Anorexia Nervosa is a type of eating disorder that is psychological and can lead to death. People suffering from anorexia typically have lower body weight than necessary for their height and body type. The use of the Body Mass Index or BMI is one of the tools and techniques used to identify if one is suffering from anorexia nervosa.
If a person has this, he or she has the fear of gaining weight resulting in the act of self-starvation where he or she deliberately prevents oneself from eating the right amount of food needed by the body. The person with anorexia has a fixation on becoming or maintaining to be thin according to his or her liking which mostly ends up in having a distorted body image and leads to more physical and mental health problems.
Because an eating disorder is rampant in this day and age of social media where it is easy to compare oneself to other people, and grander things and lifestyles are only seen in one’s social feeds. Due to this social standard of lifestyle and beauty, a lot of young people are suffering from this. But eating disorders can be experienced by all genders, ethnicity and race, age, and socio-economic backgrounds.
Canada has approximately 1 million people who are diagnosed with different types of eating disorders like Anorexia Nervosa (AN).
Having anorexia nervosa drives people to do extreme methods to lose weight. Some of these methods involve starvation, purging, and the use of laxatives diuretics, diet aids, and many more harmful substances that will keep them from gaining weight.
Symptoms of Anorexia
If you have a loved one whom you suspect to have anorexia nervosa, you can look for these signs and symptoms:
Physical Signs
- Amenorrhea or abnormal menstrual cycle
- Acid reflux, stomach pains, and other gastrointestinal problems
- Being cold all the time
- Becoming dizzy and fainting
- Having difficulty in sleeping
- Unable to concentrate
- Having dry skin
- Anemia
- Muscles becoming weak
- Development of lanugo or the fine hair on the body
- Yellowish skin
- Dental problems
- Low immune system
- Brittle hair
- Slow healing for wounds and cuts
Behavioural Symptoms
- Severe weight loss
- Not comfortable with eating outside or in public
- Trying to hide weight loss by wearing layered and baggy clothes
- Avoids going to parties or private gatherings where eating food is involved
- Having a great fear of gaining weight despite the obvious weight loss
- Always commenting on becoming overweight and fat
- Denies being hungry
- Always involving the need to lose weight in conversations
- Always checks and obsess around calories, food ingredients, diet, exercise, and weight gain
- Refuse to eat foods that are high in carbohydrates and calories
- Avoids spontaneous social gatherings and trips
- Emotionally unstable behaviours and outbursts
- Frequent body aches, lethargy, constipation, intolerant to cold, and lacks energy
Helping someone with an eating disorder can be very difficult. The best way to help is to become their support system. Being informed and educated about the disorder will help you distinguish unhealthy behaviours that can lead to worse situations. Studying about eating disorders can help you know how to approach them properly and lead them to the right help and treatments that your friend needs. A person with anorexia nervosa and other types of eating disorders can also become defensive when someone tries to meddle in their life and situation, especially talking about their weight loss and other symptoms and risks that they are bringing to themselves.
How to Properly Intervene and Discuss Eating Disorders with a Loved One
- Educate yourself on the disease
Researching online, reading books and articles about anorexia, consulting professionals are some of the ways to gain information about eating disorders. By this, you can properly know how to talk to that loved one suffering about their situation.
- Look for the right time to talk to them about their situation
Try to set up a time to talk to your loved one privately. It is important to have these conversations privately for the person to feel secured and supported and not humiliated.
- Plan what to say
Think of what to say before talking to the person to get your points delivered properly and reduce tension and anxiety in the atmosphere.
- Encourage Treatment
It is important to lead them to professionals and treatment centers to give them the help they need.
- Be prepared for defensive responses
It is common for people to feel offended when others point out that they are doing something wrong. Most people will deny when they are suffering from an eating disorder.
- Be honest and firm
Express your feelings of concern in their situation. Weight loss or malnourishment can distort a person’s way of thinking. It is best, to be honest with your loved one. An online doctor in Canada is available for those who are suffering from eating disorders. If you have family and friends who are suffering from this, it is best to consider online treatments for this disorder as soon as possible, click here.
