Ailments and Situations - Anorexia Nervosa - Causes and What to Expect

Causes:

The exact cause of this disorder is not known, but both social attitudes towards body appearance and environmental factors play a role in its development. Many anorexics suffer from feelings of inadequacy while others are constantly teased by peers or by parents. Many feel as if expectations for them, whether academic or otherwise, are too high. They are persuaded that they are not beautiful or intelligent enough, no matter how much healthy encouragement they receive. Anorexics are not just obsessed with their weight. Many have unhealthy obsessions concerning other aspects of their lives, such as school grades or other activities.

The disease is not strictly a psychological one however and some physical components of anorexia have been identified as well. For instance, chemical imbalances found in people suffering from clinical depression are similar to those found in people with eating disorders (people with eating disorders often suffer from depression). Severe zinc deficiency is also related to some cases of anorexia.

Anorexia is not something you can just snap out of. It may take years for you to regain a healthy body image and to establish a normal diet. Some anorexics suffer with the disease all their lives and many more have life-threatening bouts with the disease. If the disease persists long enough, classic signs of starvation will appear: insufficient potassium and sodium levels, dehydration, muscle spasms, extreme weakness and dizziness, and, ultimately, cardiac arrest. The disease typically leads to cessation of menstruation, swelling of the neck, ulcers and erosion of the esophagus, erosion of the enamel of the back teeth from continued vomiting, disturbances in heartbeat, and irregularities in hormonal balances.