Common Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa
This article looks at some of the symptoms that are associated with the eating disorder anorexia nervosa that is thought to affect more than one in a hundred Americans today.
Anorexia nervosa is an emotional disorder that, through starvation affects your mind and body. If you are suffering from anorexia you live in fear of becoming fat and this dominates everything in your life and drives your behavior almost entirely. Despite your actual body size, weight and what people around you may say, you fear constantly that you are just on the verge of becoming fat. Refusing food and the knock-on feeling of self control you feel is the number one way you will deal with this fear and this is at the heart of anorexia. Other weight control measures common among anorexics is the binge and purge cycle and compulsive exercise. The symptoms you feel as someone suffering from anorexia are basically aligned with starvation, namely low blood pressure, kidney damage, liver damage, loss of bone density, fertility issues and possibly seizures.
Anorexia is a progressive disorder and just continues to get worse over time until the patient dies. As it progresses the link between the mind and body problems become tighter, leading to ever more extreme behavior and thought patterns.
The main behavior pattern associated with anorexia nervosa, as has been explained already is the refusal to eat. This refusal extends to not just treats but the basic nutritional requirements your body needs to stay alive. The threshold for being considered anorexic is when your body weight is less than eight five percent of normal for you height and age. The refusal of food is based on two usual patterns, namely calorie counting and eliminating certain food groups entirely. It is not unusual for anorexics to only eat a few hundred calories a day. They may also eliminate carbohydrates entirely from the diet. Fat is almost always completely eliminated.
Another of the key behavioral indicators for anorexia nervosa is a compulsion to exercise. If calories cannot be restricted then the anorexic will often attempt to just burn them away on the treadmill. Someone suffering from anorexia will feel out of control if they miss an exercise session. This is similar to the feeling that anorexics who refuse to eat get if they feel they have eaten too much in one sitting. It is not uncommon for people to exercise for several hours every day even if they are physically injured or ill.
Another symptom that often appears as the disease progresses is increased hyperactivity. It is typically totally involuntary. Research suggests that as the eating disorder progresses and starvation begins to take hold, and the core temperature reduces, the body will try to compensate by inducing hyperactivity in an attempt to warm itself up.
Hopefully this article has provided some background into the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Many of the symptoms take place in private and are directly related to the sufferer’s sense of self worth. Being aware of typical behavior patterns can help identify someone who may be suffering from this life-threatening condition.
Lydia Clark is a journalist with a passion for highlighting women’s health concerns. She has also recently had her first baby and has been plunged into the ever-absorbing world of childrens party favors and has created a new website on the subject that you can check out at http://www.childrenspartyfavors.org.
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