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.

Advertisement

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)

Related Articles
Post a question to Cybershrink.
How is anorexia diagnosed?

Rate this article Poor 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent

JOBS

Civil Engineering Technician Gauteng - Johannesburg Accountant Gauteng - North/Sandton Financial Manager R550,000-600,000 Per Annum Central African Republic Financial Accountant R300,000-340,000 Per Annum Gauteng Treasury Specialist R500,000-630,000 Per Annum Gauteng - East Rand Credit Manager R300,000-400,000 Per Annum Mpumalanga Financial Manager R27,000-30,000 Per Month Gauteng - North/Sandton Delphi developers Gauteng - North/Sandton Find more jobs Register your CV Post a job