Eating Disorders Eating Disorders

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that causes severe, ongoing weight loss that can lead to starvation. People with anorexia cannot maintain a minimally normal body weight and have a distorted body image combined with an extreme fear of gaining weight. Weight loss in anorexia comes from inadequate caloric intake, excessive exercise, or both. Some people with anorexia restrict the amount of food they eat, whereas others exercise excessively or binge eat and then purge by vomiting or taking laxatives or diuretics.

About 95% of people who have anorexia nervosa are female. Anorexia nervosa seems to affect people who are meticulous and who have high standards for success. Social attitudes regarding appearance and family factors are believed to play a role in anorexia nervosa as well.

The first indications of anorexia nervosa are usually increased concern about diet and body weight; this concern intensifies as the person becomes thinner. To maintain a low body weight, people with anorexia nervosa may inappropriately use laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. Symptoms of anorexia nervosa include significant weight loss, lack of menstrual periods; loss of muscle or fatty tissue; and low blood pressure. People with anorexia nervosa can also develop cavities, changes in the hair and skin, hormonal changes, depression, and symptomatic vitamin and/or mineral deficiency (e.g., scurvy, beriberi, etc.).

Bulimia is an eating disorder characterized by binge eating followed by purging (so-called binge-and-purge), dieting, or excessive exercise. Stomach acid from self-induced vomiting can erode tooth enamel or damage the esophagus. People with bulimia often maintain a near normal body weight but perceive themselves as being overweight. Unlike people with anorexia, those with bulimia tend to be more aware of their behavior and feel guilty about it.

Malnourishment from an eating disorder can affect every organ in the body and can lead to sudden death from abnormal heart rhythms.