Anorexia nervosa (or anorexia for brief) could also be one of the well known kinds of eating disorders, however it’s often one of the misunderstood.
Some might imagine anorexia is just a couple of person’s obsession with thinness or struggles with food. But like all eating disorders, anorexia is a serious and complex mental illness that anyone can develop. And with a spread of potential symptoms, anorexia could also be hard to identify.
So, what exactly is anorexia? What causes it? What are the signs and symptoms of anorexia? And how is that this condition treated?
We’ve been helping heal eating disorders at Melrose Center for greater than 35 years. Below, we answer all these questions and more.
Anorexia nervosa is a serious mental health condition, and it’s not a alternative.
An individual with anorexia significantly restricts their food intake and typically has an intense fear of gaining weight or “becoming fat”. They could consider they’re extremely obese even in the event that they’ve lost a number of weight. And while other people may even see them as very thin, an individual fighting anorexia cannot see their body as it truly is. About 4% of females and 0.3% of males will develop anorexia sooner or later of their lives.
Kinds of anorexia nervosa
There are different subtypes of anorexia. Each of those subtypes have different symptoms and behaviors, which is a component of the rationale why anorexia is so often misunderstood.
Restrictive anorexia
An individual with any such anorexia restricts their food intake and doesn’t devour enough food throughout the day to support their body’s energy needs. Often, an individual with restrictive anorexia has many “food rules” about how food is ready, and specific times in the course of the day after they can and can’t eat.
Bingeing and purging anorexia
An individual with this sort greatly restricts what they eat, but in addition they binge eat and purge. Purging can take different forms, including self-induced vomiting, misusing laxatives or diuretics, and overexercising.
Atypical anorexia nervosa
Individuals with any such anorexia have significant weight reduction but are inside a “normal” weight range. This eating disorder still comes with the damaging characteristics and complications of anorexia, though an individual isn’t considered underweight from a medical perspective. Atypical anorexia nervosa is what’s referred to as an other specified feeding or eating disorder (OSFED).
Anorexia symptoms: Behavioral, physical and mental signs
Anorexia can affect every area of somebody’s life. The eating disorder seems to take control and every waking minute is targeted on food, body, weight or shape.
Behavioral symptoms of anorexia nervosa
An individual with anorexia may change how they eat, exercise and interact with others in an effort to manage their weight. Behaviors related to anorexia can include:
- Rigid, restrictive eating
- Exercising an excessive amount of
- Often skipping meals or refusing to eat
- Denial of hunger or making excuses for not eating
- Eating primarily “secure” foods, normally those lower in fat and calories
- Fixation about how food is ready, which sometimes includes cooking elaborate meals for others but not eating them
- Not wanting to eat with others or avoiding eating in social gatherings or at restaurants
- Secrecy or lying about how much food has been eaten
- Irritability when asked about eating patterns or low body weight
- Bingeing and purging
- Social withdrawal
Physical symptoms of anorexia nervosa
When an individual has anorexia, they don’t get the nutrients they need. Over time, their body becomes weaker – inside and out. For instance, anorexia can affect organ function and change how an individual looks. Physical symptoms that might be brought on by anorexia, include:
- Dizziness or feeling lightheaded
- Low body weight or thin appearance
- Significant weight reduction, or for adolescents, not gaining enough weight to support growth and development
- Soft, downy hair covering the body and face (lanugo)
- Hair that thins, breaks or falls out
- Periods which are irregular or absent in females
- Low testosterone levels in males
- Lower body temperature or continually feeling cold
- Slowed heart rate or low blood pressure
- Irregular heart rhythms
- Abnormal blood counts
- Unusually dry skin or brittle nails
- Dry or yellowish skin
- Weak muscles
- Digestive problems like constipation
Mental health concerns often co-occur with anorexia
Individuals with anorexia often produce other mental health conditions similar to anxiety disorders like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or mood disorders like depression. About 56% of individuals diagnosed with anorexia have also been diagnosed with one other mental illness, based on the National Institute of Mental Health. Anorexia could make mental health issues worse since an individual’s mind and body aren’t getting enough nutrition to be at their best.
What causes anorexia? It’s likely a mix of things
The precise reason behind anorexia is unknown. As with many diseases, doctors consider a mix of biological, psychological and environmental aspects can play a task.
Biological causes of anorexia nervosa
- Genetics – Our genes could make us 40-60% more vulnerable to eating disorders, based on latest research.
- Heredity – You’re more prone to develop an eating disorder if someone in your immediate family has one.
Psychological causes of anorexia nervosa
- Personality traits – Certain traits could make it more likely for somebody to develop anorexia.
- Perfectionism can result in impossibly high standards about appearance and behaviors
- Rigidity could make it easier to keep on with food restrictions, even when hungry
- Anxiousness can contribute to a fear of gaining weight
- Internalizing problems and keeping negative emotions to yourself could make things seem worse than they really are
- Other mental illness – Individuals with other kinds of mental illness could have behaviors and attitudes that may lead to anorexia.
Environmental causes of anorexia nervosa
- Societal attitudes – Within the U.S., a skinny body is usually linked to health and attractiveness.
- Influence of peers – An individual’s social group or surroundings may make them feel pressure to look a certain way. Peers might also share opinions about food and eating behaviors that may increase the chance of developing anorexia.
- Family – Parents and other relations can unintentionally influence an individual’s attitudes about food, weight and eating.
- Media and social media – Shared videos and photos often show unusual body types (and many have been digitally altered). If an individual compares their body to those shown in media and social media, it could actually make them feel unhappy with their appearance.
- Trauma – Individuals who’ve experienced trauma similar to physical or emotional abuse usually tend to develop anorexia or other eating disorders.
