Anorexia: what kind of disease is it, first signs, types and stages, treatment

Over the past 5 years, the number of patients diagnosed with anorexia has increased almost 10 times! 40% of them are teenagers aged 11 to 16 years, another 35% are models, actresses and other public people. In connection with such a catastrophic situation, numerous studies began to be conducted in the United States and Western European countries on this disease, which annually leads to nervous and physical exhaustion, and also claims the lives of thousands of people around the world.

It's time to find out what kind of deviation this is, what are its causes and mechanisms of development, and most importantly, whether it can be treated and how effective modern therapeutic methods are.

What it is?

Anorexia is not just a disease. In all reference books it is listed as a syndrome. The difference is that the mechanisms of development of the latter have not yet been studied well enough and are the subject of close study by scientists around the world. In this regard, the effectiveness of treatment methods for such pathologies is questioned and is not guaranteed. Indeed, psychotherapy, which is today the main tool in the fight against this disease, does not produce positive results in all cases.

The essence of anorexia is a lack of appetite, despite the body's need for nutrients. Most often, a person consciously refuses food due to a mental disorder against the background of internal complexes about his own figure and excess weight. By accustoming themselves not to eat, constantly exhausting the body with diets, patients bring the body and psyche to complete exhaustion. Much less often, this happens unconsciously and is dictated by the presence of other, no less serious diseases (for example, schizophrenia, intoxications of various kinds, cancer, etc.).

Difference from bulimia

Along with bulimia, anorexia is considered an eating disorder. According to many models, they suffered from both at the same time, although the manifestations of these diseases are completely different.

Bulimia is characterized by uncontrollable hunger pangs. After long and grueling diets, patients break down and eat huge amounts of food at once. And after they realize what happened, they become ashamed of such behavior. This leads to artificial induction of vomiting, abuse of laxatives and enemas, just to get rid of consumed food. Then the everyday life of grueling diets begins again until a new breakdown.

Anorexia is not characterized by such attacks of hunger; with this diagnosis, appetite is almost completely absent. And if with bulimia the body occasionally, but still receives and even manages to absorb at least some nutrients during such breakdowns, then here exhaustion is diagnosed much earlier, and more deaths are noted.

Interesting fact. In the course of research, scientists have established a connection between the type of eating disorder and the character of the person who suffers from it. People who are emotionally unstable and impatient and find it difficult to control themselves are prone to bulimia. Among anorexics, on the contrary, there are many closed and stubborn people who find it difficult to prove something. This explains the difficulty of treating the latter.

Types of anorexia: medicinal anorexia

Refusal to eat may be caused by taking specific medications. In this case, the purpose of taking the drugs will not have any connection with weight loss issues.

Some pharmaceutical forms for the treatment of asthma, allergies and heart disease, as well as painkillers and antitumor compounds can provoke the development of this type of disease.

Medications not only treat, but also create anorexia!
Drug-induced anorexia is also found in many drug addicts. Frequent stimulation of pleasure receptors in the brain significantly dulls the food reflex.

Causes

The reasons are so varied that in some cases it can be extremely difficult to identify them. Most often, depression is the main provoking factor, but this formulation is not enough for successful treatment. Psychotherapy digs much deeper and seeks to identify more root problems.

Mental

Age factor: adolescents and young adults are at risk, and the lower bar has been falling lower and lower in recent years. Excess weight in childhood, leading to problems with the environment (pressure from parents, calling names by classmates).

The presence of a negative example in the family: relatives with anorexia, bulimia, compulsive overeating or obesity, as well as those suffering from depression, alcoholism, drug addiction. Tensed relationships in the family, too strict parents, because of which the child strives to meet high standards and becomes depressed if he does not live up to them. Lack of parental attention.

Wrong eating habits: eating unhealthy foods in large quantities, not following a diet.

