What Is Anorexia Nervosa?

Anorexia Nervosa is such a terrible disease, and the effects of it are devastating, to both the victim and to the people that love them. When the disease reaches it worst levels, it can actually lead to a gruesome death.

Many people think that anorexia is basically a harmless thing; that a young girl just wants to be thin, but it is actually much more than that. If all it were was an alternative diet style or method, it might not be so bad, but basically, anorexia is the process of starving yourself to death. And the effects of the disease, as the person is starving, can be quite painful to endure.

Typically, the person suffering from anorexia is a young girl who has low self esteem. They have an unrealistic image of themselves and are trying to become something they believe is beautiful. One sad effect of anorexia is the person suffering tends to believe they are fat, when in reality they are grossly underweight.

Because the anorexic is starving themselves, they tend to have numerous health issues, such as low blood pressure, brittle nails, and irregular heart rhythm. Because many anorexics also refuse to drink enough water, they can also experience kidney failure.

Other effects of anorexia include changes in their personality, fixation on food, lying about the food they have eaten, and hiding the food and disposing of it later. Some anorexics also suffer from bulimia, which is where they gorge themselves on food and then regurgitate it later.

To learn more about Anorexia Nervosa and its terrible consequence, check out some of the following articles.