Anorexia risk aspects to find out about
Eating disorders affect people of all genders, ages, races, ethnicities, body shapes and weights, sexual orientations and socioeconomic statuses. Nevertheless, individuals who have certain characteristics could also be at higher risk of developing anorexia.
Being female
People who find themselves female are 13 times more prone to develop anorexia than those that are male (but anorexia is becoming more common in boys and men). The variety of young women aged 15 to 19 years old with anorexia has continually increased since 1930.
Identifying as LGBTQ+
Anorexia and other eating disorders are more common in adults and adolescents who discover as LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or queer) or gender nonconforming.
Being a youngster or young adult
Individuals are more than likely to develop anorexia during adolescence or young maturity, but people of any age can develop anorexia. A concerning trend is that more young people under the age of 15 years old are developing anorexia, based on recent research.
Weight-reduction plan
There’s evidence that weight-reduction plan is linked to eating disorders, including anorexia. Often, what starts as a technique to lose a couple of kilos, progresses into chronic weight-reduction plan and a hyper-focus on food, weight and calories.
Sports and activities can put a high value on looking a certain way, being a certain size or engaging in certain behaviors to enhance performance. Often, athletes receive mixed messages about food and the fuel their body must support their activities. This could contribute to disordered eating.
Being bullied or teased, especially about weight or body shape
If someone is teased or bullied about their size or weight, they usually tend to develop anorexia. Sometimes bullying behaviors are very obvious – for instance, kids teasing a classmate about their size. But sometimes they might be harder to identify, and the one who’s making the damaging comments may not intend to be mean. Even a seemingly innocent comment about body weight or size from a member of the family, teacher or coach may make an individual feel bad about their appearance.
The potential health risks of anorexia
Untreated anorexia can result in many medical complications, including malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility, brain volume loss, hair loss, dry skin, brittle nails, depression and anxiety. In children and youth, anorexia may also delay or stop puberty, and slow overall growth.
If an individual with anorexia becomes severely malnourished, every organ within the body might be damaged, including the brain, heart and kidneys. This damage will not be fully reversible.
Up to at least one in five individuals with chronic anorexia may die in consequence of anorexia – this might be on account of starvation or malnutrition. However it’s also because individuals with anorexia usually tend to die by suicide.
How anorexia nervosa is diagnosed
Anorexia has each physical and mental symptoms. So when diagnosing anorexia, the doctor will evaluate each physical and mental health. To judge physical health, the doctor will likely do a physical exam, lab work and an EKG to examine heart function. To evaluate mental health, the doctor will use screening inventories to explore a patient’s history, relationship with food and body image.
People can recuperate from anorexia. And the earlier they get treatment, the higher the outcomes are inclined to be.
Since anorexia affects all elements of an individual – including their mind, body and behaviors – treatment is frequently provided by a team of medical care providers with different areas of experience. For instance, psychologists and psychiatrists help work through emotions and attitudes which may be triggering certain behaviors, medical providers treat the physical symptoms of anorexia, and registered dietitians provide guidance on healthy eating and snacking. Everybody will receive a customized treatment plan depending on their particular needs.
Common anorexia treatments
There are a lot of different treatments for anorexia, but the next are a number of the commonest. An individual’s treatment plan will typically include a couple of sort of therapy and treatment.
- Family-based treatment (FBT) –This can be a clinically proven treatment for kids and adolescents living at home with their families. With this treatment, parents or caregivers take a number one role in helping the kid change eating behaviors, gain weight and return to normal growth patterns.
- Cognitive behavior therapy enhanced (CBT-E) – CBT-E is a highly individualized treatment where a patient has weekly sessions with a therapist to work through what’s causing their eating problems, how to vary their behaviors and take care of setbacks. People often have 20-40 sessions of CBT-E.
- Group therapy – Group therapy allows individuals with anorexia to share their experiences while also learning from others with similar experiences. During therapy, they’ll learn methods for managing emotions similar to feelings of isolation and distress, and skills for strengthening interpersonal relationships. Plus, the non-public connections they make in group therapy will also be a part of their support system moving forward.
- Nutrition therapy and health education – A key aspect of anorexia treatment is changing your relationship with food. A dietitian will work with you to enable you to redevelop the body’s natural feelings of hunger and fullness, and provide guidance on making healthy meals and snacks.
- Medical treatment – You might also receive medical treatment for symptoms of anorexia. For instance, you might need frequent testing and exams. Sometimes medication could also be needed to assist manage discomfort, in addition to digestive and other physical issues.
Anorexia treatment programs
There are different levels of treatment, depending on how severe the symptoms are.
- Outpatient care – Many individuals start with outpatient take care of anorexia. With any such care, an individual spends a couple of hours per week within the clinic meeting with different members of their treatment team.
- Day program (partial hospitalization) – Doctors may recommend that individuals with more severe symptoms go to a day program for anorexia. Often, individuals are in this system for 4-6 weeks.
- Residential treatment – Some individuals who have severe symptoms, may profit from the 24/7 support and medical care offered through a residential treatment program for anorexia.
Do you think that you or a loved one has anorexia? Get help today
An eating disorder isn’t a alternative. It’s a serious condition that may affect every aspect of an individual’s life. The earlier you reach out, the earlier you or the one you love can start healing. And Melrose Center is here.
For those who think you could have an eating disorder:
- Answer the five questions on our eating disorder self-assessment
- Check with someone you trust – for instance, a friend, a health care provider or a therapist
- Call Melrose Center at 952-993-6200 to establish an assessment at considered one of our five Twin Cities metro locations
For those who think a loved one has an eating disorder:
- Tell them you like them
- Share with them your concerns and the changes you’ve seen of their behavior
- Avoid talking about their body or weight
- Urge them to talk over with a health care provider
- Go along with them to the appointment