Low self-esteem, self-doubt, internal complexes, feelings of inferiority. Perfectionist-obsessive personality type. Mental illnesses, neurological pathologies. Parents' divorce. The formation of personality when a teenager tries to prove to himself and others that he has willpower and can consciously refuse food in order to meet the expectations of society.

Hobbies, interests, profession requirements: actors, models, musicians, singers and other public people.

Physical

These include:

alcoholism, drug addiction;
aneurysm;
anemia;
Addison's disease;
gastritis, pancreatitis;
helminths;
hemochromatosis;
hepatitis, liver cirrhosis;
hypopituitarism;
hormonal dysfunction;
zinc deficiency;
dysfunction of neurotransmitters responsible for eating behavior (dopamine, serotonin, norepinephrine);
prolonged coma;
malignant tumors;
leukemia;
lymphoma;
excess weight;
neurosurgical operation;
digestive problems, gastrointestinal diseases;
early onset of menstruation in girls;
sarcoidosis;
diabetes mellitus type I;
Kanner, Sheehan, Simmonds syndromes;
thyrotoxicosis;
brain injuries;
schizophrenia;
eclampsia.

Genetic

Not so long ago, genetics was practically not considered as one of the possible causes of anorexia, considering the latter a purely mental and social syndrome. However, not so long ago (in 2010) large-scale studies were conducted in the United States, which involved not only patients with this diagnosis, but also their closest relatives of at least 2 people. The DNA responsible for feeding behavior was studied. The results surprised many: obsessions with losing weight and refusing to eat were often determined at the chromosomal level. They found a gene for brain-derived neurotrophic factor, which differed from the others in its sensitivity to this disorder.

It is involved in stimulating appetite and satisfying hunger in the hypothalamus, and also controls the level of serotonin in the body. Researchers have concluded that people may be genetically predisposed to anorexia. This consists in the inheritance of dysfunctions of neurotransmitter systems, a certain personality type and a number of mental disorders. Moreover, in most cases, such heredity may not manifest itself throughout life. But as soon as it receives an impetus from the outside (illness, depression, taking powerful medications, long-term diet), it manifests itself in all its “glory.”

And others

Uncontrolled use of anorexigenic drugs for the purpose of losing weight. A side effect of using certain medications - hormones, psychostimulants, glucocorticosteroids.

Single stressful events that occurred 4-6 months before the onset of the eating disorder: this could be the death of a loved one or physical (sexual) abuse.

Dream of becoming a model. An obsession with thinness, which is perceived as the ideal of modern beauty. Persistent promotion of certain beauty standards in the media, passion for social networks.

Facts, facts... Sad statistics blame the family for everything, claiming that anorexia is rooted in childhood. As practice shows, teenagers suffering from this disorder have seen enough of their mother (aunt, sister) losing weight and have not been taught to eat properly.

Classification

There are different types of anorexia. Due to the fact that the mechanisms of its development have not yet been fully studied, medical circles adhere to several classifications of this syndrome. They are based on the factors that provoked its appearance.

Classification No. 1

Somatogenic (primary) - develops against the background of other physical pathologies and diseases.
Functional-psychogenic (secondary) - caused by stress and mental disorders.

Classification No. 2

Neurotic - strong negative emotions lead to powerful stimulation of the cerebral cortex.
Neurodynamic - inhibition of the appetite center in the hypothalamus due to strong stimuli of a non-emotional nature (most often pain).
Neuropsychiatric (anorexia nervosa or cachexia) - persistent, conscious refusal of food, sharp limitation of the amount of food consumed, caused by a mental disorder.

Classification No. 3

Medicinal - develops against the background of taking anorexigenic drugs for the purpose of losing weight; it can be a side effect of other medications (most often - antidepressants, psychostimulants, hormones).
Mental - a mental disorder accompanied by loss of appetite: develops against the background of schizophrenia, paranoia, and advanced stages of depression.
Symptomatic - a sign of a serious somatic disease: lungs, gastrointestinal tract, hormonal system, in the field of gynecology;
Nervous (psychological) - conscious restriction of oneself in food, fear of weight gain, distorted perception of one’s own body.

