Dieting can be a simple desire to lose a few pounds or it can become an obsessive preoccupation that endangers your health and even your life. Eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa can lead to severe weight loss and death from complications such as electrolyte imbalances or heart arrhythmia. A determined dieter can literally starve himself to death. Bulimia nervosa and binge-eating are other disorders that can cause a condition similar to starvation.
Anorexia Nervosa
Anorexia nervosa is perhaps the best-known of the eating disorders that take dieting to the extreme. Celebrities known to have suffered from this disease include singer Karen Carpenter, who died at age 32 and weighed 80 pounds at the time of her death, and Brazilian model Ana Carolina Reston, who weighed only 88 pounds when she died at age 21 from an infection related to her anorexia. Actresses Tracy Gold and Mary Kate Olsen have both received treatment for the disease.
Protein-Energy Undernutrition
The medical term for starvation is protein-energy undernutrition, or PEU. In a developed country such as the United States, it is more common among elderly people who are institutionalized, but it can happen to anyone who does not consume enough calories or protein. A dieter who severely restricts food intake and calories can develop obvious muscle-wasting, an emaciated appearance, hair loss and skin atrophy. Many of the body’s organs can become impaired and immunity to infections reduced.
Starvation
According to the Merck Manual, starvation is technically the absence of food. However, both fat and muscle are lost as a diet becomes more restricted. When food intake is limited, the body first breaks down fatty tissue. Eventually, the body will use protein for energy and will break down muscles, as well as the internal organs. Women may stop having periods and both men and women may lose interest in sex. You may feel apathetic or irritable; weakness may ensue and your capacity for work decreases. Some people find it more difficult to think.
Considerations and Warnings
A severely restricted diet can cause considerable weight loss, and, if carried to extremes, can be dangerous and even fatal. The Merck Manual says adults can lose up to 50 percent of their body weight in PEU conditions. If you think you or someone you love has an eating disorder, consult a health care professional as soon as possible. Eating disorders are complex and early treatment can make a difference.
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