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Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder whereby one suffers from a loss of appetite resulting in self-starvation

1,385 Questions

How much weight could you lose in a week drinking and eating only water and chicken broth?

Don't consider it! I don't know what your rush is to lose weight, but this is not a good way. Yes, you can survive four to six weeks without food but surviveing isn't the point. You'd face increadble hunger pain, fatiuge, exaustion and way more. Also once your week is up your lifestyle won't change, and you'll put the weight on again. Honestly I don't think you'd cut enough weight for it to really make a long-term difference. If you went on a diet afterwards your body would still gain weight because it's trying to replenish what it lost durning that week. Bottom Line: Bad Idea.

What leads to anorexia nervosa?

There is not one "major" or "most" contributing factor in anorexia. It varies per case and per individual. Some commonly important ones are...

*low self-esteem

*low body image

*teasing / bullying (often about weight or appearances)

*depression

*family history (influenced, but this is only a theory and is not yet totally confirmed)

*dieting gone wrong

Why does anorexia affect teenagers?

People develop Anorexia Nervosa (AN) for many different reasons. Usually it is from a variety of causes, not just one in particular. Most full blown mental illnesses develop over the course of months and sometimes years, and this is probably the case with AN. It may start out with a preoccupation with body weight or image, and over time, become worse due to the convergence of other factors. Some people also develop ANA because of the need to have control over something in their lives. The satisfaction of being able to control their weight and food intake helps with the control issue, until it is what begins to control them.

Answer:

The first medical account of Anorexia Nervosa was in 1689, and was referred to as "Nervosa Consumption", which the doctor thought was caused by "sadness and anxious cares." This doctor described two cases of AN, one male and one female, both teenagers (paraphrased from Joseph Silverman, Anorexia Nervosa: Historical Perspective on Treatment).

Anorexia Nervosa is one of three major types of eating disorders (ED), the others include Bulimia Nervosa (BN), and Binge Eating Disorder (BED).

People struggle with their appearance and eating behaviors for a variety of reasons. The onset of EDs can help understand the causal factors. Numerous genetic, neurological, psychological and sociological factors have been advanced to explain the occurrence of the disorder. Further, the starvation associated with anorexia causes neurological damage of its own that helps perpetuate the cycle.

From a genetic standpoint, studies of twins suggest that anorexic behavior has a high degree of in-heritability; in some studies valued as high as an 84% likelihood of inheritance.

From a neurological or neuro-psychiatric standpoint, studies suggest that anorexia is caused by disturbances in the serotonin-systems within the brain. The possible cause for the disturbed serotonin system would likely be genetic.

From a psychological standpoint, many girls may place too much emphasis on their appearance and overcompensate by extreme dieting; or they may copy the behavior of friends whom they admire. Many ED sufferers have been victims of trauma, such as sexual abuse, rape, or incest, or other types of trauma. Exerting control of weight and dieting can help provide a sense of control and distraction from unwanted memories.

From a sociological standpoint, there are many posited explanations, running the gamut from peer dynamics to economic analysis.

An example of a peer dynamic argument is that certain groups, irrespective of gender, in which success is directly proportional to being a small size, see high incidence of anorexia. Such groups include models and dancers (typically female) but also include competitive wrestlers (not to be confused with wrestlers in the sports entertainment industry) and horse-racing jockeys (typically male).

An example of a demographic argument is: the condition is related to socio-economics, ethnicity and gender, with the vast majority of sufferers being female, white, economically privileged (often to the point of wealth, even by Western standards), citizens of Western countries.

An example of a Marxist-feminist argument is: many girls are taught that their self worth is based on their weight, Skinny = Worthwhile, and, Fat = Worthless; and this idea is promoted by many corporations who want you to base your self worth on whether or not you own their products. "Name brand" products are modeled by very thin people ("models"), many of whom suffer from ANA or MIA. So, their appearance in advertisements represents a glorification of a severe mental illness and of pathological behaviors. This type of advertising by corporations is arguably unethical and immoral; but nevertheless, very effective at getting people to buy into it.