There are different codes for different types of anorexia in the ICD. Correct and accurate diagnosis allows you to choose the most effective treatment methods in each individual case.

Anorexia and its varieties

The name “anorexia” itself is borrowed from the Greek language and literally translates as “no appetite.” It manifests itself in a complete refusal to eat, which leads to rapid weight loss and entails mental disorders and nervous disorders, the main manifestations of which are phobia of obesity, manic desire to lose weight, unreasonable anxiety about weight gain, as well as a false painful perception of one’s physical health. forms.

Content:

Anorexia and its varieties
Signs and symptoms of psychological disorder
Finally

Approximately 80% of anorexia sufferers are teenage girls between twelve and twenty-four years old. The remaining 20% are women and older men.

The worst thing is that this disease leads to very sad consequences and in 20% of cases ends in death, the vast majority of which are suicide. Anorexia is considered an occupational disease in models, where it accounts for approximately 72% of cases. Timely qualified medical care leads to a complete recovery of patients in only 40-50%.

Unfortunately, this disease has become so deeply ingrained in everyday life and has become so widespread among the population that in some countries it is legally prohibited to give jobs to overly thin models or anorexic models with unhealthy thinness.

There are several varieties of this disease.

According to the mechanism of development, anorexia occurs:

neurotic – when refusal to eat is caused by a strong negative emotional background, pathologically affecting the cerebral cortex;
neurodynamic - when the decrease and loss of appetite is caused by the impact on the brain of strong non-emotional stimuli, such as severe and intense pain;
neuropsychiatric - in other words, neurological, nervous, psychogenic anorexia or cachexia, which occurs against the background of a purposeful and conscious refusal to eat and is considered as a severe mental disorder - one of the types of self-destruction, classified in several degrees of severity.

Based on causative factors, anorexia is divided into:

true anorexia - mental anorexia, in which refusal to eat is caused by severe endocrine, mental or somatic disorders, caused by disturbances in the functioning of the digestive center in the cerebral cortex;
false anorexia - more similar to nervous one, when refusal to eat is due to a critical attitude towards one’s own appearance, a conviction of one’s own inferiority and imperfection.

Childhood types of anorexia:

primary – a disease caused by failures and disturbances in the baby’s nutrition;
secondary – anorexia, provoked by disturbances in the functioning of the digestive organs or any other systems.

Recently, scientists have identified another type of anorexia - senile, when completely healthy elderly people begin to refuse food, become despondent, apathetic, and rapidly lose weight. It turns out that this is due to biological changes in the body caused by an increase in the level of certain hormones. However, senile anorexia is just as dangerous as nervous anorexia - the privilege of the younger generation.

Clinical picture

At first, people with anorexia do not seem like that, because today most women diet and care about their own weight. Is it possible to suspect a model who strives to achieve ideal body parameters using all kinds of methods of an eating and mental disorder? After all, this is her profession, and she must look good and take care of her own body. But over time, when a person can no longer stop and continues to lose weight, it is impossible not to notice.

The very first signs of anorexia:

BMI falls below the normal value of 18.5;
refusal to eat;
weight and figure become an obsession (in the nervous form of the disease).

It is impossible to say exactly at what weight anorexia begins, because this is too individual a parameter, which also depends on height. For example, 44 kg for a height of 154 cm is still the norm, but the same body weight for a height of 180 cm is already a pathology. Therefore, first of all, BMI is calculated and compared with normal values. If it falls below the bottom bar, it’s time to sound the alarm.

Determination of body mass index: I (BMI designation) = m (body weight in kg) / h2 (height in meters).

Common symptoms for all forms:

discomfort after eating;
muscle weakness and cramps;
low body weight, which only decreases over time;
limiting food intake under any pretext;
refusal to get better;
constant feeling of cold and chills due to poor circulation;
fear of food;
depressed, depressed state;
phobia of excess weight.

