Anorexia Nervosa: What is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia nervosa is a psychological disorder, that affects all ages, nationalities, sexes, cultures and backgrounds; however young women are more susceptible. Is there one single common commodity between sufferers? Yes! for whatever reason all sufferers have a distorted image of their body; they think they are fat when in fact they are thin. This disorder kills more people than any other psychiatric disorder. Third world countries battle against starvation every minute of every day. Yet, in our affluent world people lose their most basic instinct of survival: The instinct to eat.

To comprehend such actions is very difficult. You must appreciate anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric disorder. People that suffer with this terrible disease are completely consumed by it. They are powered by the disease.

Beautiful bodies are thrust in our faces every day. Magazines, newspapers, TV, movies, adverts; everywhere we look. Being thin portrays an image of success, happiness, having it all. Thin celebrities are perceived as having the perfect body image. While some of us will aspire to being healthy and slim; follow a good diet, get plenty of exercise and enjoy our treats. Others will go to the next level; others will lose control and succumb to an eating disorder.

People that suffer with anorexia nervosa have a fear of weight gain. Food becomes the enemy and all measures are made to avoid eating. Sufferers will often see themselves as fatter than they actually are. Of course we mainly associate sufferers with being painfully thin. We first suspect the disease when we notice rapid and drastic weight loss. There are a number of symptoms. Other noticeable oddities may include...

• An obsession with calories, fat and portion control.
• Constant habits with their food and what they eat develop into strict controlled rituals.
• Sufferers will survive on very little calories. Lying about what they have eaten. Hiding food. Skipping family meal times. Pretending to be ill (sore throat, stomach upset) to escape eating.
• Developing a dislike for numerous foods. Giving up meat for example.
• Wanting to cook their own food and eating at different times to the family.
• Cooking elaborate meals and making an excuse not to eat it themselves.
• Over react to certain foods, ie a big slice of chocolate cake, or a swirl of cream in their soup.
• Wearing baggy clothes to hide a slimmer frame.
• Constantly weighing themselves.
• Always looking in the mirror.
• Being very secretive.
• Spending a lot of time on their own and wanting to be alone.
• Health books and calorie counting magazines may be hidden among other reading materials.
• Fitness DVDs among their movie collection.
• Taking laxatives, slimming pills and/or water pills.
• Extreme exercising.
• Seeming confused.
• Consistently irritable.
• Short tempered.
• Sad and/or upset.
• Depressed.

People develop anorexia nervosa for different reasons. They may have been teased about their weight, and decided to diet. Perhaps aspire to be like their favorite skinny celebrity. Young girls may struggle with the changes in their bodies as they go through puberty; not wanting to be a woman. Anorexia nervosa is about control; excessive control.

Whatever the reason and there's no one common reason the outcome is the same. Anorexia nervosa is a griping disease that seeps into the brain. Nothing is more important than controlling every aspect of food in their lives. Their whole world is an ugly fight with their biggest enemy; food.

The body suffers drastically when starved of food. After all the body absorbs the necessary nutrients and minerals from food consumed to function. Malnutrition has devastating consequences.

A sufferer will experience horrendous problems with their body. Among those problems they may experience...

• Skin problems; xerosis and acne to name but two.
• Constipation and/or diarrhea.
• Tooth loss.
• Hair loss.
• Fine soft hair growth, on the body and face.
• Chilblains on the hands and feet.
• A decrease in white blood cells, leaving the body open to infection. Hence increased illnesses.
• In females, loss of periods.
• Sleeping problems.
• Stomach problems.
• Epileptic fits.
• Osteoporosis.
• Organ damage.
• Anaemia, loss of red blood cells, resulting in weakness and fatigue as the blood struggles to carry oxygen around the body.
• Cardiac arrest.

Knowing that anorexia is a mental disorder governed by an unhealthy relationship with food and a fear of weight gain perhaps we can try to understand it. Perhaps more importantly to recognize it and hopefully stop it; better still diagnose it early and cure it. Sufferers can survive and conquer their disorder; but the longer the disease goes undetected the more difficult it is to return to a normal life with food.

Anorexia nervosa is a condition that must be diagnosed by a medical professional. However, sometimes we all need to be a little more aware of what happens in our lives and our loved ones lives. It's important to notice all oddities and changes with our loved ones. Our lives are so busy these days, it's difficult to notice every little thing.

But, I'll tell you something; when you notice one thing you'll see all the other little things. The alarm bells will ring louder than anything you've ever heard in your life. And you'll pray to your God, that what you're seeing; is not the diseased clutches of anorexia nervosa embracing the body of the person you love.