Eating disorders represent a group of illnesses that commonly affect a significant portion of the world's population, especially women. Among the most frequent are anorexia and bulimia, which develop due to various factors such as social pressure, misconceptions about the ideal body image, and the dissemination of this information through the media or influential figures.
Taking care of your body image and avoiding obesity problems is very good as long as the appropriate methods are used. However, this is a goal that in some cases becomes an obsession, causing the aforementioned disorders; Therefore, it is important to educate the population about this issue. Below we will explain what anorexia is, what causes it, its classification, signs, symptoms and the treatments that should be applied to the patient who suffers from it.
Learn everything about what anorexia is
The word anorexia originates from two Greek roots: ἐνος (anorexia), a privative term meaning without, and ἐνος (orexis), meaning appetite or hunger. Therefore, it can be translated as lack of appetite . In the fields of psychology and psychiatry, it is called anorexia nervosa.
It is a severe eating disorder in which the sufferer experiences a decrease in appetite, which results in a considerable loss of body weight. This is generally motivated by an irrational fear of gaining weight, although it can also originate from stomach problems. From here, two types are distinguished: that considered as a disease, which will be developed in this article, and that caused by health conditions, in which case it is considered a symptom.
This condition, as a psychosomatic disorder , is based on three pillars. The first is a phobia of obesity; the second is a fondness, admiration, or desire to be thin. These pillars are considered psychological, while the third consists of a pathology linked to the body's metabolic mechanisms.
It is important to highlight that this illness often alternates with episodes of bulimia, in which the person feels the need to consume exorbitant amounts of food at a given time. This triggers feelings of remorse that lead to compensatory reactions in which the affected person resorts to self-induced vomiting, laxatives, diuretics, enemas, and high-intensity exercise sessions.
However, anorexia differs significantly from bulimia in two key aspects. First, an anorexic person is unaware that they have a problem, and therefore, is even less able to recognize it when someone else points it out. In fact, they tend to isolate themselves because they believe those around them are wrong to tell them they need to gain weight. Second, anorexia nervosa involves significant weight loss due to the very low food intake and the weight-loss measures taken.
This disorder can occur in both men and women. However, it has a greater occurrence in the female gender. It usually manifests itself in adolescence, generally around 17 years of age. It is very unlikely to occur at ages before puberty, or after 40 years of age. Furthermore, after the age of 33, mortality related to it is greater than 18% of cases.
Causes of Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia is a complex disease, which involves both physical and psychological factors that will vary between different cases. Therefore, the determination of the causes that originate it has not yet been specified by science. Although, there are different hypotheses with which the origin of it can be explained. These are explained below:
- Biological factors: Recent studies on the genetics of anorexic patients have detected the presence of the 5HT-2A gene, which is activated in situations of malnutrition. Likewise, the activity of brain neurotransmitters such as serotonin seems to be closely related to eating disorders. Increased serotonin levels appear to decrease appetite and alter the individual's behavior.
- Cultural factors: The excessive cult of the body that exists in society, widely disseminated by companies linked to it through the media, seems to be a major factor in the development of this disorder. The creation and imposition of unrealistic body stereotypes and the lack of food education in the population tends to significantly influence the masses.
- Family factors: Bad eating habits acquired at home can be attributed to this. Furthermore, contact with family members (especially parents and siblings) who suffer from obesity and depression linked to it, can generate the phobia that people who suffer from this disorder manifest. Likewise, derogatory comments about obesity that have been instilled within the family, rejection, among others.
- Gender factors: As has been said, the female gender more frequently presents eating disorders, especially anorexia. Due to their nature and the weight of society regarding the cult of the body and the maintenance of femininity through it, women seem to be more prone to the development of this disorder.
What are the existing types of anorexia?
There are two types of anorexia nervosa: restrictive and purgative/compulsive. Before explaining them, it is important to highlight that at this point three groups of anorexics are distinguished: those who manifest only one of them in their illness; those who maintain fluctuations between both (with weight gain and loss) and those who do not overcome a first episode and are deteriorated by it over the years.
- Restrictive anorexia nervosa: In this case, weight loss is achieved through the use of very restrictive and strict diets, a prolonged fasting period and intense physical activity.
- Purgative/compulsive anorexia nervosa: In this case, the individual experiences punctual or systematic binges, which are followed by compensatory reactions such as those mentioned above. However, there will be cases in which uncontrolled food intake is not present, but only the option of purging. The less emotionally stable groups belong to this type of anorexia.
