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Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia Nervosa or Anorexia is an eating disorder that debilitates the body through continual fasting or eating only very small quantities of food to sustain the body’s functions.

Sufferers often believe that they are overweight and fast in order to look and feel slimmer. Fasting is a habitual urge in Anorexia and when questioned, sufferers may say they have eaten when very little or no food has been consumed at all.

Anorexia is often easier to detect than Bulimia as the sufferer can lose an amount of weight over a short period of time. Sufferers often fail to recognise their weight loss, which causes the disorder to be so debilitating.

Without help, anorexics can quickly become hospitalized and may need feeding intravenously if their BMI (body mass index) drops well below the recommended healthy limit. Medication and therapy can be useful for developing healthy eating habits and understanding why the illness occurs.

If you or someone you know is suffering

Anorexia is generally easier to detect than Bulimia due to the weight loss associated with this eating disorder; however, anorexics may state that they are eating when in fact they are taking only small portions of food to sustain their bodies without adding any real nourishment.

One of the symptoms of this illness is the inability to acknowledge weight loss from fasting.

Medical intervention is usually necessary if this illness continues, due to the lack of fluids or food. Counselling or psychotherapy can often help the sufferer develop a positive self-image and understand their triggers for Anorexia.