This is just the beginning. Over time, the patient’s condition worsens more and more, and this is noticeable in his appearance, health and broken psyche.

Mental condition

These symptoms are characteristic primarily of anorexia nervosa:

apathy;
insomnia at night and drowsiness during the day;
fast fatiguability;
depression;
looking at your naked (or in underwear) body in the mirror for a long time;
daily weigh-ins;
unhealthy fascination with topics related to weight;
incorrect goal setting: “I want to lose weight from 45 kg to 30 kg” (and this is with a height of 180 cm);
mood instability;
refusal to share meals (for example, teenagers do not go to the school canteen and, under any pretext, do not attend family meals);
lack of appetite;
complete eating disorder: they eat either only standing, or only crushed, pureed foods, or only cold, or only raw, and other oddities;
irritability, aggressiveness, constant feeling of resentment towards others;
decreased libido;
social isolation, cessation of communication.

Appearance

Alopecia;
pale or yellowish skin;
bleeding gums, caries, tooth loss and destruction;
weight loss, muscle dystrophy, unhealthy thinness;
splitting and brittleness of nails.

Health

Algodismenorrhea;
anemia;
gastritis;
dizziness;
delayed physical development in adolescence and childhood: growth stops, girls’ breasts do not enlarge and menstruation does not occur, boys’ genitals do not develop;
leukopenia, leukocytosis;
hormonal imbalance;
fainting;
cessation of menstruation in women;
gallbladder problems;
indigestion;
spontaneous gag reflex after eating;
failure of the liver and kidneys;
cardiac arrhythmia;
thrombocytosis;
endocrine disorders: amenorrhea in women, impotence in men, increased cortisol levels, insufficient production of thyroid hormone, problems with insulin secretion;
enterocolitis.

Unlike other diseases, anorexia is insidious in that the patient himself, for mental reasons, is not aware of the disease and does not see even its most striking symptoms. His consciousness is so permeated with obsessive ideas that even among the bones covered with skin (this picture is observed in the last stages), he manages to see folds of fat.

Through the pages of history. In Soviet psychiatry, anorexia, in its clinical manifestations and treatment methods, was practically equal to another mental illness - schizophrenia. Nowadays medicine has moved away from such an understanding of the syndrome, but they have not stopped comparing these two conditions. Recently, cases of schizophrenia developing against the background of anorexia have become more frequent (a person is delusional with obsessive ideas about his body and the excess weight from which he allegedly suffers).

Symptoms and treatment of anorexia

In addition to the obsession with losing weight, the diagnosis also reveals other destructive symptoms of the disease. Patients' sleep deteriorates, muscle spasms, dry hair, pale skin, bad mood, dizziness, muscle atrophy, sunken eyes, and age spots appear. In advanced cases, teeth and hair begin to fall out, menstruation in women disappears, and fainting often occurs.

A person does not think about treating anorexia due to the gradual development of the disease. At first, only dissatisfaction with appearance associated with excess weight appears. But soon this turns into a struggle with the body, which is accompanied by an unhealthy refusal to eat. The first results of weight loss improve your mood, but soon dissatisfaction returns. a new weight loss cycle begins. A person may not notice a symptom that manifests itself in weakness or poor health. On average, after a year, anorexia becomes visible from the outside, then urgent treatment in a hospital is required.

An eating disorder is not limited to dissatisfaction with oneself and appearance. Even in the absence of death, failure to see a doctor in a timely manner can lead to problems. The brain receives insufficient nutrition, so concentration decreases. To the list of symptoms of anorexia you can add memory impairment and mood swings. The person avoids communication, depression develops, and alcohol abuse begins. Immunity quickly decreases, which can cause complications and worsen chronic pathologies.

