Saturday 11 August 2012

ANOREXIA - THE THIN.

Anorexia nervosa is classified as an eating disorder where sufferers have an obsession with food and are overly concerned with being thin. They are often so terrified of gaining weight that they go to the most extreme measures to lose or maintain a body weight that is below normal and too absurd for their age and height.

Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable. A man may fulfil the object of his existence by asking a question he cannot answer, and attempting a task he cannot achieve.

Absurdly anorexic individuals restrict the amount of calories they consume, sometimes to the point of self starvation or purging by vomiting the small amount of food they do eat. They over the top intuitively use laxatives excessively or over exercise so that their bodies burn more calories than they eat.

If one has to jump a stream and knows how wide it is, he will not jump. If he does not know how wide it is, he will jump, and six times out of ten he will make it.

Moreover anorexia is more than simply the need to be thin or to restrict food intake.

Caution has its place, no doubt, but we cannot refuse our support to a serious venture which challenges the whole of the personality. If we oppose it, we are trying to suppress what is best in man, his daring and his aspirations. And should we succeed, we should only have stood in the way of that invaluable experience which might have given a meaning to life.

It is often psychologically tied to the lack of control the person may be experiencing in other aspects of their lives. Anorexia individuals may feel a sense of duty well done that they have control over something in their life. The constant mental preoccupation with food and their weight means that mental anguish or other emotions are avoided and not dealt with.

When every physical and mental resources is focused, one's power to solve a problem multiplies tremendously.

Anorexia nervosa individuals are often overly sensitive to world issues, and often carry the worries of the world onto their shoulders. The strict restriction of food may be used as a measure of how good they are at restraining themselves, taking willpower to an extreme degree. They can see it as a great achievement, and inwardly applaud their determination.

Remember, no human condition is ever permanent. Then you will not be overjoyed in good fortune nor too scornful in misfortune.

Anorexia is much more prevalent in Western Societies than elsewhere in the world. This can be attributed to the commonly held Western notion that a slim figure is attractive, a notion that is perpetuated by the media and fashion.

Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.

Anorexia is a very serious disorder with a high mortality rate, and often results in severe medical consequences if left untreated. Anorexia individuals do not believe that they have a disorder and usually view their weight loss as an accomplishment, job well done. For this reason, they seldom seek help for themselves and are usually brought
into treatment by a concerned parent or friend.

People can cry much easier than they can change.

There is hope, however, as there are successful treatments available, and many anorexics are able to overcome their disorder and regain a healthy body weight and sense of self.

Inadequate amounts of food results in malnutrition, which adversely affects all the body’s organs. Many anorexic individuals permanently damage their vital body systems and functioning, which often includes the reproductive organs, heart, and kidneys.

Anorexic girls commonly experience loss of menstruation (amenorrhea).

Anorexia can have serious medical complications and severe symptoms, as the effects of self-starvation and purging take a serious toll on the body’s health.


Anorexia cause and effect:

● Loss of menstruation (amenorrhea)

● Dry skin and brittle nails

● Brittle and thinning hair

● Sensitivity or intolerance to cold temperatures

● Cardiovascular problems such as chronically low blood pressure and heart rate, palpitations, and in extreme cases, heart failure

● Electrolyte imbalances: low potassium, sodium and magnesium

● Kidney stones or kidney failure

● Changes in brain chemistry, often resulting in depression

● Lowered immune system functioning

● Constipation and bloating

● Headaches due to malnutrition

● In severe cases, nerve damage such as numbness or mild paralysis in the feet or leg can occur

To live is to change, and to be perfect is to have changed often.

Signs of anorexia nervosa include obsessive thoughts of food and being frantically concerned with body image or weight gain. People exhibiting signs of anorexia typically feel less anxious when they have control over their strict diet and disciplined weight loss.


The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone.

Other signs of anorexia include feeling hopelessly unsatisfied with your figure every time you look into the mirror, even though your family and friends comment on how thin you are.

When you're feeling your worst, that's when you get to know yourself the best.

Many anorexics fail to see that this is a problem, or their fear of weight gain overshadows their fear of health complications and physical discomfort.
Anorexia is a serious condition and has been identified as the psychological disorder with the highest mortality rate, with an ever growing percentage of all cases being fatal due to resulting medical complications. It also has a very high suicide rate, as it often co-exists with depression.

Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

Coping with Anorexia

Talk to your dietician or medical doctor about necessary supplements. It may take time before you change all your old eating habits, and until then, you need to ensure that your body is receiving all the nutrients it needs.

Stick to your treatment and meal plans. It will be difficult at first, but focus on the fact that you are on the road to a healthy body and mind.

Try not to push supportive people away. Understand that caring friends and family who push you to stick with your treatment have your best interests at heart, and they only want to see you get better.

Resist the urge to constantly weigh yourself or check yourself in the mirror. These habits only serve to encourage an unhealthy lifestyle.

Adopt a loving relationship with yourself. Treat your body with love and respect by implementing a healthy lifestyle with a balanced diet, exercise, and enough rest. Set aside times where you pamper and treat yourself.

Try to stop criticism as soon as it enters your mind. Judging yourself is an unhealthy habit at the heart of eating disorders. Accept yourself as well as those around you as beautiful inside and out - just as is. Do not buy into media’s view of the unrealistically skinny figure.

Remember that while you may feel a sense of control when self-starving or controlling your weight, you are in fact out of control, it is the anorexia that is in control until you make the decision to change.

Recognise the influences in your life that promote your disorder. Avoid too much TV and reading beauty magazines, as they give a distorted view of beauty. You may need to avoid certain friends if they encourage your old habits, or address the people that put pressure on you to be thin.

Never tell a young person that anything cannot be done. God may have been waiting centuries for someone ignorant enough of the impossible to do that very thing.



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