actors,
and models, who face thinness as a professional
requirement.
The term anorexia literally means loss 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. This is frequently sublimated through
cooking for others or hiding food in their
personal space which they will not eat.
Anorexia nervosa is a life-threatening eating
disorder characterized by:
-
Refusal to maintain body
weight within 15 percent of their minimum
normal weight.
-
Intense fear of gaining
weight.
-
Distorted body image.
-
Amenorrhea (absence
of at least three consecutive expected
menstrual cycles)
in women.
Sometimes people suffering from anorexia
nervosa starve themselves and then binge
and purge, depending on the extent of weight
loss. This can be very dangerous physically.
People with anorexia nervosa usually lose
weight by reducing their total food intake
and exercising excessively. Many restrict
their intake to 1,000 calories a day or less.
Most avoid fattening, high-calorie foods
and eliminate red meat or meat altogether.
The diet of someone with anorexia may consist
almost completely of low-calorie vegetables
like lettuce and carrots or popcorn.
Even those without extreme weight reductions
yet presenting a preoccupation with food
and weight can benefit from exploring their
cognitive and relationship skills and attitudes
toward food and their body.
Common Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa.
The hallmark of all eating disorders, including
anorexia, binge eating disorder, and compulsive
eating, is denial and preoccupation with
food and weight.
One
of the most frightening aspects is that
those
with anorexia continue to think they
look fat, even when they are bone-thin. Their
nails and hair become brittle, and their
skin may become dry and yellow. Depression is common in patients suffering from this
disorder. People with anorexia
often complain of feeling cold and may suffer
hypothermia because their body temperature
drops. They may develop long, fine hair on
the body as it tries to conserve heat.
People with anorexia develop unusual food
habits such as cutting their food into tiny
pieces, refusing to eat in front of others,
or fixing elaborate meals for others that
they themselves won't eat.
Causes of Anorexia Nervosa.
Knowledge about the causes of anorexia is
inconclusive, and the causes may be varied.
But in an attempt to understand the origins
of eating disorders, scientists have studied
the personalities, genetics, environments,
and biochemistry of people with these illnesses.
Certain personality traits have been found
in common among those with anorexia: low
self-esteem, social isolation, and perfectionism.
They tend to be good students and excellent
athletes.
Eating disorders also tend to run in families,
mostly affecting female family members. A
girl is 10 to 20 times more likely to develop
anorexia, for instance, if she has a sibling
with the disease. This finding suggests that
genetic factors may predispose some people
to eating disorders or acceptance of the
social ideal of thinness.
Behavioral and environmental influences
may also play a role. Eating disorders are
seen primarily in Western and industrialized
countries, where slimness is the model of
attractiveness. Stressful events are likely
to increase the risk of eating disorders
as well, but this is also the case for all
psychiatric disorders.
In
studies of the biochemical functions of
people
with eating disorders, scientists
have found that the neurotransmitters serotonin
and norepinephrine are decreased in those
with anorexia, which links them with patients
suffering from depression.
This link is supported by studies showing
that certain antidepressants can be used
to successfully treat some people with eating
disorders.
People with anorexia also tend to have higher
than normal levels of cortisol (a brain hormone
released in response to stress) and vasopressin
(a brain chemical found to be abnormal in
patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder).
Other psychiatric disorders can occur together
with anorexia, such as OCD, self mutilation,
or bipolar disorder. However, people with
anorexia nervosa have responded minimally
to antidepressants. The most effective strategy
for treating a patient has been weight restoration
to within 10% of normal weight together with
individual and family therapy.
Medical Complications
Starvation can cause damage to vital organs
such as the heart and brain. Breathing,
pulse, and blood pressure rates drop, and
those suffering from anorexia nervosa may
experience irregular heart rhythms or heart
failure. Nutritional deprivation causes
calcium loss from bones, which become brittle
and prone to breakage. In the worst cases,
people with anorexia can starve themselves
to death. Eating disorders have among the
highest mortality rates of all mental disorders,
killing up to 6 percent of their victims.