Osteoporosis develops due to disturbances in mineral metabolism; accordingly, the risk of fractures increases, pain occurs in the vertebral area, and growth decreases. The amount of sugar in the blood decreases, brain swelling, a feeling of fear, convulsions, hallucinations and even coma may appear. Heart problems arise, hormonal levels are disrupted, hysterics appear, women lose menstruation, there is a risk of infertility, and other disorders.

Stages

Doctors call three stages of development of anorexia with their corresponding symptoms.

1. Dysmorphomanic (initial) stage

Looking at your body in the mirror for a long time, often with the doors locked.
Obsessive thoughts about one's own inferiority.
Food restrictions, searches and adherence to the most restrictive diets
Depressed state, anxiety.
Constant conversations about food, diets, models.
Weight loss is not yet critical, but already noticeable.

2. Anorectic

The fasting continues and does not end: the patient does not agree to all the persuasion of loved ones to improve nutrition, believing that he is leading a normal lifestyle.
Inadequate assessment of the degree of one’s weight loss (considers one’s weight to be normal).
Refusal of sexual activity.
Noticeable weight loss of 20%.
Complete loss of appetite: the patient may not remember to eat all day.
The first signs of concomitant diseases appear: hypotension, bradycardia, alopecia, adrenal insufficiency.
With nervous forms of anorexia, excessive physical activity is also added to the diet.
Reducing the volume of the stomach.

3. Cachectic

Deficiency of vitamins and microelements.
Dystrophy of the body and internal organs.
Violation of water and electrolyte balance.
Unhealthy thinness, weight loss by 50% of the original value.
Dehydration.
Swelling of the whole body.
Inhibition of the functions of almost all body systems.

As a rule, the first stage proceeds almost unnoticed and, with timely support from loved ones, may not develop further into a pathological condition. But the latter often ends in death (sometimes due to suicide) and is very difficult to treat. Even if a person manages to get out, the consequences will haunt him throughout his life.

Did you know that... November 16th is International Anorexia Day?

Diagnostics

The main diagnostic tool for detecting the disease is the anorexia test, whose name is “Attitude to Eating”. The first part consists of 26 general and easy questions. The second is only 5, but they involve monitoring your own eating behavior over the past 6 months. This method has several significant disadvantages, due to which it is not always possible to rely on it for an accurate diagnosis.

Firstly, in most cases the patient cannot objectively assess his own eating behavior. Accordingly, he cannot truthfully answer the questions in the text.

Secondly, this test predominantly detects anorexia nervosa, while all other types require additional diagnostics.

This test can be taken by absolutely anyone online. For a more accurate diagnosis, various studies may be prescribed:

blood, stool and urine tests;
gastroscopy;
MRI of the head;
sigmoidoscopy;
X-ray contrast examination of the digestive tract;
esophagomanometry;
X-ray;
ECG.

The last resort will be a consultation with a psychotherapist. Through an interview and based on laboratory results, he makes a final diagnosis, determines the stage and prescribes treatment.

Prevention of anorexia

Individuals who are prone to anorexia and are very careful about their weight should:

undergo an annual consultation with a psychotherapist;
undergo routine medical examinations;
eat a balanced and rational diet;
to refuse from bad habits;
give up any extreme diets;
ensure that their weight does not go beyond the normal body mass index.

This article is posted for educational purposes only and does not constitute scientific material or professional medical advice.

Treatment

Comprehensive treatment of anorexia involves the use of a variety of techniques. Not all of them show high effectiveness, but with careful adherence to medical instructions and a positive attitude of the patient himself, recovery occurs (albeit not as quickly as we would like). This is a rather complex disease, so at the first symptoms you should immediately contact a psychotherapist. Only they can pull the patient out of the hole into which he has fallen.

Psychotherapy

Visualization of the final result: the patient is told in detail about the consequences of anorexia.
Cognitive restructuring: combating negative thoughts and obsessions.
Controlling your own behavior.
Correction of distorted consciousness.
Monitoring: the patient records his eating behavior in full detail, on the basis of which conclusions are drawn and errors are eliminated.
Increased self-esteem.
Resolving family conflicts (in the treatment of anorexia in children and adolescents).