Answer:Through peer pressure and body image, girls always want to fit into that size eight, they want to look good in a bikini, they want to be able to run and dance without their body jiggling. They want to look pretty but theirface is puffy and double-chinned.

Girls care more about what they look like than guys. It's a common fact that they feel the need to do their hair at least five times a day, apply mascara, wear revealing tops and mini skirts.

How many people die by Anorexia every year?

11 million people have anorexia and every year 15-20% of those people die from it.

What happens when the food you eat has too much energy in it?

If talking about energy, you mean kCal or Calories? If so, you will gain weight providing you are eating more than what your body burns in a day, not including exercise. If you exercise, you usually can consume more Calories (not empty calories) without gaining weight.

What do people look like if they are anorexic?

You don't. Being anorexic is not healthy, and one can not look anorexic without being anorexic, or having some other health problem. Even a lot of exercise will not actually make you look anorexic, unless you're body starts autocannibalizing itself.

Will you gain all your weight back once you start eating again if you starve yourself for a month?

You will probably gain more weight, once you start eating normally your body will go into over time to restore all the lost fat, that and if you starve yourself you will still have a high body fat percentage, because your body will use your muscle first then as a VERY last resort start using your fat, the best way to go is using muscle supplements and vitamins.

Who does the anorexia nervosa affect?

Anorexia affects 1 in every 250 or so people (the number is not exact, since many cases go un-noticed or un-reported). Of those people 90% are female, 10% are male. Usually, anorexia occurs the most between the ages of 12 and 25, but can happen (less commonly, though) outsied of that range. 2/3 of cases of anorexia are in "Western" society, and 95% of all anorexics live in middle- or upper-class families.

How Many people are anorexic in the US?

Roughly 1 in every 250 American suffers from anorexia.

The three main types of eating disorders are anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.

In their lifetime, an estimated 0.6 percent of the adult population in the U.S. will suffer from anorexia, 1.0 percent from bulimia, and 2.8 percent from a binge eating disorder. 14

Women are much more likely than males to develop an eating disorder. They are three times as likely to experience anorexia (0.9 percent of women vs. 0.3 percent of men) and bulimia (1.5 percent of women vs. 0.5 percent of men) during their life. They are also 75 percent more likely to have a binge eating disorder (3.5 percent of women vs. 2.0 percent of men).14

The mortality rate among people with anorexia has been estimated at 0.56 percent per year, or approximately 5.6 percent per decade, which is about 12 times higher than the annual death rate due to all causes of death among females ages 15-24 in the general population.

What are the illnesses of anorexia?

Anorexia nevosa is an illness that is classified as a mental disorder with physical manifestations as an eating disorder. A person suffering from anorexia will strictly limit their calorie intake and increase exercsie regimes to unhealthy and excessive extremes in order to lose an unhealthy and drastic amount of weight.

Can anorexia lead to permanent infertility?

It can. If left for a long time untreated, because anorexics often will suffer from amenhorrea (where they no longer get their period) as a result of their body trying to conserve nutrients, blood, and a hormone inbalance. Too long, this can cause infertility in women once they get older.

I can person be overweight an anorexic at the same time?

no they can have the symptoms of anorexia buttttttt technically your anorexic if your underweight with all the other symptoms

How does anorexia affect the skin?

Eventually, yes. Anorexia tends to cause malnutrition, which will affect skin and bone condition.

Do people in affluent societies suffer from malnutrition?

Affluent societies are not immune to malnutrition. Malnutrition can occur whenever proper food is not ingested, whether because it is not available, or because of trendy food diets.

What the difference if you hardly eat but you don't throw it up?

