Overview

An eating disorder is a compulsion to eat, or avoid eating, that negatively affects both one's physical and mental health. Eating disorders are all encompassing. They affect every part of the person's life. According to the authors of Surviving an Eating Disorder, "feelings about work, school, relationships, day-to-day activities and one's experience of emotional well being are determined by what has or has not been eaten or by a number on a scale." Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the most common eating disorders generally recognized by medical classification schemes, with a significant diagnostic overlap between the two. Together, they affect an estimated 5-7% of females in the United States during their lifetimes. There is a third type of eating disorder currently being investigated and defined - Binge Eating Disorder. This is a chronic condition that occurs when an individual consumes huge amounts of food during a brief period of time and feels totally out of control and unable to stop their eating. It can lead to serious health conditions such as morbid obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Anorexia Nervosa in Teenagers

During puberty, physical and psychological changes occur within the body through the activation of the hpothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, that induces and enhances the progressive ovarian and testicular sex hormones to which teenagers are subjected.

Teenagers explore and easily attract towards the changing trends of life- styles of the society.They provoke and imitate to the elegant images of models and their favourite movie characters with adorable body figures, hair cuts, and dressing sense. Some of them prevail the issue of body image to an extent,that it accomplish to psychiatric disorder known as anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa represents with eating disorder, often inadequate eating rather than loss of appetite.Those predisposing to such an illness, usually suffer from low self-esteem. They have poor opinion about themselves. They desire to have slim body, and so in order to maintain low weight eat less, than they would normally do.They have urge to eat,however suppress the hunger and undergo starvation. Some even follow weight control methods, such as, inducing vomiting,use of laxatives or diuretics to reduce body weight. Some believe doing excessive exercise, burns off the calories.

Anorexia nervosa is more commonly seen in females, almost 95%,than males.The effect of this condition manifests on psychological and bilogical constituents. Psychologically, they have difficulties in dealing with emotional issues,and try to cope by avoidance,or not interacting with others.They get easily irritated and upset. They show other psychological disorder problems, such as, mood disorder, anxiety disorder, and personality disorders.

Eating less have adverse effect on the body functions. Low haemoglobin and low count of calcium attenuate defensive mechanism of the body,and increase risk to infections. Abdominal pain and constipation are common complaints. Due to use of laxatives, and frequent vomiting,there is high risk of electrolyte imbalance.Sleep disturbance results in fatigue. Amenorrhoea is the cause of low levels of pituitary hormone, luteinising hormone,and follicular stimulating hormone required for normal menstruation.

Individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa deny to seek professional help, because thay consider having no problem with them. However, they need comprehensive approach of treatment,invoving medical care, diet and nutritional advise, and mental health care counselling.



Autor: Vidya Sankanna

Added: January 2, 2010
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/

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