Anorexia is a mental illness. Many people have heard of it, but few really know what it is exactly. Anorexia Nervosa means that people lose weight incorrectly and risk their health. What exactly is anorexia nervosa and why is it so incredibly dangerous?This article talks about ‘she’ and ‘her’ when talking about someone with anorexia. However, the disease can also occur in men.
What is anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is also often called anorexia. It is an eating disorder that many people suffer from. Someone with anorexia usually has the desire to lose a lot of weight. The self-image of someone with this eating disorder is so confused that she does not realize how thin she really is.Extreme measures are often taken to lose weight. Someone with anorexia spends all day trying to lose weight. For example, she wonders how many calories something has and how long it will take to lose those calories. She will also do everything she can to eat as little as possible. This can be done, for example, by secretly hiding the food or giving it to someone else. If someone with anorexia still feels like they have eaten too much, there is a good chance that the food will be regurgitated. Although anorexia has many physical symptoms, it is really a psychological illness and often arises from the fear of becoming fat. However, the causes can be very diverse and scientists still do not know exactly why one person develops an eating disorder and another does not.
Anorexia in numbers
- 95% of anorexia patients are women.
- In the Netherlands there are probably 5600 people with anorexia
- 1300 patients are added every year
- About 10 percent of patients die from the disease
- About 45 percent of patients recover completely
- About 25 percent of patients do not recover from the eating disorder
- Most anorexia patients develop the disease between the ages of 12 and 18
How do you know if you have anorexia?
Do you have anorexia? There is a good chance that you do not acknowledge or recognize this yourself. Many anorexic patients think that it is not that bad for them. Still, it is important to recognize that there is a problem. Some features are:
- Being busy with food a lot
- Weigh yourself frequently (often several times a day)
- You’re disappointed when you think you’ve eaten too much
- You regurgitate the food you ate too much
- You use laxatives
- You carefully plan your meal one day and try to stick to it
- It doesn’t feel good if you haven’t lost weight
- There are physical complaints (such as stopping menstruation, downy hair or concentration problems)
- You try to keep your eating habits a secret from others
If in doubt, it is best to see a doctor . Even if you think nothing is wrong. The first step in healing is accepting that you have a problem.
Risk factors
Anyone can get anorexia. Many people think that anorexia patients are mainly young girls. Yet approximately one in ten patients is male. It can also happen to you at any age. However, there are certain factors that may play a role:
- Puberty. It is indeed true that anorexia often develops in young people. This is the age when you start looking for yourself and can also become insecure about your body.
- Genes. The risk of anorexia is also greater if someone in your family has (had) an eating disorder, it is quite possible that you too will develop anorexia.
- Emotions. People who suffer from emotions and worry about the opinions of others have an increased risk of anorexia.
- Sexual abuse. Various studies have shown that people who have been sexually abused are more likely to develop an eating disorder later.
- Dissatisfaction. A person who is dissatisfied with her appearance may later develop anorexia.
- Own personality. A person’s personality is also important. Past experiences can change a personality in such a way that a person is more susceptible to eating disorders.
Even without these risk factors, there is a risk of an eating disorder. Of course, it is also very possible that you will not develop an eating disorder at all, despite the fact that you still have a risk factor.
Difference between anorexia and bulimia?
Anorexia and bulimia are very often confused by people. Yet there is a big difference between the two diseases. Someone with bulimia has a constant urge to eat. People with bulimia binge eat and then feel guilty, causing them to regurgitate their food afterwards. Someone with anorexia usually does not have these types of binges and is mainly concerned with eating as little as possible. Patients with bulimia are less likely to be underweight than patients with anorexia.