In terms of eating disorders, the two most common are Anorexia and Bulimia. Anorexia is characterized by not eating, self-starvation, limiting calorie intake, and excessive exercise. Bulimia is characterized by eating large amounts of food (known as bingeing) and then throwing it up forcefully or using laxatives ot quickly remove the foods from the body (known as purging).

How much weight do you lose in a week if you starve yourself?

== == * I hope this is only a hypothetical question. If it's not, hold onto your chair while I try to blast you off of it. Your body still thinks it's in the Stone Age. A caveman. Starvation means only one thing to your body: famine. No food. Your body's need is to survive. Your muscles are eaten (yes, eaten - catabolized) by your body in attempt to not only get energy, but to utterly shut down your metabolism. A high metabolism becomes a risk to the famine-struck caveman or cave woman. Your body fat stores, on the other hand, are left largely untouched, especially if you're just doing this stupid trick for a week. You, on the other hand, have a 21st century brain. It's thinking proms, it's thinking dates. It wishes that it could burn the fat off your body, but in destroying your metabolism you absolutely guarantee that you will burn less fat than ever before. Since you're going to be alive for another 50 years, maybe, not for seven days. You keep shooting your metabolism every time you get a new and dangerous idea, and you'll be in poor health by the time you are 40. * I was anorexic, bulimic you name it. I used these tricks. My hair got really thin, my skin got greasy, I stunted my growth and became gauntly. I started to pass out after not eating and realized I was not losing fat but muscle. People spread stuff about me online, family members even talked about me behind my back. The only way to lose weight is healthy eating cutting down on bread and exercising 30 min a day. I'm actually more fit now not just bones and excess skin you need muscle to hold up your toned stomach. And if you must know I was 115lbs during my abuse. Now I'm 5'5 109 by just being healthy. * Your body will store the fat and hold onto it if you starve yourself. It is unhealthy to do that anyway. For some reason, too many people think starving is the easy way to lose weight. Those who starve, purge, and do other unhealthy things to lose weight and look sickly and malnourished. Take your multi vitamins, eat better food, drink more water, and start walking every day and then increase to jogging, running, or aerobics (whatever you can enjoy). * Approximately 10 - 12 lbs. which is generally water weight and therefore you are dehydrated and this can do damage to your kidney and liver. Starving yourself makes you lose 0 weight! Watch what you eat, drink 8 glasses of water a day and exercise. There is no magic pill (of yeah, they work for a bit, but then what is this tiny pill doing to your body and when you go off the pill you put on even more weight.) It's a fact that yo-yo dieting will lead to heart, livery, kidney, gall bladder diseases. Be smart, and eat right: 3 1/2 ounces of chicken, fish, red meat (you don't have to eat red meat) but you should have plenty of protein from beans, chicken, or the fish. Lots of veggies and the important ones are orange vegetables such as carrots, squash, and green leafy veggies (for fiber) which are broccoli, spinach, brussel sprouts, and asparagus is excellent as well. Lots of fruit. Dairy products such as eggs (good protein as well as cheeses) and 1 - 2% milk. One does not have to spend a fortune at a gym and can exercise by going "fast walking", biking, swimming or jogging. * Starving yourself is not the way to go. I lost seven pounds in a week just from not eating processed foods and eating a lot healthier. Now I'm exercising, eating right, and losing weight the healthy way. if you just starve yourself, your metabolism will go out the window and when you start eating again, you'll just put on more weight. * Fasting is not consuming any calories and slowing down in daily activity so that the body has the best opportunity to detox and heal itself naturally. (Think how you lose your appetite when seriously ill. Or how sick animals will automatically cease eating until they are well again.) Starving, on the other hand, is not consuming calories and pushing your body to do strenuous activity. The activity uses the energy that would be allocated to healing if given the opportunity. Also, the body natural instinct to preserve itself turns on ("the survival mode") and it holds on to any and all energy reserves - fat. If the starvation was self imposed with a desire to lose weight, the person will probably be disappointed at the results. Now to the question at hand: a 200 lb, 5'5" female will lose about twice as much weight as a 150 lb, 5'5' woman would. The more fat you have, the faster it comes off. The 200 lb woman may lose 15-20 lbs in the first week. Whereas the 150 lb woman would lose 7-10 lbs in the first week. The more water that is consumed, the faster the fat comes off. It really speeds things up and aides in detoxifying during a fast. * Fasting is not an exact science: If one chooses to fast they should do so under the guidance of their doctor or Homeopathic doctor and fasting should never be tried on your own.

