Anorexia nervosa, or just “Anorexia,” is an eating disorder in which you obsess over your weight, have a distorted body self-image, and focus on eating little to no food. People who tend to have this disorder will believe that they are fat, although they have a very low body weight. Demi Lovato, a singer song writer, and actress, once suffered through anorexia from the age of thirteen until treatment. She first got treatment at the age of eighteen. May is Mental Health Awareness Month and Demi is encouraging her fans to get help, because she once had to deal with it.

What causes anorexia?

     Someone with anorexia will develop the disorder from possibly extreme dieting or completely starving themselves with a fear of gaining weight or being considered “fat”. According to Johns Hopkins Medicine there are two subtypes of anorexia. “Restrictor type. People with this type of anorexia severely limit how much food they eat. This usually includes foods high in carbohydrates and fats.” Also there is “Bulimic (binging and purging) type. People with bulimia eat too much food and then make themselves throw up. They may take large amounts of laxatives or other methods to clear their bowels.” Other factors that play into the causes of anorexia can be from health issues such as weight problems, physical illness, or mental illnesses such as depression and substance use.

Why are more women affected than men?

     More women might get anorexia due to the cultural influence especially in social media, and the overall perceived beauty standard for women. According to Child Mind Institute “If you grow in a culture it ends up being the way we evaluate ourselves, and it has a direct influence on that, and there’s a lot of research that shows that internalization of the thin body ideal is a real potent risk factor for developing an eating disorder.” This further proves that thinner bodies are promoted in this culture, and this makes it more difficult for women to love and accept their bodies.

How is anorexia treated?

                  Anorexia can be treated by medication; an example is olanzapine (Zyprexa). This medication is used to help the user gain weight. It can also be treated through nutrition counseling, knowing how much and what you can eat can help some people ease their minds.  It can also be treated through group or family therapy. Some people must be hospitalized in extreme cases. Everyone’s journey to solving this problem is different and the time it takes can vary.

What are the symptoms of anorexia?

          Some symptoms of anorexia are dehydration, dizziness, fainting, fatigue, low blood pressure, low body temperature, water electrolyte imbalance, vomiting, headache, dry skin, and in some cases depression.

           Therefore, Anorexia is a very serious mental health eating disorder that should be properly treated and talked about more. The more talked about anorexia is hopefully that can make more people educated on it and help prevent it.

Sources:

https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/eating-disorders/anorexia-nervosa

https://childmind.org/article/eating-disorders-why-are-girls-more-affected/

Anorexia Nervosa: What It Is, Symptoms, Diagnosis & .. https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/demi-lovato-eating-disorder-mental-health-awareness-1235332184/