Anorexia!

Anorexia Nervosa.

Benefits Of Natural Cures:

Anorexia is a self starvation condition that is caused by a phsychiatric disorder that afflicts around 2% of North Americans, mostly adolescent girls or young women. Only about 5% of anorexics are males; they are often weight conscous adolescent boys who are dancers or athletes.

Anorexia is a term for appetite loss the cause is unknown; but researchers believe that a combination of hormonal, social, and psychological factors are all responsible for Anorexia Nervosa. The disease usually begins in adolescence, which is a time of great hormonal and psychological change. A young woman no matter what her weight believes she is too fat begins too obsessively diet. Some use a very restrictive diet while others become preoccupied with food making fancy meals they refuse to eat. And then when they do eat they often resort to self induced vomiting or laxitive abuse all to avoid gaining weight. A lot of anorexics also exercise obsessively for several hours per day.

As Anorexia Nervosa progresses, menstration ceases and nutitional deficiencies develop. Many anorexics try to hide their thinness by wearing oversized clothing. Some physical indications of anorexia include fatigue, nervousness, or hyperactivity, dry skin, hair loss and intolerance to the cold. Even more serious consequences include cardiac arrhythmias, loss of bone mass, kidney failure and in extreme cases death.

TREATMENTS:

Anorexia generally requires long term treatment, preferably with a group experienced in eating disorders; a doctor to treat starvation induced medical problems, a psychiatrist and a dietitian. Including family members is also beneficial in recovery from Anorexia.

In most anorexics are very defencive about their eating habits and are very resistant to any treatment. Most are treated on and outpatient basis but in extreme cases hospitalization is nescissary with intravenous nutitiona therapy are needed.

The first and toughest step is to help the anorexic overcome their abnormal fear of food and their disordered self image of being fat. The counseling is aimed at uncovering the source of these fears.

To begin the patient is given small portions of nuticious and easily digested foods like eggs, soups, milk shakes and custards. Portion sizes and also the variety of these foods is gradually increased until they have a steady weight gain. In most cases this does not require a great amount of food, so doctors try for a varied diet that provides adequate protein for rebuilding lost lean tissue, carbohydrates for energy, and a moderate amount of fat for extra calories. Also often extra calcium and a multivitamin pill is included.

Because of the aquired skill of deceiving others about their eating habits, relapses are frequent so close monitoring may be necessary to make sure that they are really eating. Try to avoid making food a constant source of attention and conflict; group therapy can be more helpful than constant nagging by a loved one.