Posts Tagged ‘signs’

Detecting the Signs of Anorexia

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Anorexia Nervosa is a serious condition that affects quite a number of people and if it is not discovered and treated in time its consequences may be fatal to those suffering from it. It is important to understand that this so-called disease is not a normal physical disease, that can be diagnosed by a doctor, it is a mental condition of the person suffering from it, so detecting and treating it may not be that easy, mostly due to the fact that the person involved will not cooperate with you, because it is a known fact that those suffering from anorexia nervosa do not admit that they have a problem.
The causes of anorexia nervosa are psychological, it may be caused by something that happened in the patient’s childhood or by some of the modern lifestyle problems like stress and pressure. It usually occurs at people who feel that they have lost control over their own lives and want to prove that they are still in control over their bodies. People who suffer from anorexia are feeling lonely and they separate themselves from society in a certain manner.
So, the symptoms of anorexia nervosa are not too easy to detect, and if you suspect a loved one or one of your friends to be suffering from this condition you should know a few things about its signs so that you can detect it and do all that you can for that person because anorexia eventually leads to death through starvation. And remember that whomever you suspect to be suffering from anorexia will not admit it if you ask them, and will lie and won’t cooperate with you, which makes things a little harder.
Anorexic people may me divided into two categories, those who carefully control each one of their meals and manage to stop themselves from eating with the help of a strong will, and those whose will is not that strong and can’t control their eating habits and sometimes eat too much and then willingly throw up in order to lose the calories and remain thin.
The first warning sign is that a person with Anorexia Nervosa is getting thinner and thinner day by day. Furthermore, despite the fact that they are getting thinner they do not realize this and they still sustain that they are feeling fat and refuse to eat every time, coming up with excuses, saying that they are not hungry or they are on a diet. So if you see that one of your friends or family members keeps loosing weight but still refuses to eat or to admit that he/she is thin, start suspecting and watch out for other typical signs of anorexia.
Because individuals suffering from anorexia are obsessed with their weight and feel that they have lost control over it they will still do everything they can to reduce it even when they are too thin, so besides not eating they will also do a lot of physical exercises to further lose weight. They may be thin, but they do not realize it and they still see themselves as fat persons.
Besides the facts mentioned above doctors also discovered a few more signs of anorexia:
-people suffering from anorexia sometimes feel cold when the temperature in the room is normal.
-hair loss sometimes comes with sudden thinning too.
-anorexics are obsessed with weight so they talk about it and about diets all the time. They deny that they are thin and they always say they’re not hungry
-they are also depressed most of the time and do not socialize with other people.
-due to the lack of nutritional substances they may faint or feel dizzy sometimes
-women who suffer from anorexia are having menstrual problems (Mostly women are ill of this disease, but a few men have been diagnose with anorexia too)
Once you suspect someone of being anorexic pay attention to the signs and if everything fits you must try to do something about it as fast as possible before serious problems occur. Curing someone of anorexia is not easy and first they must be convinced to admit that they have a condition, through psychiatric therapy. But since people who are suffering from anorexia don’t admit it, it depends on the ones around them to discover the signs and take action.
If you want to find great information about many anorexia subjects like signs of anorexia, girls with anorexia, pro anorexia or many more please visit us at http://www.anorexia-center.com .

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Eating Disorders Warning Signs

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Eating disorders are serious behavior problems. Eating disorders can cause heart and kidney problems and even death. Eating disorders are not a sign that a person has a problem with food, rather eating disorders are actually only the symptoms of underlying problems in that person’s life. Eating disorders involve serious disturbances in eating behavior, such as extreme and unhealthy reduction of food intake or severe overeating, as well as feelings of distress or extreme concern about body shape or weight. Researchers are investigating how and why initially voluntary behaviors, such as eating smaller or larger amounts of food than usual, at some point move beyond control in some people and develop into an eating disorder. Dieting to a body weight leaner than needed for health is highly promoted by current fashion trends, sales campaigns for special foods, and in some activities and professions. Eating disorders frequently co-occur with other psychiatric disorders such as depression, substance abuse, and anxiety disorders. These are also the three most common eating disorders. All three have severe consequences to a person’s immediate and long-term health and can cause death.

Eating disorders are characterized by an abnormal obsession with food and weight. Eating disorders are much more noticed in women than in men. Environmental factors have a large influence on developing eating disorders but more research is being performed on hormonal imbalances, brain lesions and their effects on eating disorders. Many types of eating disorder such as , anorexia nervosa , starvation diet ,binge eating disorder , bulimia nervosa , diabulimia and night eating syndrome. Girls and women are 10 times more likely than boys and men to suffer from anorexia or bulimia. However, eating disorders do seem to be getting more common in boys and men. Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are more commonly known as anorexia and bulimia. The two disorders can be difficult to distinguish from each other because they have similar characteristics. Anorexics consider themselves to be fat, no matter what their actual weight is. Often anorexics do not recognize they are underweight and may still “feel fat” at 80 lbs. Anorexics close to death will show you on their bodies where they feel they need to lose weight.

Most people with eating disorders will try to avoid conflicts at all costs, so they usually don’t express negative feelings and try to wear a happy face all the time to try and please people. Treatment can include medical supervision, nutritional counseling, and therapy. Treatment of anorexia calls for a specific program that involves three main phases: (1) restoring weight lost to severe dieting and purging; (2) treating psychological disturbances such as distortion of body image, low self-esteem, and interpersonal conflicts; and (3) achieving long-term remission and rehabilitation, or full recovery. These medications also may help prevent relapse. The treatment goals and strategies for binge-eating disorder are similar to those for bulimia, and studies are currently evaluating the effectiveness of various interventions. Many parents worry about how to get their kids a healthy diet, and prevent them from becoming obese or overweight without giving them anxiety about food that might lead to an eating disorder. Take an active role in creating a healthy lifestyle for your child. Involve your child in the preparation of healthy, nutritious meals on a regular basis.

