Under-eating and other behaviors associated with anorexia cause a variety of health complications. These complications worsen depending on the duration of the disease as well as the severity of the anorexic person's behaviors. Anorexia can affect major organs of the body because the anorexic behavior fails to provide necessary nutrients and vitamins. While a lot of patients suffering from anorexia experience low cholesterol due to strict diet, some actually experience abnormally high cholesterol levels, which can be dangerous and complicated to treat.
What is Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder driven by an obsession with weight and food. Patients suffering from the disease will take drastic measures to maintain a weight much lower than normal for their age and height. Starvation and excessive exercise are two behaviors commonly seen in anorexic patients. According to the Mayo Clinic, anorexia is often a way of coping with emotional problems rather than a fixation on food, beauty, weight or looks. Moreover, the thinking patterns associated with the disease must be reversed while the patient is medically treated for his or her health complications.
Anorexia and Imbalances
In their book "The Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders," registered dietitian Marcia Herrin and Nancy Matsumoto say that cholesterol imbalance is one of the complications anorectics often experience because of their tendency to grow dehydrated. Restricting fluid intake, eating far less than is required for the body to grow, and abusing diuretics and laxatives can all contribute to what is known as the blood urea nitrogen, or BUN, reading. Dehydration and insufficient levels of fluid and nutrients cause an elevated BUN.
Cholesterol Levels
While many anorexic patients have low cholesterol due to the lack of consumption of high-fat, high-sodium foods, some severely anorexic patients have very high cholesterol. According to Herrin and Matsumoto, these high cholesterol levels are a result of starvation's impact on the liver. Because an anorexic person does not consume adequate nutrition, the liver is unable to break down cholesterol properly and metabolize nutrients. Additionally, starvation can cause abnormal estrogen, thyroid and hormone levels, which contribute to the liver's inability to metabolize cholesterol. These levels are problematic because, according to the American Heart Association, high levels of cholesterol increase the risk of many diseases such as heart attack, stroke and coronary heart disease.
Treatment for Anorexia
According to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, one in every 200 American women suffers from anorexia. The disease typically affects women from ages 12 to 25, though often it can start much earlier and last much longer. Treating anorexia involves a variety of approaches because the disease necessitates mental counseling, medical treatment, nutritional treatment and often medication. According to Herrin and Matsumoto, an anorexic patient with high cholesterol cannot be treated the same way a non-eating-disordered patient would be treated. Putting an anorectic on a low-fat or low-calorie diet to decrease cholesterol levels can cause further complications like low body weight and inadequate nutrition.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder such as anorexia, seeking guidance from a physician or qualified professional is crucial. High cholesterol is just one of many symptoms of anorexia, and the disease should be treated as a whole as soon as it is detected.
