Eating Disorders – Anorexia Nervosa Effects

In this next article in our continuing series we’re going to
discuss the effects of Anorexia Nervosa on a person, as well as
going over some facts and figures
The main assault of this disease is that it focuses on self
starvation Since the body needs food as a basic means for
survival, the effects of this disease are numerous to say the
least Because the body is not getting enough nutrition, it is
forced to slow down in order to compensate for this This
slowing down can have serious consequences on a person’s body
There are a number of health consequences from Anorexia Nervosa
The main ones are as follows:
1 People suffering from this disease, after an extended period
of time, suffer from an abnormally slow heart rate and very low
blood pressure This causes the heart muscle itself to change
The chance of heart failure rises as heart rate and blood
pressure decrease
2 Because of the lack of calcium in a person’s diet, since they
are not getting enough food in general, there is a great risk of
reduced bone density, which is known as osteoporosis This
results in very dry and brittle bones which makes them very
susceptible to breaking
3 Again, because of the lack of nutrition, a person suffering
from this disease will suffer from muscle weakness and potential
muscle loss This can lead to more serious muscular disorders
4 Most people who suffer from this disease not only don’t eat
enough but also don’t even drink enough water This can result
in severe dehydration which can ultimately lead to kidney
failure
5 Less serious symptoms, but certainly cause for concern, are
overall weakness including fatigue and fainting, which in itself
can be dangerous when behind the wheel of a car
6 People suffering from this disease also suffer from thin and
dry hair Hair loss is very common
7 Because of the overall deterioration of the body, a covering
of hair begins to grow over the body in an effort to keep the
body warm
And now a few statistics about this disease that you may or may
not be aware of
a About 90-95% of the people who suffer from this disease are
women, most of them young girls
b About 1% of all American women suffer from Anorexia Nervosa
c Of all the psychiatric disorders, Anorexia Nervosa is the
most common diagnosed in women in general
d The mortality rate of people suffering from Anorexia Nervosa
is between 5 and 20% The probability of death increases with
the length of time the person has been suffering from the
disease
e Anorexia Nervosa has one of the highest rates of death of all
mental disorders
f The disease itself usually shows itself in early to mid
adolescence
The treatments for this disease are similar to the treatments
for Bulimia It is important that immediate psychiatric help is
gotten for the sufferer The quicker the diagnosis and treatment
the greater the chance for survival

Tags | anorexia, bones, consequences, density, disorders, effects, hair, health, heart, muscle, muscular, pressure, result, starvation