Anorexia
Anorexia is an eating disorder that is characterized by:
- An extreme fear of weight gain.
- A distorted view of one’s body weight.
- Inability to maintain normal body weight.
- Various dietary habits like fasting and excessive exercise
- Eating a lot of food and trying to vomit through various methods like excessive exercise and use of laxatives
- Loss of monthly menstrual periods
- classifying foods into Good food vs. Dangerous food.
- Obsession with food, fat contents calories, and nutrition.
Effects of Anorexia
- Low blood pressure.
- Bone mineral loss leading to problems like osteoporosis or twisting of the back to form a humpback.
- Low body temperature.
- Irregular heartbeat which can cause cardiac arrest.
- Slowed metabolism and reflexes.
- Death.
Bulimia
Characteristics of Bulimia are:
- Eating uncontrollably or binging.
- Individual often observes Strict dieting and irrational exercise.
- Individual observes fasting.
- Individual also abusing laxatives for the purpose of vomiting in order to lose weight.
- Easily notes one’s body weight with a lot of obsession.
- Regular bathroom use especially after meals.
- Feelings of depression and mood swings.
- Repeated heartburns (Bryant-Waugh, 2000). Glands that are swollen either in the neck or on the face.
- Periods that are irregular.
- Bloating.
- Sore throat, which is caused by excessive stomach acid.
- Tooth decay.
- Digestive problems example being indigestion and constipation.
- Vomiting with traces of blood.
Effects of Bulimia
- Stomach ulcers.
- Dehydration.
- Damage of the liver, bowels and kidneys.
- Irregular heart beat as a result of electrolyte imbalance.
- Years of chronic vomiting may cause cancer.
- Death.
References
Bryant-Waugh, R. (2000). Overview of eating disorders. In B. Lask & R. Bryant-Waugh (Eds.), Anorexia nervosa and related eating disorders in childhood and adolescence, (pp.27-40). Hove: Psychology Press.