Anorexia Nervosa | Raleigh NC
Anorexia means loss of appetite. Orexis is greek for appetite.
Nervosa refers to a serious disorder.
Support is available by contacting Anorexia Support | Raleigh
Anorexia Nervosa has four primary symptoms:
- Resistance to maintaining body weight at or above a minimum for age and height.
- Intense fear of being “fat” even though underweight.
- Disturbance in the experience of body weight or shape, denial of the seriousness of low body weight.
- Loss of menstrual periods in girls and women post-puberty.
- Eating disorders experts have found that prompt intensive treatment significantly improves the chances of recovery. Therefore, it is important to be aware of some of the warning signs of anorexia nervosa.
Warning Signs of Anorexia:
* Dramatic weight loss.
* Preoccupation with weight, food, calories, fat grams, and dieting.
* Refusal to eat certain foods, progressing to restrictions against whole
categories of food (e.g. no carbohydrates, etc.).
* Frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite
weight loss.
* Anxiety about being “fat.”
* Denial of hunger.
* Development of food rituals (e.g. eating foods in certain orders, excessive
chewing, rearranging food on a plate).
* Consistent excuses to avoid mealtimes or situations involving food.
* Excessive, rigid exercise regimen--despite weather, fatigue, illness,
or injury--the need to “burn off” calories taken in.
* Withdrawal from usual friends and activities.
* In general, behaviors and attitudes indicating that weight loss, dieting,
and control of food are becoming primary concerns.
Anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation. The body is denied the essential nutrients it needs to function normally, so it is forced to slow down all of its processes to conserve energy. This “slowing down” can have serious medical consequences.
Health Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa:
* Abnormally slow heart rate and low blood pressure, which mean that the
heart muscle is changing. The risk for heart failure rises as heart rate
and blood pressure levels sink lower and lower.
* Reduction of bone density (osteoporosis), which results in dry, brittle
bones.
* Muscle loss and weakness.
* Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure.
* Fainting, fatigue, and overall weakness.
* Dry hair and skin, hair loss is common.
* Growth of a downy layer of hair called lanugo all over the body, including
the face, in an effort to keep the body warm.
This Anorexia information from: http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/p.asp?WebPage_ID=286&Profile_ID=41142
Raleigh NC | Anorexia Support