Anorexia Nervosa Research Paper

Anorexia Nervosa’s Harmful Effects By definition anorexia nervosa is “an eating disorder in which a person has an aversion to food that results in starvation and an inability to stay at the minimum body weight considered healthy for their age and height” (--. National Library of Medicine). People with anorexia fear weight gain, even if they are at a healthy weight or underweight (--. National Library of Medicine). Anorexia seems like the only solution to some people who may be a tad bit over weight or to those who are in the public eye and scrutinized everyday. It is not right to subject a person’s body to the many harmful effects of anorexia just to be thin. Megan Warin, the author of “Primitivising Anorexia: The Irresistible Spectacle
National Library of Medicine). A person with anorexia has a tremendous fear of gaining weight. So they will do whatever it takes to avoid gaining weight; whether it be starving themselves, or over exercising. When a person has anorexia they have a “distorted body image”, which means they may think that they are fat, and they will not uphold a healthy weight (even if they are very skinny) (“--. University of Maryland Medical Center”). Some warning signs of anorexia nervosa involving a persons eating habits to watch out for are: not eating or eating very little amounts, constantly weighing food and counting calories, always moving food around on the plate instead of just eating it (United States), having a preoccupation with food, dieting even though they are thin, having strange or secretive food habits (“Anorexia Nervosa: Understanding The Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment”), and avoiding certain food groups (“Sheridan”). When a person is thin, but is dieting anyway that is a sign of an eating disorder. A person with anorexia will follow a severely controlled diet. Like eating only low calorie foods and eliminating “bad” foods like carbohydrates and fats (“Anorexia Nervosa: Understanding The Sings, Symptoms, Causes, And
When a persons body does not get the nutrients it needs to function normally, it goes into “starvation mode”. It slows itself down to save energy and starts to attack itself to get the essential nutrients it needs. As a person continues to starve their self more and more body fat is lost and the long term medical effects heap up (“Anorexia Nervosa: Understanding The Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment”). It was stated in the article “Eating Disorders Are Harmful” by Sarah Klein that, “A North American woman suffering from severe anorexia [has] the same lifespan graph as [a] person from an impoverished country” (Klein 26). Some of the long term effects of anorexia include: complete hair loss, infertility, stunted growth, osteoporosis, heart problems, kidney failure, tooth decay, gum damage, and damage to the esophagus and larynx. Depression, severe mood swings, suicidal thoughts, and sometimes death can also result (“Anorexia Nervosa: Understanding The Signs, Symptoms, Causes, And