What is a treatment for anorexia nervosa?

The best treatment for anorexia nervosa is psychotherapy. It provides a safe place to learn how to identify concerns, overcome fears, solve problems, and test new skills.

What body systems do anorexia affect?

Anorexia can affect all of the body systems, eventually. It can cause eyesight problem, hearing loss, dry skin, mental problems (depression, isolation, OCD, ect.), organ failure, nerve damage, muscle loss, and many other problems.

What age do people suffer anorexia at?

Girls Becoming AnorexicI was diagnosed by a specialist with anorexia, 26 yrs. old, so really any age after puberty, i notice in todays generation that a lot of young girls are 'want to be 's, i have no clue why someone would want to be anorexic, you lose your hair, mestration, and its a really lonely life! But to be honest, to have anorexia, you have to have the physcological disease, no one can make themselves anorexic, i cant explain that enough, i think a lot of young girls just want attention & don't realize that just starving/counting calories and overexercise is not what anorexia is all about! Its a physcological disease that takes years to build up & eventually come out,its not a choice or 'life style', its a sickness like cancer or aids only people don't realize this.If you really have anorexia you will often lose control of it & feel you are 'in control', you also are in denial. That's why i have no clue why they call them 'pro ana' sites, real anorexics never admit they are while they are doing this stuff.Also real anorexics don't share with others normally, they do research on their own and don't discus it,unless they are trying to recover!

Here are more answers from Wiki s contributors:

  • People become anorexic at any age, but usually people become anorexic at the age of 13 or over. But anorexia will make your hair thin and fall out and your skin can go pale and you will eventually die if you're not carefull because your body eats it's self up (not just fat) and your body will collapse and fail.
  • A girl can become anorexic at any age. Usually around the time puberty hits is when it starts. If you are worried about yourself or someone else get help immediately! Being anorexic can make you more attractive in the beginning, but then you become too thin, and sick. Many medical problems can occur and if you or the person you know doesn't help they could die. If you want to lose weight, eat right and work out. It comes off slower, but its healthy and you will look great.
  • I became anorexic at the age of 15. It was a few months before my actual GCSE exams. I guess stress plays an important factor in our eating habits. Girls can become anorexic at any age, even boys. I know someone who became anorexic at the age of 30 so it is not just teenagers.
  • You can definitelly get it at any time. Anorexia is about taking out your emotions on your body, which women do all the time. My boyfriend dumped me, I'm fat, etc. But I don't think you so much "catch it" as you are born with certain attitudes that cause you to become anorexic. I think most anorexics would make great interior designers or Astrophysics experts--they are so obsessed with ridiculously minute details. When I was anorexic, everything had to be perfect. Nothing was anyone else's fault, it was always mine. So I think Anorexia is more an attitude that just shows itself in your eating habits.

Is anorexia an infectious disease?

Anoriexia is not a virus or bacteria, so it will not spread like the flu would, for example. Sitting near someone who is an anorexic does not mean that you will catch it, as you might do so with a cold. However, it can influence you. This means that being with someone who is anorexic might begin to alter how you think about your body and food and weight, causing you to maybe consider anorexia when you woukdn't normally have even really thought much about it. In this sense, it can "spread" by the inflencung of others.