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa
Despite being a mental disorder, there are characteristic symptoms that can be identified at first glance to diagnose a patient with anorexia. They could vary depending on whether or not the person uses purgative methods to lose weight.
Among the main symptoms of anorexia the following are mentioned:
- Extreme body fat loss.
- Presence of a layer of very fine hair (lanugo) on the thighs, forearms, and back.
- General dehydration.
- Dry mouth.
- Dry and cracked skin.
- Presence of cavities and damage to tooth enamel, due to recurrent contact with gastric juices in vomiting.
- Extreme sensitivity to cold.
- Hair without shine, dry and prone to falling out.
- Brittle nails
- Muscular atrophy.
- Hypertrophy of submandibular parotid glands, as a result of recurrent vomiting.
- Cardiac arrhythmia.
- Low tension.
- In women, irregular menstruation or absence thereof (amenorrhea).
- Low glucose levels (hypoglycemia)
- Low levels of red blood cells (anemia)
- Low levels of white blood cells (leukopenia).
- Yellowish, pale skin and/or with the presence of spots.
- Gastrointestinal problems, pain and bloating in the abdominal area, flatulence, and constipation.
- Kidney problems, due to low potassium levels, and increased levels of creatinine and nitrogenous compound derivatives, due to poor diet.
In turn, the anorexic person will exhibit certain behavioral traits that provide evidence of their illness. These may include:
- Constant manifestation of fear of gaining weight despite being thin.
- Constant worry about losing weight.
- Distortion of one's own body image and denial of the danger of losing too much weight.
- Weigh yourself several times a day.
- Look in the mirror frequently.
- Wear loose clothing.
- Tendency to avoid eating in company.
- Hesitate when eating, breaking the food into small pieces and constantly scattering them on the plate.
- Go to the bathroom immediately after meals.
- Constantly performing intense physical exercise.
- Low self-esteem.
- Social isolation as a result of comments related to your need to gain weight.
- In some cases, indiscriminate use of diuretics and laxatives.
Most effective treatments for anorexia
Treatments for anorexia will involve various health specialists, depending on the level at which the disease is detected. Normally, help will be required from professionals in psychology, nutrition, psychiatry and other health specialists, depending on the damage that the disorder has caused to the body.
Below are a little details about the treatments for anorexia nervosa:
- Psychological therapy: As already said, anorexia is a disease with two psychological bases related to the phobia of obesity and the deification of thinness; Therefore it is vital help of a psychologist for treatment Of the same. This seeks to improve the patient's perception of their physical appearance, especially their weight, increase self-esteem, decrease anxiety, and develop social skills. All this in order to stimulate his awareness of healthy habits for his body and provide him with the necessary tools to take control of overcoming his illness. Individual and group therapy is applied, with psychoanalytic and behavioral methods.
- Special treatment for nutrition: Little or no food intake wreaks havoc on the metabolism, which in turn affects the patient's brain activity. Since it is extremely important to see a nutritionist in order to recommend and promote healthy eating habits (meal times, quantities, nutritional intake); in conjunction with psychological therapy, and the patient's weight gain. Gaining 1 to 3 pounds (0,5 to 1,5 kg) each week is considered a good prognosis.
- Psychiatric Treatment/Drug Use: In most cases, the psychiatrist will prescribe different drugs to promote psychological therapies, reduce the physical causes that cause anxiety and stimulate the patient's sleep. Among these medications we can mention antidepressants and antisiolytics. It is important to highlight that the use of drugs alone will not be enough to overcome this disorder, since they only influence the improvement of certain anxiety symptoms, but not the central problem, that is, the mental one.
Depending on the level of development of the disease and the patient's willingness to undergo treatment, hospitalization will be required in some cases; In this way the situation can be managed more strictly.
Overcoming anorexia is not easy; it requires a great deal of effort, discipline, and support from family and friends. It is recommended that the patient join support groups where they can connect with others who suffer from the same disorder. This can help alleviate feelings of loneliness resulting from social isolation and provide motivation to cooperate with treatment.
If you liked all the information provided about anorexia, help us by sharing it on your social networks so that people can become aware. On the other hand, on our site you can find other articles about eating disorders; You just have to go to the corresponding category. If you have any questions or would like to provide more information, don't forget to leave a comment.