ANOREXIA

People with anorexia nervosa develop an irrational fear of gaining weight. This fear can drive them to become dangerously thin. It can affect boys and men, although it is more common in girls and women. It can start after a life change or traumatic event. Also, it can start with the desire to excel in sports such as cross-country running or gymnastics. With support and the right treatments people can and do get better. People with anorexia go to great lengths to lose weight by eating too little food, compulsive exercise or taking diet pills. Other unhealthy strategies they use to keep weight down are taking pills to urinate or taking laxatives to have a bowl movement. Anorexics may continue to lose, despite symptoms of starvation. They may wear baggy clothes to hide a rail-thin body. People with this disorder may eat very little, but think about food constantly. They may weigh their food carefully, or eat very small amounts of restricted food. They may even move food around the plate without actually eating it. Although, anorexics may be dangerously thin, they still see themselves as fat. Anorexia may develop in part out of perfection because people with this disorder are often extremely critical of themselves. The drive to achieve a "perfect" body spirals out of control until it becomes unhealthy. It can even become life-threatening. Physical symptoms of anorexia can include brittle hair and nails, yellowing skin, loss of menstrual periods, cold sensitivity, fine hair growth all over the body, constipation, and slow reactions of lethargy. Anemia, thinning bones, damage to the heart, organ failure and death can be long-term problems. If a person is less than 85% of what is considered a normal weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and has a very distorted body image a diagnosis of anorexia is usually given. Although, a doctor may run tests to rule out other diseases before confirming a diagnosis. People with serious health complications, dangerously low weight or thoughts of suicide, a short stay in the hospital may be needed. Outpatient programs are common and are less disruptive to a person's daily life. People go to daytime appointments and stay home at night. Treatment for anorexia has three goals. The goals are to restore a healthy weight, treat any psychological issues, and reduce unhealthy thoughts and actions that might lead to a relapse. Children and teens with this disorder have found therapy including parents to be helpful. For adults, therapy combined with additional treatments may be needed. The key is food and nutrition counseling with every approach. To treat people with anorexia, antidepressants and other medications are often prescribed. There have been mixed results. Some people get better on medication, some relapse. Research has found both, medication and therapy works better than one treatment alone.