What Causes Anorexia, Common Types, Warning Signs, Symptoms & Treatment
Do you want to know what causes anorexia, what are the mechanisms to it developing, and which are the main factors to deal with it? This article will try to answer the main questions related to anorexia and to draw a full picture of the topic concerning that severe problem.
Anorexia is an eating disorder that develops because of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. It is a complex disorder where it is not a matter only of a personal choice because the reasons for developing are complicated and affect all aspects of our modern society.
What is Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa, or only anorexia, is an eating disorder that may lead to repulsive and dangerous consequences.
People with anorexia typically consume minimal quantities of food, which leads to long periods of starvation. Thus, they have big chances to become excessively thin and malnourished, and yet they consider themselves as overweight people who need and have to lose weight.
So, being in this delusion, people with anorexia become so undernourished that there comes the point where they need more special care or even be hospitalized. But also then they deny that something is no normal with them.
When someone is with anorexia, he becomes obsessed with food and weight. This mania forces the person to develop strange eating rituals, such as arranging the meals on the plate in a particular order or denying eating in front of other people.
Also, many people with anorexia show that care a lot about food, like collecting cookbooks or preparing sumptuous meals for their friends. Still, they don’t participate in the consumption of that food, and this is mainly because of their mania of weight loss.
What are the Signs and Symptoms of Anorexia?
Usually, anorexia occurs and develops during puberty. Nine out of 10 people experiencing anorexia are female, and nearly 1 percent of U.S. females within ages 10 and 25 are anorexic.
A person can be considered anorexic when she or he restricts the food consumption to such an extent, that over time, results in less and less body weight. The typical for these people is the sense of an intense fear of gaining weight and the fierce concern about their body weight or shape.
The most initial warning signs of anorexia may be complicated to recognize because they are not so clearly distinguishable compared to a person who is with healthy eating behavior. How do we know If someone has anorexia?
The following warning signs and symptoms are indicators for that :
- Excessive weight loss
- Avoiding food Vomiting
- Extreme fear of getting fat
- Denying the sense of hunger
- Consistent and unreasonable exercising
- Abnormal blood counts and elevated liver enzymes
- Low blood pressure
- Chronic fatigue as well as dizziness or faintingIrregular or absent menstrual periods
- Osteoporosis due to the loss of bone calcium
- Hair loss
- High sensitivity to cold
- Tooth problems
- DehydrationConstipation
- Dry skin
- Social isolation
- Misapplication and abuse of drugs like diuretics, laxatives, or enemas
What Causes Anorexia
Genetics
From a biological standpoint, eating disorders are familial illnesses where genetic influence is with a key role. Research has found that you are at high risk of developing an eating disorder if an immediate relative of yours had experienced as well.
Psychological
From a psychological standpoint, eating disorder sufferers tend to have thoughts and feelings that play a role in the support and development of anorexia symptoms.
They firmly believe that their lives would be much more fulfilling only if they are thinner. These people tend to be perfectionists and extreme idealists, and that predetermines their strict attitude to eating and their body weight.
That propels their obsessive behaviors to be the “best dieter,” and not just thinner but the “thinnest.”
People with anorexia frequently present a “healthy” version of themselves to hold friends and loved ones calm about them and to avoid difficult discussions about eating, weight, and exercise .
Sadly, the sufferers miss understanding of how their regular restriction, extreme exercise, and their food rituals affect their health, relationships, and overall well-being.
Sociocultural pressure
In a personal plan, the way sufferers see themselves is often the opposite of how others perceive them.
These people usually are with a distorted image of themselves as they believe that they are heavier than they actually are. Thus, they undergo and develop a deep fear of gaining weight, and that usually determines their obsession and their strong desire to drop weight as quickly as possible.
Unfortunately, many modern cultural tendencies favor thinness as the standard for beauty and success, and the “fat” bodies are stigmatized. It is a growing trend because of the incredible role that social networks such as Facebook, Instagram, and so on play today.
It is the sociocultural trap where many people fall into from which then makes it difficult to get out.
Environmental factors
In today’s society, social media and social pressure are with strong influence over how people form their entire perception about themselves. For people struggling with anorexia, this impact is even more significant because the way of how flowing that eating disorder is hidden and quiet.
People generally become asocial by finding easily accessible solace on the internet space where they can freely express their obsessions and secret wishes, mostly related to weight loss and food restrictions.
Heredity and personal example have a crucial role also. There are many clues that the condition occurs and develop in families where their members have had similar kinds of eating issues, which contributed to the development of unhealthy eating behaviors.
For example, when young women grow up in an environment with parents or relatives who had an eating disorder are more likely to undergo anorexia.
According to some experts, anorexia is an expression of the person’s mental struggle with unresolved inside conflicts or painful childhood experiences.
Consistent states of stress, anxiety and inside concerns promote anorexia development
Many varieties of reasons are to develop anorexia, but it is critical to note that eating disorders are not only about eating habits. In their root, they are mental disorders, and treatment should direct to the underlying thoughts and feelings that cause that behavior.
According to one study in The American Journal of Psychiatry, anxiety disorders usually occur and grow parallel with eating disorders like anorexia. Further, they reveal that coping anxiety is an essential step for the complete overcoming of these eating disorders.
In that row of thoughts, one of the crucial points that need to be improved is working over the anxiety states. Overcoming the causeless and exaggerated feelings of worry, nervousness, panic, and fear, and so on will promote the emotional and mental strength helping the person to deal with anorexia.
Some common and useful means to help control anxiety include:
Soothing techniques such as massage, meditation, focus on breading exercises, yoga practice, relaxing and relieve-stress music, etc. But along with this also is essential to get enough sleep and to eliminate stimulants like caffeine and alcohol.
