Groshan Fabiola

Anorexia Nervosa is a psychological condition that has physiological consequences, and this illness is quite dangerous because it can eventually lead to death through starvation, so it is important that more people understand the facts about this less common disease and learn how to deal with it and how to help those suffering from it, because someone suffering from anorexia nervosa won't admit it and he/she can't cure him/herself of it, and can only do this with the help of others. Most of the anorexia patients are young women and teenage girls but there have been cases of both young and older men suffering from this illness too.

What exactly is Anorexia Nervosa and what causes it? Well, mainly, an anorexic person is a person that is obsessed with weight and although due to severe diets and nutritional restrictions that person has lost a lot of weight, he/she won't admit it and will still think that he/she is too fat, therefore will still try to lose more weight through any method, even vomiting after a meal, which will lead to serious physical problems, weakness and dizziness in the beginning, followed by fainting and in the worst case death due to starvation.

The causes of anorexia nervosa are many and they are all nervous problems such as too much pressure and stress. It is believed that those who had some problems with over-protective parents in childhood might suffer from eating disorders when they reach maturity. Also, people who feel rejected by society and that they lost control over their lives will most likely develop eating problems. Anorexics consider that are too fat all the time and are obsessed with this matter, they talk about it all the time and follow all sorts of diets and do a lot of physical exercises in order to lose more weight. Although they are getting too thin they do not realize it and they still do anything they can to lose more weight. When asked to eat they will lie and say that they are not hungry.

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So if you see that one of the people around you is getting too thin and keeps exercising and talking about loss of weight start suspecting something and watch him/her closely. There are a few more other signs you can detect. For example, an anorexic person will have the sensitivity to lower temperatures increased, also an increase in the amounts of body hair, and a constant self perception as a fat person. Among the things that anorexia nervosa may cause you can find osteoporosis,pathological fractures, hypothermia, amenorrhoea at women, constipation or muscle wasting. As said before the ultimate effect of this disease is death due to starvation.

If you find that many of the things above fit in the case of one of your friends, you'd better do something about it fast until complications appear. Treating someone who is suffering from anorexia nervosa is difficult because the patient will not admit that there is anything wrong wit him/her, and he or she needs the support of all the friends and family in order to change eating habits and realize something is wrong. Severe cases of anorexia must be treated in the hospital, and if the person still refuses to eat force must be used. Remember that anorexics will lie and cheat and never recognize their condition!