Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder that can become chronic, serious and life-threatening. Those with anorexia refuse to maintain a weight that's within 15 percent of their recommended weight, according to MedLinePlus and the National Institutes of Health. Although anorexia causes physical symptoms, the disorder has psychological components. Those with anorexia become compulsive about losing weight and keep the weight off in a variety of ways.
Physical Symptoms
The symptoms of anorexia include excessive weight loss, even when those who have it appear thin. Being underweight can cause additional symptoms, including blotchy yellow skin, swelling of the arms or legs, low blood pressure, dizziness, fatigue and insomnia. Anorexia causes dehydration that manifests as dry skin, dry mouth and constipation. Those with anorexia fail to get adequate vitamins and minerals, which leads to weak bones and osteoporosis, brittle nails and abnormal blood counts. If left untreated, anorexia can lead to severe malnutrition and dehydration, which can cause dangerous heart rhythms and seizures.
Emotional Symptoms
Anorexia involves an intense fear of gaining weight, usually because of a distorted body image. Although sociocultural factors, such as the media focus on rail-thin celebrities, may play a role in anorexia, low feelings of self worth, along with obsessive-compulsive behavior and an extreme drive for perfectionism, contribute to the disorder. Other emotional disorders, such as depression, often accompany anorexia. Those who are anorexic exhibit denial, irritability, a lack of emotion and a preoccupation with food.
Food Restriction
Those with anorexia become obsessed with their weight. They feel compelled to lose weight, even when they have no weight to lose. To lose weight they reduce their food intake, often eating fewer than 1,000 calories per day, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. When they do eat, they avoid high-fat foods and follow a diet consisting of low-calorie foods such as lettuce and carrots.
Excessive Exercise
In addition to reducing the amount of food eaten, those with anorexia participate in extreme exercise. Their obsession with losing weight drives them to exercise under all circumstances, including bad weather and after sustaining an injury. The excessive exercise, along with the reduced calories, increases the risk of injuries due to a lack of energy and nutrients.
Use of Medications
As anorexics continue to see themselves as overweight, they use medications to induce weight loss. They may visit the bathroom after eating to purge, or they may abuse laxatives. They may also use enemas to induce bowel movements and increase weight loss. Many patients take diuretics to increase urine output and diet pills to reduce appetite.
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