HEALTH
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Anorexia
What
is Anorexia?
The following is the diagnostic criterion used by psychologists
for defining anorexia:
Refusal to maintain body weight at or above a minimally normal
weight for age and height (weight loss leading to maintenance
of body weight less than 85% of that expected or failure to
make expected weight gain during period of growth)
Intense
fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
Disturbance
in the way in which one's body weight or shape is experienced,
undue influence of body weight or shape on self evaluation,
or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight.
In
postmenarcheal females (after first period but before menopause),
amenorrhea (the absence of at least 3 consecutive menstrual
cycles).
There are 2 further divisions of anorexia:
Restrictive: No bing-eating or purging (self-induced vomiting
or use of laxatives, diuretics or enemas) during current episode
Binge-Eating/Purging:
Person has engaged in binge-eating or purging during current
episode.
Who
gets Anorexia?
Low self esteem is the common feature of psychological eating
disorders. Often the eating disorder is a reaction to stress,
anxiety, or other events in the persons environment. Anorexia
is a dysfunctional coping mechanism for the emotions which result
in the eating-disorder behavior.
The
person suffering with anorexia may be abnormally sensitive about
being perceived as fat. By controlling their eating and through
excessive dieting they may be attempting to react to other problems.
Some feel that they do not deserve pleasure from life and will
deprive themselves of food and other situations which are pleasurable.
Anorexics often have a history of obesity in childhood.
Signs:
Some behavioral signs can be obsessive exercise, calorie counting,
starvation, self-induced vomiting, use of diet pills, laxative
use, or diuretic use to control weight. Anorexia may be seen
with depression. Sometimes anorexia is seen with abuse survivors.
Despite emaciation, these patients deny hunger, thinness, or
fatigue. In advanced cases a fine hair (lanugo hair) may be
seen over the body. Edema (swelling in legs or body) is common.
Bradycardia (slow heart rate less than 60 bpm) may occur.
Anorexia
Athletica
What is it? Excessive exercise may be a form a purging. Exercise
can be an outlet behavior in response to guilt or anxiety. In
moderate amounts exercise can be a successful coping mechanism
for limited psychological problems. However, when compulsive,
the exercise may go beyond what is physically safe. Taking off
work or cutting school to exercise may be a sign of excessive
exercise and may be a sign of deeper tremendous guilt.
The
athletic achievements do not yield satisfaction when associated
with this form of eating disorder. Sufferers of this type may
use their athletic behavior to gain praise from athletic coaches,
but do not gain satisfaction from their activity and are actually
hiding their guilt and eating problems.
