Question

1. What is Anorexia?

2. Outline the physical symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa.

Answer 1

1. Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. The term anorexia nervosa literally means “lack of appetite induced by nervousness.” This definition is something of a misnomer, however, as a lack of appetite is neither the core difficulty nor necessarily even true. At the heart of anorexia nervosa is an intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, combined with a refusal to maintain even a minimally low body weight.  There are two types of anorexia nervosa: the restricting type and the binge-eating/purging type. The central difference between these two subtypes concerns the way in which patients maintain their very low weight. In the restricting type, every effort is made to limit the quantity of food consumed. Caloric intake is tightly controlled. Patients often try to avoid eating in the presence of other people. When they are at the table, they may eat excessively slowly, cut their food into very small pieces, or dispose of food secretly. The relentless restriction of food intake is not possible for all patients with anorexia nervosa. Patients with the binge-eating/purging type of anorexia nervosa differ from patients with restricting anorexia nervosa because they either binge, purge, or binge and purge. A binge involves an out-of-control consumption of an amount of food that is far greater than what most people would eat in the same amount of time and under the same circumstances. These binges may be followed by efforts to purge, or remove from their bodies, the food they have eaten. Methods of purging commonly include self-induced vomiting or misusing laxatives, diuretics, and enemas. Other compensatory behaviors that do not involve purging are excessive exercise or fasting. Even purging strategies, however, do not prevent the absorption of all calories from food.

2. The essential features of Anorexia Nervosa are that the individual refuses to maintain a minimally normal body weight, is intensely afraid of gaining weight. and exhibits a significant disturbance in the perception of the shape or size of his or her body. In addition, poshnenarcheal females with this disorder are amenorrheic. The individual maintains a body weight that is below a minimally normal level for age and height. When Anorexia Nervosa develops in an individual during childhood or early adolescence, there may be failure to make expected weight gains (i.e., while growing in height) instead of weight loss. Many of the physical signs and s}'mptoms of Anorexia Nervosa are attributable to starvation. In addition to amenorrhea, there may be complaints of constipation, abdominal pain, cold intolerance, lethargy, and excess energy. The most obvious fmding on physical examination is emaciation. There may also be significant hypotension, hypothermia, and dryness of skin. Some individuals develop lanugo, a fine downy body hair, on their trunks. Most individuals with Anorexia Nervosa exhibit bradycardia. Some de\'elop peripheral edema, especially during weight restoration oron cessation of laxative and diuretic abuse. Rarely, petechiae, usually on the extremities, may indicate a bleeding diathesis. Some individuals evidence a yellowing of the skin associated with hypercarotenemia.