What is Anorexia Nervosa?
The term Anorexia Nervosa means “appetite loss of nervous origins”. In fact, the person has not lost her / his appetite for food. On the contrary she / he may have a great appetite and be very hungry but refuses to eat due to a pathological fear of gaining weight, or even a fear of having normal weight and tries to keep body weight as low as possible. She / he tries to limit caloric intake, as much as possible, or spend as much energy as possible through exercise. She / he resorts to self-imposed starvation and avoids social gatherings that include food.
Physical effects of Anorexia Nervosa due to long-term fasting and the body’s complete exhaustion:
- tendency to get sick frequently due to lowered resistance to illness
- physical weakness
- sensitivity to both heat and cold
- bruises on the body with relative ease due to the deficiency of vitamins such asB12, C, K, and the lack of folic acid
- insomnia
- following excessive weight loss, the person may be covered with fine downy hair
- impoverished blood circulation leading to discoloured rough skin, due to long-term starvation
- cold hands and feet
- digestive problems due to starvation
- bloating and constipation
- weak bones due to malnutrition
- shrinkage of the reproductive organs in both men and women
- lack of menstruation in women
Psychological effects of anorexia nervosa
Changes in brain chemistry due to excessive weight loss lead to changes in the person’s emotional world, including:
- depression
- irrational thoughts
- lack of concentration
Read more about anorexia nervosa here.