People with anorexia and bulimia place a high value on controlling their weight and shape, using extreme efforts that tend to significantly interfere with activities in their lives.
To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with an eating disorder usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives or diet aids. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively.
Some people with anorexia binge and purge, similar to individuals with bulimia nervosa. However, people with anorexia generally struggle with an abnormally low body weight, while individuals with bulimia typically are normal to above normal weight. No matter how weight loss is achieved, the person with anorexia has an intense fear of gaining weight.
Anorexia isn't really about food. It's an unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems. When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth.
Physical symptoms:
To prevent weight gain or to continue losing weight, people with an eating disorder usually severely restrict the amount of food they eat. They may control calorie intake by vomiting after eating or by misusing laxatives or diet aids. They may also try to lose weight by exercising excessively.
Some people with anorexia binge and purge, similar to individuals with bulimia nervosa. However, people with anorexia generally struggle with an abnormally low body weight, while individuals with bulimia typically are normal to above normal weight. No matter how weight loss is achieved, the person with anorexia has an intense fear of gaining weight.
Anorexia isn't really about food. It's an unhealthy way to try to cope with emotional problems. When you have anorexia, you often equate thinness with self-worth.
Physical symptoms:
- Extreme weight loss
- appears abnormally thin
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Dizziness or fainting
- Bluish discoloration of fingers
- hair thins, breaks or falls out
- downy hair covering the body
- no menstruate cycle
- Constipation
- Dry or yellowish skin
- always feeling cold
- Irregular heart beat
- Low blood pressure
- Dehydration
- Osteoporosis
- Swelling of arms or legs
- Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting and excessive exercise
- Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of the food and may include use of laxatives, enemas, diet aids or herbal products
- Preoccupation with food
- Refusal to eat
- Denial of hunger
- Fear of gaining weight
- Lying about how much food has been eaten
- Social withdrawal
- Irritability
- Depressed mood
- Thoughts of suicide