Anorexia nervosa is one of the eating disorders associated with prolonged and unhealthy weight loss by deliberately limiting the body's daily intake of nutrients.Often everything starts completely innocent, with a simple desire to lose weight, but emotional well-being and inferiority complexes, dissatisfaction with oneself, makes a person go further and further, until weight loss goes out of control and turns into a life-threatening disease.
The initial excuses to get rid of excess weight are only the tip of the iceberg – in fact, the disease is based on psycho-emotional dissatisfaction with oneself, the pressure of the surrounding society and the beauty standards set in it, to which one must obey.
It is true that patients with anorexia do not always suffer from overweight problems – externally successful, thin and handsome people (most often of the fairer sex) also tend to suffer from low self-esteem, which can lead to dramatic, sometimes even fatal consequences.
The most common causes of anorexia are various emotional crises: stress, radical changes in life, sometimes an inappropriate reprimand, an awkward joke.
It is often difficult to diagnose anorexia in early stages, so it is important to try to spot activities that may indicate a latent eating disorder:
In case of prolonged anorexia, the following symptoms of deterioration of physical health are observed:
hormonal changes – menstruation disappears or does not start at all;
growth is inhibited, especially at puberty, growth processes are slowed down;
increased risk of heart disease and arrhythmia;
possible neurological disorders - convulsions, tremor;
frequent constipation;
body temperature decreases, coldness also appears in warm weather;
changes in the structure of the skin, hair and nails;
decreased muscle mass, increased fatigue;