It claimed the lives of former child star Lena Zavaroni and brilliant vocalist Karen Carpenter. Anorexia plagues the lives of many women in their teens and twenties.
What are the signs and symptoms to indicate that someone is suffering from anorexia? Questions from many users prompted Health24’s registered dietician, Dr Ingrid van Heerden, to write this article.
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There are signs to look out for if you suspect that a member of your family is suffering from anorexia. These include physical and psychological symptoms. Here follows a quick symptom guide.
Physical symptoms
Extreme loss of weight in the absence of illnesses such as cancer
Abnormal levels of activity, including excessive exercising
Sleeplessness, the person often does not feel fatigued despite exhausting restlessness
Slow pulse and low blood pressure, which can cause fainting
Low body temperature, person feels cold all the time, even in hot weather
A layer of fine downy hair grows all over the body
Cessation of normal menstruation
Low blood potassium levels, which usually indicate the use of laxatives to purge food
Psychological symptoms
An abnormal drive to lose weight even if the person is not overweight
History of psychological disturbance and conflict with one or both parents
A refusal to acknowledge that there is a problem
Distortion of body image - people see themselves as grossly obese even when their ribs are sticking out
Denial of femininity in female sufferers
"A-type" personality - an urge to over-achieve and a tendency to severe self-criticism
Constant preoccupation with food - while they themselves are starving to death, they often cook vast meals for other members of the family
Craftiness. Patients hide food that they are supposed to have eaten, refuse treatment, flush tablets prescribed as part of their treatment down the toilet and do everything to outwit those who are trying to help them overcome their illness
Associated features
Anorexia is generally much more common in girls, teenagers and young women, but it can also occur in older women and in men
Anxiety and depression often also occur in patients with anorexia and some experts suggest that anorexia is a "distorted biological solution to an existential problem"
Prior obesity of the patient - after an initial bout of obesity in childhood or adolescence, patients often react by developing anorexia
Obesity of other members of the family - in such cases the extreme emaciation of anorexia is a way of disassociating the patient from her/his family
Yo-Yo dieting - cycles of starvation to lose weight followed by overeating can predispose patients to developing anorexia.
If you are worried that your daughter, sister, wife, brother or friend is anorexic, then check his/her behaviour against these signs and symptoms. If you can identify a pattern of behaviour that fits in with the signs and symptoms, then the person you are worried about may have anorexia and needs help. – (Dr Ingrid van Heerden, registered dietician)
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