Two serious eating disorders that demonstrate the potential casualties of dieting are anorexia nervosa and bulimia.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, seen mostly in adolescent and young adult females, in which a severe loss of weight results from an obsessive fear of obesity and self imposed starvation.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which enormous quantities of food are consumed (binges), followed by purging by taking laxatives or vomiting.
Anorexia nervosa seen mostly in adolescent and young adult females, in which a severe loss of weight results from an obsessive fear of obesity and self-imposed starvation. Anorexia nervosa is a perplexing disorder characterized by a loss of 20 to 25 percent of the original body weight.
The anorexic’s overwhelming fear of becoming obese does not diminish even with radical and obvious weight loss. Body image is so distorted that even a skeletal body is perceived as fat. The disorder primarily affects white, middle- and upper-class female adolescents and young adults. But there is growing evidence that the problem may begin as early as seven or eight years of age and that males may also be affected. Many anorexics not only refuse to eat, but they also take up extreme exercise regimens – hours of cycling or running, or constant walking.
The anorexic’s extreme weight loss leads to bone fractures and osteoporosis. Menstruation often ceases, and brain CAT scans of anorexic patients show enlarged ventricles (cavities) and widened grooves. Such signs generally indicate loss of brain tissue. Approximately 5 percent ultimately die of the disorder.
Occasionally the anorexic succumbs to the desire to eat and gorges on food, followed by vomiting or taking laxatives. This type of binging and purging is also characteristic of bulimia.
Bulimia is much more common than anorexia nervosa. Bulimics are not just impulsive eaters; they also show impulsivity in other aeas, sometimes by petty shoplifting or alcohol abuse. Like anorexia, bulimia is very harmful and can even be life-threatening. Bulimia causes eroded tooth enamel and tooth loss, severe damage to the throat and stomach, and serious digestive disorders. Because bulimics are aware of their abnormal eating habits and are often desperate to get help, they are usually more responsive to therapy than anorexics.
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder, seen mostly in adolescent and young adult females, in which a severe loss of weight results from an obsessive fear of obesity and self imposed starvation.
Bulimia is an eating disorder in which enormous quantities of food are consumed (binges), followed by purging by taking laxatives or vomiting.
Anorexia nervosa seen mostly in adolescent and young adult females, in which a severe loss of weight results from an obsessive fear of obesity and self-imposed starvation. Anorexia nervosa is a perplexing disorder characterized by a loss of 20 to 25 percent of the original body weight.
The anorexic’s overwhelming fear of becoming obese does not diminish even with radical and obvious weight loss. Body image is so distorted that even a skeletal body is perceived as fat. The disorder primarily affects white, middle- and upper-class female adolescents and young adults. But there is growing evidence that the problem may begin as early as seven or eight years of age and that males may also be affected. Many anorexics not only refuse to eat, but they also take up extreme exercise regimens – hours of cycling or running, or constant walking.
The anorexic’s extreme weight loss leads to bone fractures and osteoporosis. Menstruation often ceases, and brain CAT scans of anorexic patients show enlarged ventricles (cavities) and widened grooves. Such signs generally indicate loss of brain tissue. Approximately 5 percent ultimately die of the disorder.
Occasionally the anorexic succumbs to the desire to eat and gorges on food, followed by vomiting or taking laxatives. This type of binging and purging is also characteristic of bulimia.
Bulimia is much more common than anorexia nervosa. Bulimics are not just impulsive eaters; they also show impulsivity in other aeas, sometimes by petty shoplifting or alcohol abuse. Like anorexia, bulimia is very harmful and can even be life-threatening. Bulimia causes eroded tooth enamel and tooth loss, severe damage to the throat and stomach, and serious digestive disorders. Because bulimics are aware of their abnormal eating habits and are often desperate to get help, they are usually more responsive to therapy than anorexics.
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