Malnutrition is often thought of as something that occurs in Third World countries as the result of famine. However, malnutrition can occur in anyone eating an unhealthy diet. This is particularly true of those who have anxiety about food. If you are having a difficult time eating the foods that keep you healthy, it is important to consult a doctor to be tested for malnutrition and talk about your mental well-being.
Eating Disorders
Eating disorders come in a number of shapes and forms and are often closely related to food anxieties. If you have an eating disorder, you may restrict calories, binge eat, purge or you may have an actual food phobia, in which you fear choking on foods and therefore find eating difficult.
Effects
When you deny your body food or purge what you eat, you can become malnourished. This causes an array of problems in your body. You will have problems thinking straight. Your heart rate will slow and blood pressure lowers, which increases your odds of heart failure. Over time, your hair will become brittle and begin to fall out. You risk kidney failure and osteoporosis and you will eventually become anemic. Furthermore, malnourished women may be unable to get pregnant even after recovery, according to the National Institutes of Health Women’s Health website.
Signs
If you have noticed that you have anxiety towards food and fear you could have an eating disorder, it is important to look for the telltale signs to recognize that you may have a problem. Major signs include weight obsession, frequent weighing, obsessive exercising and vomiting or taking diuretics immediately after eating. You should also be on the lookout for depression, weight loss and withdraw from others, particularly at meal times.
Causes
Typically, several factors play into the development of an eating disorder. Often there is a strong motivation to stay thin, which may stem from a sport or an idolization of thin people. A history of anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors might also lead to an eating disorder, according to KidsHealth.org. If you are developing an anxiety about food and fear gaining weight, it is time to get professional help before you decline into malnourishment.
Treatment
If you would like to seek treatment for an eating disorder, you can expect that the first course of action will be to reverse malnutrition. Once your brain and body regain health, you can expect to receive psychotherapy to help address the causes of your food anxieties, medications and nutritional counseling to help keep you on track.
