What are the consequences of eating disorders?
I understand morally why eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia are bad, but I've never been taught what bad effects they actually have on health.
Well, you need a certain amount of body fat in order to menstruate–body fat produces estrogen, and without the body fat, there's not enough estrogen to have a monthly cycle. In and of itself, this is quite dangerous–if you don't have enough estrogen to menstruate, then you don't have enough estrogen to support your bones. Until women are about 30 or 35, their bones are supposed to be increasing in density and strength. Then after that time, they can either maintain, or lose density and strength. If you don't menstruate, then you are automatically losing strength and density of bone, meaning you WILL get osteoporosis at a young age–you can NEVER make up what you lost or failed to build–and that's DANGEROUS. Everyone worries about cancer getting them, but osteoporosis is more deadly. Breaking your hip can leave you bedridden for the rest of your life, too. It's been shown that there are a lot of risks to the brain due to low estrogen, but there have not been studies of those who were anorexic in their youth. But hypothetically, you might be at greater risk of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. These are the dangers merely of not having your period. There is also, of course, major organ damage that can occur because of starvation–your organs shrink in size, as your body uses them to feed you.These are cells that might never be restored to these organs, even if you gain weight, so your organs are permanently weakened.
December 7th, 2008 at 6:03 am
It lowers your immune system, which is why anorexics often show sores or other skin problems. It deprives your body of calories it needs to function, so your body goes after the muscles and major organs to get it from. Long term this will damage your heart, liver, brain, etc. The lack of chemicals that are needed to make systems run causes muscle cramps and heart irregularities. This is what probably killed Karen Carpenter, her heart just stopped.
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December 7th, 2008 at 6:42 am
it makes you loose wait and all she said but if you can stop when you loose the wait you need to loose go for it. being over weight also is bad for your health and gives you a worse life
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December 7th, 2008 at 7:31 am
Well, you need a certain amount of body fat in order to menstruate–body fat produces estrogen, and without the body fat, there's not enough estrogen to have a monthly cycle. In and of itself, this is quite dangerous–if you don't have enough estrogen to menstruate, then you don't have enough estrogen to support your bones. Until women are about 30 or 35, their bones are supposed to be increasing in density and strength. Then after that time, they can either maintain, or lose density and strength. If you don't menstruate, then you are automatically losing strength and density of bone, meaning you WILL get osteoporosis at a young age–you can NEVER make up what you lost or failed to build–and that's DANGEROUS. Everyone worries about cancer getting them, but osteoporosis is more deadly. Breaking your hip can leave you bedridden for the rest of your life, too. It's been shown that there are a lot of risks to the brain due to low estrogen, but there have not been studies of those who were anorexic in their youth. But hypothetically, you might be at greater risk of Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. These are the dangers merely of not having your period. There is also, of course, major organ damage that can occur because of starvation–your organs shrink in size, as your body uses them to feed you.These are cells that might never be restored to these organs, even if you gain weight, so your organs are permanently weakened.
References :
December 7th, 2008 at 7:48 am
If someone is anorexic, they deplete themselves of nutrients and salt (which helps the heart). Their hair will become brittle and coarse and could eventually fall out. They can develop all sorts of nutrient deficient diseases (cholera) and they compromise the well being of the heart. Salt is an ionic compound that carries a charge, and since the heart pumps from charges in the body, it will eventually be unable to function if it is that depleted. Also, the heart is a muscle and your body will eventually eat away at it if it has nothing else to eat (gross I know, but true).
As for bulimia, it has many of the same bad effects as anorexia, but it can also damage your esophagus from vomiting so much. The acid from the stomach will burn it.
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