Nutritional rehabilitation

Exercise therapy for the formation of a beautiful body (the purpose of the exercises is to build muscle mass).
Bed rest.
Diet therapy.
Creating motivation for recovery.
Emotional and physical support from family and friends.

Drugs

Vitamin complexes.
Neuroleptics.
Selected vitamins and microelements: folic and ascorbic acid, B12, iron, zinc, magnesium, calcium, potassium.
Drugs that increase appetite: Elenium, Frenolone, Pernexin, Peritol, anabolic steroids like Primobolan.
Tablets for normalizing metabolism: Polyamine, Berpamin.
Antidepressants: Zoloft, Coaxin, Ludiomil, Paxil, Fevarin, Fluoxetine, Chlorpromazine, Cipralex, Eglonil.

Folk remedies

With the permission of your doctor, you can use various folk remedies at home to restore normal appetite. However, you need to be extremely careful with them. Some herbs are too aggressive for various organs and systems that are already affected. Therefore, watch for contraindications for each such recipe.

Calming (drink before bedtime):

valerian;
nettle;
Melissa;
mint;
dandelion.

Appetite stimulants (drink half an hour before each meal):

calamus;
St. John's wort;
centaury;
mint;
sagebrush.

Treatment must be comprehensive. Even well-proven psychotherapy does not always work and give the desired effect without the same antidepressants (for the nervous form of the disease).

It is a fact. Experts say that it is impossible to cope with anorexia on your own. Patients, even if they understand that not everything is all right with them, cannot force themselves to eat normally. This is due to the fact that their ideas about food and weight are too distorted and require professional correction.

Treatment options

Treatment of anorexia must be done under the supervision of doctors; it is impossible to cope with the disorder on your own. Dealing with anorexia requires a comprehensive approach. The body is diagnosed to exclude pathologies. After diagnosis, it is necessary to normalize the patient's weight.

The treatment methods used at TsIRPP allow for psychotherapy and restoration of normal weight at the same time.

Medication assistance for patients with anorexia

Hospitalization and drug treatment are required if weight loss is more than 50% of normal body weight, the patient refuses to eat, or the functioning of internal organs is impaired. Depending on the symptoms, medications are selected for each patient. For anorexia, medications are used to combat vomiting, dehydration, and also to improve fat and protein metabolism. To cope with the disorder and normalize the emotional background, antidepressants, tranquilizers and other medications are used that are prescribed by a psychiatrist.

Help from a psychiatrist

For anorexia, help is required. His participation is necessary for relatives of patients, building healthy family relationships, and developing self-esteem. Only a psychiatrist can prescribe medications. He resolves issues regarding the prescription of drug therapy. Even at the initial stage of treatment, consultation with a psychiatrist is important. There is always a risk that another illness is hidden behind the struggle with weight. The psychiatrist conducts diagnostics to exclude such a possibility.

Treatment of mental anorexia

The help of a psychologist in the treatment of anorexia is necessary, since patients experience not only low weight, but also problems with self-esteem and thoughts of inferiority. The doctor will help you work through your fears, get rid of imposed beauty standards, learn to love and accept yourself, change your behavior and attitude towards illness. Depending on the cause of the disorder, a treatment option is selected. There are schools and directions that show the effectiveness of combating the problem. The patient will:

individual treatment - he communicates one-on-one with a doctor;
Group classes are a great way to see how others struggle with the disorder, get support and understanding;
multifamily psychotherapy.

Cognitive behavioral therapy

Psychiatrist help with anorexia involves the use of cognitive behavioral therapy

It allows you to work out two factors:

restoration of conditioned reflexes - the patient must learn to eat when he feels hungry;
correction of erroneous ideas about one’s weight and appearance - a psychiatrist works with attitudes that provoke a passion for diets and hunger strikes.