[But this answer is making an assumption: that by "anorexia" you mean "anorexia nervosa". The latter is an eating disorder and people often refer to it as just anorexia. However, anorexia simply means lack of appetite, which can occur from a virus or many other illnesses. Chicken pox, for example, causes anorexia. Because people confuse that with the eating disorder, the get the impression that you can "catch" anorexia nervosa. You can't. If people stop using the wrong name for the eating disorder, this would be less confusing.]

What are characteristics of people with anorexia nervosa?

There are many characteristics and effects that go along wiht anorexia, but 5 are... * Weight Loss

* Unwillingness to eat (or only eating VERY small amounts) * Excess, intense, or very often exercise * Organ problems (i.e. problems due to lack of nutrients, a girl not having her period) * Hair (on the head) loss, discoloration, loss of "shine", becoming more fragile / brittle, thinning, becoming lank. Also, hair growth (called lanugo) of a peach-fuzz thin layer as the body tries ot compensate for loss of body fat.

Can boys be anorexic?

Anorexia affects boys in the same way that it does for girls. There will be similar compliocations (like organ problems, hair lossm dry skin, ect.) Emotions, like depression, can happen for both boys and girls. Anorexia is pretty much similar, no matter who it affects, either boy or girl. The only main difference is that boys have "less pressure", in theory, to look a certain way or to be very thin, so less boys have anorexia than girls. Roughly 90% of all anorexia sufferers are female, while just about 10% are male.

Why might a person become anorexic?

Its because of either the physical or mental abuse they had gone through. I'm an anorexic binge purge sub type. I have both the illness of a bulimic and an anorexic. I am this because relatively, bulimics are not underweight. That's where anorexia comes in. But because of the self loathe and public loathe that the only way to feel accepted is to do whatever it takes to be the skinniest person there. It's not really ALL choice. It does take over your body and recovery will be harder. Fix it the sooner the better

How do people develop anorexia nervosa?

