WINNEMUCCA - Eating Disorders Awareness Week will be observed from Feb. 26 until March 3 this year. Every February, the National Eating Disorders Association devotes one week to educating the public about eating disorders. Many other organizations dedicated to preventing and treating eating disorders also use the week as an opportunity to highlight the dangers.
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa are the two most common eating disorders. Both stem from a preoccupation with one's own body shape, size and weight. People suffering from anorexia severely restrict their food intake in an effort to lose weight or maintain an unnaturally low weight, even to the point of malnutrition and starvation. Anorexics may also go to great lengths to burn far more calories than they have consumed. Men and women who develop bulimia consume large quantities of food then purge what they have eaten in an effort to lose or avoid gaining weight.
Elko-based psychiatric nurse Roberta Andreozzi described some of the many serious health consequences of eating disorders.
"Because the individual with anorexia refuses to maintain a normal body weight, has an intense fear of gaining weight in spite of emaciation and goes to great lengths to remain underweight, the medical ramifications can be fatal," she explained. "Females may develop amenorrhea, which is a lack of menstrual cycles due to abnormally low levels of estrogen. Males have a decrease in testosterone. Anemia, impaired kidney function associated with dehydration and low potassium, brain damage, cardiovascular problems such as severe hypotension, bradycardia and arrhythmias, dental problems, osteoporosis and hypothermia are not uncommon."
Andreozzi focused on anorexia, but stressed that both disorders can bring fatal consequences.
"Eating disorders have a high mortality rate among mental illnesses. Even with full recovery, the more advanced the illness, the more serious its permanent effects are," she said.
From the outside, it appears as though the person is trying to get as thin as possible, even at the cost of their own health. While beauty is subjective, anorexics and bulimics often render themselves or attempt to render themselves much thinner than what would be attractive even to most people with a preference for a very thin or small body type. The person may begin to lose their teeth or hair due to malnutrition, their skin will begin to dry out and the appearance of the face and features often appears to change, as eyes and cheeks become sunken and bones become more pronounced. Those who see the person daily may notice that they have begun to wear an unusual amount of layers, or wear oddly heavy clothing. Anorexics and bulimics do this both to hide their changing shape from those they fear may be critical or try to stop their behavior and because their extreme thinness may leave them without enough body fat to keep warm in a typical outfit. Bulimics may also experience swelling around the jaw area from throwing up.
Eating disorder patients are typically preoccupied with food. The person may spend an inordinate amount of time talking about the number of calories or fat grams in foods, spend all or most of their free time researching diets, arrange their food in odd patterns before eating it or engage in other unusual food-related rituals.
Anorexics typically try to hide the fact that they have been eating little or no food by telling elaborate lies to cover skipping meals or only eating a tiny amount. They may also attempt to conceal their excessive attempts to burn off more calories with behaviors such as exercising in secret or hiding their foot under a desk to perform useless movements they believe will contribute to calorie burning, such as tapping their toes.
Bulimics may hide large quantities of food, disappear for long periods of time in order to binge and later purge or immediately rush to a bathroom after meals.
"If you suspect a friend or loved one is suffering from anorexia or bulimia you must understand they have a serious problem that can lead to lethal consequences," Andreozzi advised, strongly stressing that anyone with an eating disorder must seek help from a trained and licensed health professional in order to treat their illness. As necessary as professional intervention is, Andreozzi further noted that most people with eating disorders will not simply grab their phone and make an appointment with a doctor or mental health counselor at the first mention of concern.
"Be prepared, they will likely deny that anything is wrong and may be angry or embarrassed but mostly terrified of losing the perceived sense of control they believe the illness provides them," she warned.
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