What is Anorexia?
Anorexia Nervosa is a serious psychological and life-threatening eating disorder characterized by excessive weight loss, intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image, and restricted calorie intake (2✔).
What is Bulimia?
Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating (overeating) followed by purging (vomiting), fasting, extreme physical exercise, and laxative abuse as compensatory behavior to control weight (3✔).
What is the difference between Anorexia and Bulimia?
Anorexia involves extreme restriction of food intake leading to severe weight loss, while bulimia is characterized by cycles of binge eating followed by purging to prevent weight gain (4✔).
Common Symptoms of Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa
Distorted body image (perception of body size and shape), where individuals often see themselves as overweight despite being underweight (in anorexia) or engaging in extreme weight control behaviors (in bulimia).
Obsessive thoughts about food, eating, calories, and body weight.
Intense fear of gaining weight driving restrictive eating in anorexia and bingeing followed by purging in bulimia.
Mood swings: Depression, anxiety, and irritability can be common in both disorders due to physical and emotional stress.
Low self-esteem often tied to body image and eating behaviors
Additional Symptoms Specific to Anorexia Nervosa:
- Severe weight loss
- Extreme restriction on food intake
- Engaging in excessive physical activity
- Amenorrhea (Loss of menstrual periods
- Cold intolerance
- Physical signs of malnutrition like thinning hair, brittle nails, dry skin, and weakness (5✔).
Additional Symptoms Specific to Bulimia Nervosa:
- Binge eating
- Purging behaviors or overuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas
- Swelling in the face or jaw
- Dental erosion
- Feeling deeply ashamed or guilty after binge eating episodes
- Electrolyte imbalances (6✔).
DSM-5 Criteria for Diagnosis of Anorexia Nervosa
According to the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition), the diagnostic criteria for anorexia nervosa are as follows:
- Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements, resulting in significantly low body weight. This is defined in the context of age, sex, developmental trajectory, and physical health.
- Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, even when the individual is significantly underweight.
- Disturbance in self-perception of body weight or shape. This can include an undue influence of body weight or shape on self-evaluation, or denial of the seriousness of the current low body weight (7✔).
Treatment of Eating Disorders
Therapies:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- Family-Based Therapy (FBT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)(8✔,(9✔).
Inpatient and Residential Treatment:
Programs like those offered by the Acute Center for Eating Disorders for patients in need of intensive support (
10✔).
Outpatient Programs and Support Groups:
Support groups, such as those found in programs like My ProAna, provide peer support and resources for recovery (
11✔,
12✔).
Join the anorexia support group here ED Recovery:
Recovery from Eating Disorders (ED) is a gradual process involving physical, psychological, and emotional healing (
13✔).
Find a psychologist or therapist if you’re experiencing any eating disorder symptoms. Use Medindia’s Doctor Directory to connect with a
mental health professional near you.
Interesting Stats and Facts about Anorexia
- About 3.3 million individuals lost their lives to eating disorders each year worldwide (14✔).
- Anorexia is more common among girls and younger women when compared with boys, men, and some older women (15✔).
- Anorexia nervosa has significantly increased mortality rates and reduced quality of life (16✔).
- Analysis showed that one-fifth of anorexia deaths are due to suicide (17✔).
- Young girls aged between 15 and 19 are at higher risk of developing anorexia nervosa (18✔).
- The lifetime prevalence of anorexia nervosa in adults was about 0.6% (19✔).
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the risk factors for anorexia?
Risk factors for anorexia nervosa include childhood obesity, female gender, emotions, personality traits, sexual abuse, or weight-related concerns from family and environmental factors (20✔).
2. Is there a cure for anorexia?
No cure is currently available for anorexia. However, recovery can be made with well-rounded psychological treatment programs, where the person is made to understand the disorder and manage its symptoms.
3. What are the causes of anorexia nervosa?
The causes of anorexia can include genetic factors, environmental influences, traumatic experiences, and psychological factors like perfectionism and control (23✔).
4. Is bulimia worse than anorexia?
Both are serious and life-threatening disorders, but bulimia can have dangerous physical effects like electrolyte imbalances and dental erosion, while anorexia involves severe malnutrition and underweight (21✔).
5. How long does it take to recover from an eating disorder?
Recovery from an eating disorder can take 7 to 10 years, with periods of stability, relapses, and the need for ongoing support. It is a non-linear process with both physical and emotional healing (24✔).
6. Can you develop bulimia without anorexia?
Yes, bulimia can develop independently of anorexia, and it typically involves cycles of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors (25✔).
7. Can anorexia affect your heart?
Yes, anorexia can lead to heart issues, including irregular heart rhythms, low heart rate, and potential heart failure due to malnutrition and electrolyte imbalances (26✔).
8. What are the warning signs of anorexia?
Warning signs of anorexia include extreme weight loss, preoccupation with food and weight, avoiding meals, excessive exercise, and social withdrawal (27✔).
9. Can not eating enough cause infertility?
Yes, insufficient eating can lead to infertility by disrupting hormonal balance, affeting menstruation and ovulation, which prevents conception (28✔).
10. What is Disordered eating?
Disordered eating refers to abnormal eating patterns, such as skipping meals or extreme dieting, that doesn't meet the criteria for a specific eating disorder (29✔).
Recommended Readings on Anorexia Screening
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Anorexia Nervosa - Glossary
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