In the process of therapy, the patient gets rid of the fear of obesity, obsessive thoughts, and learns not to associate success and happiness with beauty standards.

Body-oriented method

This approach to treatment allows the psychotherapist to teach how to avoid potentially “dangerous” situations for the patient: overcome the fear of dining together, and not strive for social isolation.

In recent years, psychiatrists have been actively using a body-oriented treatment method aimed at self-acceptance. Tensions in the body and habits speak of a person’s fears and lack of self-confidence.

The “mirror” exercise is also considered effective. The patient and the psychiatrist are in a room with mirrors. He examines, studies his body, talks about bodily and emotional sensations. All impressions are discussed and worked through with a specialist. The approach helps the patient accept himself as he is. Therapy teaches you to find beauty in yourself and others, regardless of physical shape, compliance with standards or norms.

Art therapy

Creative activities with a psychotherapist are very useful for treating patients with eating disorder. This approach allows:

the doctor can understand the internal state of the patient, because a person cannot always explain his condition using words;
prepare working data for prescribing further therapy;
free the patient from blocked emotions and feelings - through creativity it is easiest to reveal anger and resentment;
the patient to look at his inner world from the outside.

Art therapy is useful if the patient refuses direct contact with a psychiatrist and rejects help. Veiled tests make it possible to assess the state of the psyche and find an approach to the patient.

Additional recommendations

To overcome anorexia, the patient himself needs to make a lot of effort. It is not enough to strictly follow medical recommendations; you need to overcome yourself every day and change your own consciousness and attitude towards yourself. This is incredibly difficult and requires support from family and friends. A few tips will speed up your recovery.

First of all, with anorexia, you need to normalize your diet. If possible, consult with a nutritionist who has a medical education: he can create an individual menu for the near future, taking into account the characteristics of the course of the disease.

Every 2-3 days you need to increase the daily calorie content of food consumed by 50 kcal until it reaches the norm - 1,300 kcal for women and 1,500 kcal for men, and this is the lower level. With the same consistency, it is necessary to increase portion sizes by 30-50 g.

Consequences

Unfortunately, many of the consequences of anorexia will haunt a person throughout his life, even if the disease is completely cured. Recovery of the body can take from 6 months to several years.

The most common complications are:

alopecia;
arrhythmia;
rapid, abnormal weight gain up to obesity;
dystrophy;
slow metabolism;
impotence, decreased libido, infertility;
obsessive-compulsive disorder;
osteoporosis;
serious digestive problems;
reduction in brain mass.

If we talk about forecasts, then a fatal outcome is quite possible. Death from anorexia occurs either due to failure of vital organs or due to suicide.

Prevention

If a person has recovered from anorexia and returned to a normal lifestyle, he will still have to constantly fight this syndrome. As practice shows, even psychotherapy does not guarantee complete recovery. In 30% of cases the disorder returns. To prevent this from happening, you need to carry out prevention:

see a psychotherapist;
follow the principles of proper nutrition;
monitor your BMI so that it does not go beyond the normal range;
avoid stressful situations;
exercise moderately;
actively communicate;
find a hobby you like (preferably not modeling).

Even if an anorexic patient has been cured, he is simply obliged to follow these preventive measures in order to avoid relapse of the disease. Doctors warn that repeated failure in most cases ends in death.

Anorexia: photos of girls

Glossy magazines and television have always had a great influence on shaping the behavior of teenagers. Does beauty require sacrifice?

Stupid or beautiful?

Reducing themselves to excessive thinness, girls try to live in a normal rhythm. But this rarely works out for anyone.

You are not the same anymore!

It is almost impossible to curb anorexia on your own. Biochemical processes in the body are severely disrupted.

The fight will be fierce!

Many patients have difficulty adequately assessing the size of their own body. Excessive thinness seems attractive to them.

A skinny girl is unattractive!

