Effects of Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is one of the most commonly known eating disorder. It can occur in women and men including adults, kids, and teenagers. Anorexia is a “”mental disorder that is caused by the unsound terror of gaining weight. Anorexia nervosa is an “”emotional disorder characterized by an obsessive desire to lose weight by refusing food, commonly known as anorexia. Experts believe anorexia is caused by “”personality, genetics, environment, biochemistry, and overall emotional health. There are many horrific effects of anorexia on a person’s body mentally, emotionally, as well as psychically.

Someone suffering from anorexia can experience short term effects, such as continual infections, insomnia, dizziness, and dehydration. If left untreated, a person with anorexia can suffer “”long term effects like osteoporosis, seizures, hair loss, and even death from health complications. After recovery, you can still experience effects from anorexia.

Physical effects of anorexia

Anorexia has severe effects on the human body including both short term and long term. The immediate problems the body is trying to fight off with the lack of nutrients could be constipation, abdominal pain, muscle weakness, bloating, disrupted menstrual cycles, dehydration, and fainting. A person with anorexia is also at risk for developing long term effects and even life threatening health problems if it is untreated for more than one year. Osteoporosis is a “”disease which results in the density of bone reducing, and can become a problem because their bones are in need of the certain nutrients in order for them to still grow. People with anorexia typically don’t “”take in enough calcium; that is the most important nutrient for bones to remain strong. Osteoporosis is very severe for people with anorexia because dangerous eating patterns normally start throughout the teens; the bones are still growing at that age which means it will stop the production of them. Fertility is a common complication of anorexia. In order to stimulate ovulation, you need a hormone called estrogen. If a women’s body fat falls below a certain percentage, she will no longer be able to do that. According to Dr. Tony Winston, “”Nine out of ten women with anorexia will stop having periods. If a woman stops having periods for a long time, it will effect her ability to conceive. If a women with anorexia does decide to have a baby, she has the possibility of having an “”underweight child, or even a miscarriage. Another alarming physical effect anorexia has on a human body is heart problems. If you experience long term, cruel anorexia, there is likely not enough body fat to protect the heart, which affects the circulation of it; it can also cause your blood pressure, and your heart rate to lower. Frequently anorexia can cause heart disease, and it is the most common medical cause of death. You can experience “”abnormal and dangerous heart rhythms, reduced blood flow, and shrinking of the heart. Anemia is another physical effect from anorexia. (38 percent of anorexic participants had anemia in one study) Anorexia causes you to lack in vitamin B12, which then makes your bone marrow dramatically reduce; it can destroy your body from the inside out.

Mental and emotional effects of anorexia

Children and adults are more likely to experience depression and anxiety if they suffer from anorexia nervosa. Many people who deal with anorexia say they don’t feel “”worthy and their “”not good enough. Mostly women, but men too, feel they need to be thin to fit in; this causes them to not want to eat. When people see models, or anyone who is famous and their skinny, they feel they need to portray that same image in order to be praised like they are. According to Time magazine, “”studies show that the risk of death by suicide among anorexic women is 57 times the expected rate of other women. In our culture today, being thin is the “”ideal body type for everyone, and therefore makes women and men have a dissatisfaction when they are unable to attain that certain weight; it makes them depressed, so they limit what they eat. Those who develop anorexia nervosa are more likely to have low self worth and low self esteem. According to the Mayo Clinic, “”they may have an extreme drive for perfectionism which will then make individuals never feel “”skinny enough.

Works Cited

Smith, Melina. “”Anorexia Nervosa. Eating Disorders , Melinda Smith, M.A. and Jeanne Segal, Ph.D. , 12 July 2018, www.helpguide.org/articles/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa.htm.

“”Anorexia Nervosa Causes. Psych Central, Amy Carmosino, 24 Oct. 2017, psychcentral.com/disorders/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa-causes/.

“”Anorexia Nervosa. Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 20 Feb. 2018, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anorexia-nervosa/symptoms-causes/syc-20353591.

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