If the person is in a treatment program, recognition of anxiety troubles and other co-occurring mental issues such as depression may help the therapist modify the approach to resolve these problems as well.
Family dysfunction! A crucial role that family and friends play in forming healthy eating behaviour
Sometimes, family dysfunction can be the leading cause that leads to an eating disorder. In this case, one of the most potent things family members can make is get engaged in their loved one’s healing process.
Many people suffering from anorexia, come across websites and internet communities where they can find false compassion and empathy. But these virtual spaces further deepen their feelings of instability, self-doubt, and weakness. And here is the place of their loved ones. Because if they don’t get the support of their families and friends, those appear to be the places where they feel most able to express their real fears and issues.
According to a study in the International Journal of Women’s Studies, women with anorexia often go to so-called pro-ana sites where they feel least observed and judged for their behaviors and most able to find compassion and impartially understanding for their feelings.
Based on this idea, family and friends can be extremely helpful by altogether avoiding body judgments pointed to the person who is struggling with anorexia.
The active family support is an integral part of anorexia treatment because it can help establish new healthy attitudes about food and body for all members of the family, and especially for the members with anorexia.
Addressing these problems can benefit both the individual and the family as a whole and have the power to build-up new constructive behaviour models that can contribute to deal with any type of eating disorder.
Three From The Most Common Types of Eating Disorders to Consider
Bulimia Nervosa
The medics separate anorexia at two subtypes. The first subtype is called bulimia. It is an eating disorder characterized by first the person eats a lot but then deliberately vomits the food that he was consumed.
Potential medical complications related to bulimia nervosa include:
- Periods of binge eating and purging occurring at least once a week
- Impaired cognitive function
- Constant dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
- Gastrointestinal problems such as constipation, loss of bowel function, GI bleeding, acid reflux, and difficulty swallowing
- Menstrual irregularity
- Infertility
- Dental issues such as extreme tooth sensitivity, enamel loss, and bleeding gums
- Abnormal heart rate
- Elevated suicide risk
Causes of bulimia
The leading cause for Bulimia Nervosa is rooted in a person’s disappointment from their appearance, weight, or body, and these beliefs are often precipitated by low individual self-esteem and lack of self-worth.
Those with an obsessive focus on body image or weight loss are at raised risk of developing bulimia. It also includes symptoms like extreme dieting and over-focus on exercise.
Research shows that there is a higher rate of bulimia among people with a history of eating disorders or obesity in their families. However, females are more likely to develop bulimia than males, especially as their late teens.
Those whose self-perception is easily directed by social media, traditional media, or peer pressure are also at risk for bulimia. The number is even higher among participants of appearance-based sports, such as gymnastics, ballet, figure skating, swimming, and wrestling.
Underlying emotional ailments, such as anxiety, depression, and low self-esteem, can increase a person’s chance for bulimia.
What will happen if bulimia is left untreated?
If left untreated, bulimia can lead to long-term health complications such as bleeding from the esophagus because of extreme reflux of stomach acid, abnormal heart rhythms, kidney problems, and dental problems. It’s necessary to seek help if you consider someone you care about has bulimia.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia Nervosa is a severe mental illness where people are of low weight due to restricting their calorie intake.
It can hit anyone of any gender, age, or background. As well as reducing the amount of consumed food, they also do lots of exercises to burn even more additional calories.
Some people with anorexia may go into cycles of bingeing (eating large amounts of food at once) then attempting to compensate by removing the food consumed from the bod by purging.
Potential medical complications related to anorexia nervosa include:
- Signs of depression, such as sad mood, frequent irritability, social alienation, insomnia, and decreased interest in sex
- Mania on low body weight
- Gastrointestinal issues such as stomach aches, acid reflux, bloating, and constipation
- Heart failure, heart rate complications, heart palpitations, and chest pain
- Impaired mental functioning
- Hormonal irregularities
- Delayed puberty and lack of development
- Menstrual imbalance
- Elevated suicide risk
What will happen if anorexia is untreated?
If left untreated, anorexia can cause severe health problems, such as organ failure and malnutrition. However, thanks to the treatment, most people with anorexia have big chances to gain back the weight they lost. So, the physical problems they have experienced as a result of the anorexia will improve.
Binge Eating Disorder
Typical for binge eating disorder is that the person frequently eats unusually large amounts of food for a short period.
This behaviour happens with frequency at least two times a week for a minimum of six months of period.
People that living with binge eating disorder are not supporters of extreme weight loss strategies. After eating, they may feel disgusted, ashamed, or guilty because of their eating behavior or physical appearance, factors that can fuel more their depression.
Due to people with binge eating disorder do not fast, do not purge, or exercise, they usually become overweight or obese.
Common signs of binge eating disorder include:
- Constant weight gain
- Hidden eating and feelings of shame if loved one or a friend finds their food cache
- Hoarding food, or hiding significant portions of food in unusual places
- Satisfaction during eating, followed by mood swings and remorse
- Avoiding eating in front of others or skipping meals
- Wearing loose clothes to cover the body shape
- Steadily dieting, but not losing weight
Final Words
To be presented, the perfect answer to question what causes anorexia is extremely hard because this is a complex illness manifested by the simultaneous influence of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.
However, for people under anorexia, a full recovery is possible. Anorexia treatment requires entire family and friends support, along with and complete commitment to the healing program.
The best choice would be a professional intervention of a specialized team that can provide medical, nutritional, and psychological support to the patient to guarantee satisfying and successful results.
