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Anorexia nervosa causes negative effects on the body, including skin sensitivity, irregular heartbeats, osteoporosis, and mental problems. Sufferers often hide their appearance and deny having eating problems. Treatment is necessary for long-term effects, and the causes are unknown.
Anorexia nervosa, commonly known as anorexia, often presents itself with numerous negative effects on the whole body of the person who suffers from it. The skin becomes unusually sensitive to cold and is dry, brittle, and easily bruised, and shows the growth of fine hair or lanugo. Other effects of anorexia include irregular heartbeats, which can lead to heart failure; osteoporosis, which can lead to bone fractures; and amenorrhea, or absence of menstrual periods. There are also frequent cases of electrolyte imbalance, anemia, constipation, bloating and infections seen in these patients. Mental problems also often arise, such as mood changes, poor memory, inability to think clearly, and irritability.
Individuals suffering from this condition often go to great lengths to hide the physical effects of anorexia. Many sufferers wear baggy pants and loose shirts to hide their bony and sometimes skeletal appearance from others. Initially, the effects of anorexia are rapid weight loss due to dietary restrictions and excessive exercise. As these activities continue, individuals with anorexia become more obsessed with losing weight to the point of starving themselves and using other means to lose more weight, such as taking diuretics and laxatives.
There are many signs and symptoms that can help family members recognize anorexia in their loved ones. These include obsessively watching calorie counts, continuing to diet even when you are already very thin, always thinking about food but never eating it, refusing to eat with family, eating only very small portions, or simply pretending to eat. Sufferers also often deny having eating problems and often complain that they are fat despite the appearance of skin and bones.
People suffering from the long-term effects of anorexia need immediate medical attention and psychological rehabilitation. When the body is malnourished for a long time, numerous functions are usually affected, with some organs possibly having irreversible damage. The condition, however, is often treatable, and patients have a better chance of recovery with the help of medical experts and support from family members.
The factors leading to the development of anorexia are still unknown. Some studies attribute it to inherited genes, Western culture and the environment an individual is exposed to, as well as an imbalance of chemicals in the brain. It is generally defined as an eating disorder as well as a mental disorder characterized by very low body weight, obsession with losing weight despite being too thin already, and extreme fear of gaining weight.
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