Effects of anorexia

Eating disorders have been a significant problem in the United States for many years. Anorexia nervosa is one of the most dangerous of the disorders. The condition is psychological in nature but the effects of anorexia can be detrimental to a person’s health as well.

The psychological aspects of the eating disorder are based on the individual’s self perception. A person who suffers the effects of anorexia has a distorted image of his or her self. The individual sees himself as being larger and heavier than he really is. This distorted self perception is damaging to the individual’s self esteem and healthy eating habits.

Although this eating disorder is commonly associated with women, the effects of anorexia can be found in males as well. The occurrence in men is far less than in women. It is important to recognize the effects of anorexia in males as well as females even though the chances of men developing the eating disorder are rather slim.

The thing that makes the condition so overwhelming is the psychological drive behind it. An individual who suffers from the effects of anorexia finds the side effects acceptable in many cases. The drive to be thin is so strong that it overrides the individual’s own survival instincts.

Self starvation is a serious issue that can have alarming ramifications if the individual carries on with the practice over an extended period of time. Women who suffer from the side effects of anorexia can see the ramifications in their reproductive systems. It is more difficult to become pregnant and once the woman reaches a certain low weight, she may stop ovulating.

Osteoporosis one of the long term effects of anorexia that can show up years after the individual has stopped the practice. This eating disorder causes the body to feed upon itself for nourishment. The effects of anorexia include a weak body that is malnourished. As a result, the individual’s bones are left weak and brittle.

Since the body is forced to find nutrition in itself, it will find energy from muscle mass as well. The heart is a muscle that can be weakened significantly as one of the effects of anorexia. This could be fatal in some cases. Many individuals who have this eating disorder die of heart failure.

The effects of anorexia go beyond the physical self. The foundation of the disorder is in the person’s psyche. Recovering from this eating disorder is a long road that includes nourishing the body as well as the mind.