Seven Castles

Anorexia

                                      

April 30, 2007

 

Anorexia (or anorexia nervosa, AN) is the decreased sensation of appetite, with the term derived from the Greek, a(n) (a prefix that denotes absence) + orexe (appetite). There are many possible causes for a decreased appetite, some of which may be harmless while others pose significant risk for the person.

 

The most common form of anorexia is simply satiation following the consumption of food. Disorders that cause harmful anorexia include severe depression, cancer, dementia, AIDS, and chronic renal disease and the use of certain drugs, particularly stimulants and narcotics. Environmentally induced disorders, such as altitude sickness, can also trigger an acute form of anorexia. Anorexia may also be seen in congestive heart failure and some medications like antidepressants can have anorexia as a side effect.

 

Anorexics have an intense fear of becoming fat. Their dieting habits develop from this fear. Anorexia mainly affects adolescent girls and usually begins in young people around the onset of puberty. Individuals suffering from anorexia have extreme weight loss and are very skinny but are convinced that they are overweight. Female gender, low self-esteem, genetics, and social emphasis on thinness all increase the risk for this condition. The consequences of untreated anorexia can be severe, including electrolyte disturbances, heart rhythm abnormalities and death.

 

Treatment usually involves psychotherapy, medication, nutrition education, and family therapy. However, treatment is difficult, because people with anorexia believe there is nothing wrong with them. Patients in the early stages (less than 6 months or with just a small amount of weight loss) may be successfully treated without having to be admitted to the hospital. But for successful treatment, patients must want to change and must have family and friends to help them.

 

People with more serious anorexia need care in the hospital, usually in a special unit for people with anorexia and bulimia. Treatment involves more than changing the person's eating habits. Patients often need counseling for a year or more so they can work on changing the feelings that are causing their eating problems. These feelings may be about their weight, their family problems or their problems with self-esteem. Some patients are helped by taking medicine that makes them feel less depressed.

 

Karen Anne Carpenter (1950-1983) was one of the finest singers in popular music in the 1970s (and one of my favorites). She formed The Carpenters with her brother, Richard, and together they flew to the top of their profession. In 1983, after a long battle against anorexia, her heart failed. Following her death, eating disorders became highly publicized. Magazines began publishing articles, and the media released stories about the fatal effects of anorexia.

【作者: zhangliping】【访问统计:】【2007年04月30日 星期一 05:22】【注册】【打印】