Eating Disorders Treatment Tips

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – emphasizes the relationship between thoughts and feelings by focusing on a person’s thought processes.

2. Interpersonal therapy – focuses on addressing difficult relationships with others

3. Rational Emotive Therapy – focuses on a person’s unhelpful beliefs

4. Psychoanalytic psychotherapy – focuses on a person’s past experiences.

5. Family therapy usually involves those who live with the person with the eating disorder, such as parents, siblings, and partner or spouse.

6. Group therapy provides a supportive network of people who have similar eating disorders.

7. Support groups are led by trained volunteers or health professionals.

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Signs of Anorexia

Tuesday, February 16th, 2010

Anorexia Nervosa is a life threatening condition that can put a serious strain on many of the body’s organs and physiological resources. Weight loss is usually 15% below the person’s normal body weight. People suffering from anorexia are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Weight loss is obtained by many ways. Some of the common techniques used are excessive exercise, intake of laxatives and not eating. Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls. People who have an ongoing preoccupation with food and weight even when they are thin would benefit from exploring their thoughts and relationships with a therapist. The term anorexia literally means loss of appetite, but this is a misnomer. In fact, people with anorexia nervosa ignore hunger and thus control their desire to eat. Women with anorexia often also limit or restrict other parts of their lives besides food, including relationships, social activities, or pleasure. Anorexia can cause severe medical problems and even lead to death.

Anorexia may be a serious disease for old men. Anorexia nervosa” is frequently shortened to “anorexia” in both the popular media and scientific literature. Many persons with this disorder restrict their intake to fewer than 1,000 calories per day. Most avoid fattening, high-calorie foods and eliminate meats. Anorexia nervosa often starts between the ages of 15 and 25, but it can develop in children as young as 10 and in older people. Although 90% of those who develop anorexia are women, the condition also affects men. Anorexia nervosa is found in all social groups and almost all cultural groups. One percent of teenage girls in the U.S. develop anorexia nervosa and up to 10% of those may die as a result. There are two types of anorexia. Classic Anorexia (Restricting Anorexia) – The person eats very little and loses weight through self-starvation or excessive exercise. Binge-Eating/Purging Anorexia – In addition to cutting the intake of calories, this person also binges and purges.

Anorexia may be used as a way to express control when the rest of one’s life seems out of control. There are many signs that someone may have anorexia nervosa. The most frequently noticed is the extreme thinness that characterizes someone with this eating disorder. Common warning signs of anorexia incliding is a person suffering from anorexia is thin and keeps getting thinner. A person with anorexia may end up losing 15% or more of her ideal body weight. Anorexia creates a distorted body image—a person with anorexia feels fat even when she is thin or underweight. Anorexia may cause a person to complain about feeling bloated or nauseated even when she eats normal—or less than normal—amounts of food. A person suffering from anorexia may feel cold even though the temperature is normal or only slightly cool. Support groups are also invaluable in treating anorexia.

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Anorexia

Thursday, April 3rd, 2008

Anorexia is an extremely dangerous and destructive disease. And unfortunately, it is on the rise in women, adolescents and children. As shocking as it may seem, anorexia is now being diagnosed in children as young as six years old. That’s right – little girls who are years away from puberty are starving themselves nearly to death. Conversely, middle-aged women experiencing menopause are also becoming addicted to the same behaviors.

In order for the diagnosis of anorexia to be made, certain criteria must be present. These criteria are listed below. A list of warning signs is also included. If you suspect a friend or family member may be struggling with anorexia, check out this information.

Criteria

  • Low Weight
  • Weight Phobia: Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even though underweight.
  • Body Image Issues: Believing you are fat when you are not, making your weight the only thing you judge yourself on, denying the medical seriousness of your low weight.
  • Loss of menstrual period: For women, who have reached puberty, missing at least three menstrual cycles in a row.
  • Warning Signs for Adolescents & Adults

  • Loss of menstrual period
  • Dieting obsessively when not overweight
  • Claiming to feel “fat” when overweight is not a reality
  • Preoccupation with food, calories, nutrition, and/or cooking
  • Denial of hunger
  • Excessive exercising, being overly active
  • Frequent weighing
  • Strange food-related behaviors
  • Episodes of binge-eating
  • 15% or more below normal body weight/rapid weight loss
  • Depression
  • Slowness of thought/memory difficulties
  • Hair loss
  • In children, any combination of these symptoms should be considered serious. An immediate evaluation by an eating disorder professional or physician is recommended. It’s important to remember, the faster treatment is sought, the better the outcome is for most patients. If you or someone you know is struggling with Anorexia, please call Remuda today at 1-800-445-1900.

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    How Does a Child Present with Anorexia?

    Friday, March 28th, 2008

    It is important to know that anorexia knows no parameters regarding age. Women in their 60′s can experience anorexia onset as easily as girls in their teens. In fact, today children as young as six are being diagnosed with this disease. The following are symptoms:

    • • self starvation
    • • extreme anxiety
    • • depression
    • • inordinate fear of eating, gaining weight and a fear of getting fat
    • • psychological torment
    • • refusal to eat, even though the desire to please parents is strong
    • • persistent food avoidance and weight loss for emotional reasons
    • • body image concerns or obsessions when there is no diagnosis regarding failure to thrive, which can cause growth problems
    • • disturbed parent-child relationships
    • These symptoms are in addition to the classic signs and symptoms of anorexia.

      If you know a child who might be struggling with anorexia, please get help today. Contact Remuda Programs at 1-800-445-1900.

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