Here is advice and input: * To me, it's the media, though it's no one's fault. Seeing these thin images somehow motivates the better of us to have the 'desired' look everyone wants. Other than that, it's the sense of control it brings to your life. You may not be able to control what is happening around you, or to you, but you can control what you eat and how you look, and how you feel about your body. Basically being "brainwashed" into thinking superthin is gorgeous, they want to look like that, too. They convince themselves that by losing that weight they could be that much better, that much prettier, get a boyfriend, have more people like them, get more attention, whatever. They start eating less and less until they are eating a ridiculously small amount or even nothing. * It is not a mental disease. That would simply be too easy an answer. Otherwise there would be pre-natal tests that would conclude who would suffer from it or not. Anorexia is similar in the reasoning of anyone suffering from addiction. It's easier to treat their behaviour as that of an addict. There maybe many reasons for the cause of it. Some hear voices, others say it's simply a manifestation of OCD. * If you're afraid of being fat, that will make you anorexic. * People who have a fear of being fat does not make them anorexic. Just because you do not want to see your self get fat does not mean you will have this harmful condition. If you are afraid of being fat just watch what you eat, make sure you eat though. Also exercise moderatly. Just because you do not want to be fat does not mean you WILL be fat. * I believe that girls mainly become anorexic because of how they see themselves. Fat, ugly.. and that they are everything opposite that they want to be. Me myself, once being an anorexia victim, believed that I was always over weight, not realizing that I had only weighed 100 pounds at age 15 being 5'8. I had hated everything about myself and thought of myself as the ugliest person I had ever seen. Even after meals I went to the bathroom to throw up my food. Girls today are the targets of media. Girls see women in movies and singers and glamorus famous people as pretty and thin, which is our objective to become. Except the thing is, that some girls will do anything -even throw up their own food- to become thin and glamorus just like these singers and models and actresses. Girls, Boys, Men and Women of all ages, if it be 13 or 52 years old, that as long as they keep fit and healthy then they are good-looking or sexy, no matter what anyone thinks. And as long as you belive in yourself that you are pretty or handosome, then you are by no doubt as sexy as you see yourself. You don't need other people to tell you that you are if you believe it yourself! * I feel that the reason people become anorexic pertains to the same reasoning behind self mutilation, drug addiction, over eating, teenage rebellion, etc. Stress. A bird will deliberately pluck the feathers from it's own body until it is bald if put under stresful situations. Deal with the stressors and you'll obtain a major upperhand on the stress referral. It may not always be so simple to solve a problem in this way but it's worth a try. * Well, number one you can't just 'become anorexic'. It is a disease, not a lifestyle choice, not a quick fix for your ugly body, not any of that. Most of the time, it is genetic. It normally isn't even about being skinny. It is a way to control something in your life, when you just can't find another way. For me, I could control the food I let pass through my throat, the amount of exercise I did, and the grades I made. And it is partially a mental disease for a certain someone who just said it wasn't. If it wasn't mental then how come it is such a long and hard process of recovery. How come all you think about the the amount of calories you consume and burn. Why are you so obsessed with this disease taking over your life? Why would you not care about an entire group of friends that you lose because of it? Okay so here are my main points: It is, in fact, mental. It is a disease. You can't decide to 'become' it * Contrary to what most believe, anorexia nervosa can be genetic or a person's choice. Whichever the case may be, it is still unhealthy. I am 16 years old, am 5'9", and weigh 140 pounds. I do not look fat at all. My weight is proportioned throughout my entire body and everyone tells me I am sooo skinny since I am very tall for my age. Although I don't believe a single thing that comes out of their mouths, I am still struggling with my self-image. I think I am so fat and ugly. I constantly think of becoming anorexic or bulimic, but then I think of the repercussions and hardships that come with the illness. Besides, my two former best friends and my mother battled these illnesses long ago and the result was not pretty at all. My main point to all this is that people should not turn to eating disorders to solve their weight issues. People should try exercising and dieting. In the long-run, your body will benefit greatly and you will soon be in tip-top shape instead of all bones! * People become anorexic at a point in their lives where they are completely unhappy with themselves. I myself started when I bought a new scale and found out I was 145 pounds, not the 135 I was unhappy with in the first place. I told myself I would throw up food only when I felt too full. I thought that I would never get sucked in, not become one of those calorie-obsessed bulimic/anorexic people that seriously had a problem. I started throwing up once a week, and that led to starving myself days at a time. Eventually I started losing weight, but I never stopped. If you really want to lose weight, do it the healthy way. Exercise daily and eat three healthy meals a day. Anorexia is not a good option. * I see and understand all of the point of views about this subject. I started puking up my food because I was tired of people calling me fat and my dad would make jokes about my weight. Nobody realized what such low self-esteem I had especially boust my weight. I would puke after I ate, until I started loosing my apetite and became anorexic. I was always tired that my grades started slipping because I was always falling asleep in class, I was always cold, I had dark circles around my eyes. But I didn't care I saw that I was loosing weight and that was all that mattered. And having everybody say how great I was looking and how I was loosing so much weight made me want to do it more. I was 16 5'3" and weighed 180 pounds. In about two months I dropped down to about 155. I currentaly weigh 145 pounds. I stopped doing all of this though because I saw how bad I was hurting my parents and my firends became really worried about me. I now did some research and found out how bad doing this to yourself really is. There is so many things that come along with you just trying to lose weight. All I wanted to do was do it long enough for my apetite to decrease and to lose the weight that I wanted to lose. But it really does hurt your body. I know it doesn't really matter what other people say, it's all about what you think inside of yourself. So the only thing that I can say is this research bulemia and anorexia before you start doing it because in the long run it really isn't worth it.

* Trust me, being anorexic is horrible. I used to not eat for days and days at a time and when I would I would throw up what I ate. It was the worst time of my life and I have to fight it every day of my life. Please do not start. You are beautiful, and you do not have to be skinny to be beautiful. Everyone is beautiful. And you can find control other ways, by writing, painting, talking with a counselor, anything but stopping eating. It causes so many more problems.