The passion for losing weight sometimes brings people together. At the same time, the likelihood of a quick deterioration in the condition of all recently made friends increases sharply.

Anorexics are friends too!
Anorexia: photos of girls leave no one indifferent. However, they only evoke pity.

It's hard to look at these photos without crying!

Getting out of a painful state and becoming “normal” is not easy. Medical complications are unlikely to be avoided.

How to return to normal life?

Anorexia - what is it?

Special cases

Although anorexia is most often diagnosed in teenage girls and young women, it affects both children and men. The course of their illness varies somewhat.

In children

Anorexia in children occurs completely differently than in adults. The main difference is in the mechanism of its development. For them, it is primarily a somatogenic disorder, which is diagnosed against the background of other diseases. These could be basic allergies, thrush, stomatitis, worms, otitis media, rhinitis and other diseases that so often affect children of different ages.

Therefore, if there is a long and persistent refusal to eat with a persistent decrease in weight in a child, parents should first of all send him for a full medical examination, identify the disease and treat it. After this, with the help of psychotherapy, anorexia in most cases is completely cured.

In men

Male anorexia is very similar to childhood anorexia. This eating disorder in them is also primarily due to a special physiological state. Psychogenic causes are rarely noted because representatives of the stronger half of humanity are accustomed to restraining their emotions and not showing them.

Their nervous system is still stronger in relation to excess weight. If men discover it, they do not rush to induce vomiting or go on a diet. Some go to the gym, others continue to calmly sip beer in front of the TV. That's the solution to the problem. According to statistics, among those who suffer from anorexia, only 5% are men, and 3.5% are initially suffering from mental disorders.

According to statistics. Among men suffering from anorexia, more than 50% are schizophrenics, and another 25% are of non-traditional sexual orientation. Having a type of psyche that is as close as possible to that of women, and distinguished by a reverent attitude towards their own appearance, the latter get used to going on newfangled diets and deliberately refusing to eat.

Symptoms of anorexia

Anorexia can be suspected by determining the patient's body mass index. Normally it ranges from 18 to 25 kg/m2, with anorexia it is less than 16 kg/m2. This indicator is calculated using a simple formula: mass (kg)/(height (m))2.

Signs of anorexia nervosa also include:

the desire to lose weight at any cost, despite the fact that the weight is already below normal;
phobic fear of being overweight;
constant counting of calories eaten, grams gained per day/week;
focusing on weight loss issues, studying newfangled diets and weight loss medications;
frequent refusal to eat (the patient assures that he is not yet hungry, has already eaten, or has recently eaten);
ritual meal (food is cut into tiny pieces and chewed very thoroughly, dishes are served in small portions);
feeling of guilt after eating (the patient induces vomiting);
not attending events where snacks are served;
wearing loose clothing to hide non-existent excess weight from others;
desire for solitude;
quarrels with people who convince people of the need to eat and gain weight;
regularly performing complex physical exercises to lose weight;
sleep disturbances, loss of interest in a favorite hobby;
decreased performance, withdrawal;
refusal to seek medical help.

Among the physiological signs of anorexia:

reduction in body weight by a third or more;
frequent dizziness, fainting;
the appearance of vellus hair on the body;
menstrual disorder/complete cessation of menstruation;
persistent feeling of cold (even when in a warm room).

What physiological changes occur in the body during prolonged fasting?

If the body does not receive nutrients for a long time, dystrophy develops. Afterwards it is replaced by cachexia (severe degree of exhaustion). It manifests itself:

bradycardia;
significant decrease in blood pressure;
pale skin, blue tip of the nose, fingers;
limbs that are cold to the touch;
increased dry skin;
the appearance of wrinkles, sagging skin;
hair loss/brittleness;
almost complete absence of subcutaneous fat;
muscle atrophy;
dystrophic changes in internal organs;
hemorrhages, swelling.

If you notice similar symptoms, consult a doctor immediately. It is easier to prevent a disease than to deal with the consequences.