This video is informative in informing its viewer how to tell if a friend has an eating disorder before it is too late..
Anorexia, like other eating disorders, can take over your life. Unfortunately, many people with anorexia don't want treatment, at least initially. Their desire to remain thin becomes more important then their health. If you have a loved one you're worried about, please insist that her or him to talk to a doctor.
If you're experiencing any of the problems listed on the last page, or if you think you may have an eating disorder, get help. If you're hiding your anorexia from loved ones, try to find someone you can talk to about what's going on.
It may be hard to notice signs and symptoms of anorexia because people with anorexia often disguise their thinness.
Watch for these possible red flags:
Causes: The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown. As with many diseases, it's probably a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.
Certain risk factors increase the risk of anorexia nervosa, including:
If a person with anorexia becomes malnourished, main organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys can be damaged. This damage may not be fully reversible for later on in life.
In addition to many hysical complications, people with anorexia also commonly have other mental disorders as well. They may include:
If you're experiencing any of the problems listed on the last page, or if you think you may have an eating disorder, get help. If you're hiding your anorexia from loved ones, try to find someone you can talk to about what's going on.
It may be hard to notice signs and symptoms of anorexia because people with anorexia often disguise their thinness.
Watch for these possible red flags:
Causes: The exact cause of anorexia nervosa is unknown. As with many diseases, it's probably a combination of biological, psychological and environmental factors.
- Biological. There may be genetic changes that make some people more vulnerable to developing anorexia. Some people may have a genetic tendency toward perfectionism and sensitivity- two traits associated with anorexia.
- Psychological. Some emotional characteristics may contribute to anorexia. Young women may have obsessive-compulsive personality traits that make it easier to stick to strict diets and forgo food despite being hungry. They may have an extreme drive for perfectionism, which causes them to think they're never thin enough. And they may have high levels of anxiety and engage in restrictive eating to reduce it.
- Environmental. American culture emphasizes thinness. A women's beauty and worth are often equated with being thin. Peer pressure may help fuel the desire to be thin, particularly among young girls.
Certain risk factors increase the risk of anorexia nervosa, including:
- Being female. because eating disorders are more common in girls and women. Although, boys and men have been increasingly developing eating disorders.
- Young age. Anorexia is more common among teenagers, even though people of any age can develop eating disorders. Teenagers may face more peer pressure and be more sensitive to criticism about weight or body shape.
- Family history. Those with a first-degree relative — a parent, sibling or child — who had the disease have a much higher risk of anorexia.
- Weight changes. When people lose or gain weight those changes may be reinforced by positive comments from others if weight was lost or by negative comments if there was a weight gain. These comments may make someone start dieting to an extreme. In addition, starvation and weight loss may change the way the brain works in vulnerable individuals, which may enforce restrictive eating behaviors and make it difficult to return to normal eating.
- Transitions. Change can bring emotional stress and increase the risk of anorexia.
- Sports, work and artistic activities. Athletes, actors, dancers and models are at higher risk of anorexia. Coaches and parents may raise the risk by suggesting that young athletes lose weight.
- Media and society. The media images may seem to equate thinness with success and popularity.
If a person with anorexia becomes malnourished, main organs such as the brain, heart, and kidneys can be damaged. This damage may not be fully reversible for later on in life.
In addition to many hysical complications, people with anorexia also commonly have other mental disorders as well. They may include:
- Depression, anxiety and other mood disorders
- Personality disorders
- Obsessive-compulsive disorders
- Alcohol and substance misuse