Types of Anorexia
Anorexia nervosa is a severe subset of eating disorders in which individuals often restrict the types of food they eat as well as their caloric intake. Individuals suffering from this disease could also exercise compulsively, binge eat, and purge by using laxatives or diuretics and forcing themselves to vomit. Other potential hallmarks of anorexia are:
- Losing weight
- Being an abnormally low weight for someone of their age and stature
- Having a distorted body image
- Being unable to gain enough weight (in growing children)
Historians and psychologists alike have found evidence that people have been showing signs of anorexia for hundreds–or even thousands–of years.
Subtypes of Anorexia
The National Eating Disorders Collaboration lists two major subtypes of anorexia nervosa:
- Hallmarks of the restricting subtype are the restriction of how much food eaten and what types consumed. These behaviors could also be coupled with excessive exercise.
- Hallmarks of the binge eating and purging subtype include food restriction, binge eating, and purging. Binge eating involves eating a large amount of food while feeling a loss of control, and purging involves engaging in compensatory behavior after eating that could involve misusing enemas, laxatives, and/or diuretics and/or self-induced vomiting.
Another subtype is known as anorexia cachexia. This illness is characterized by a loss of appetite and often manifests in individuals suffering advanced stages of diseases such as cancer, AIDS, or organ failure.
Who Develops Anorexia?
Anorexia is a disease that can affect anyone regardless of their sexual orientation, race, gender, ethnicity, or age. No specialist can diagnose the disease just by looking at someone, as individuals suffering from anorexia nervosa do not always appear emaciated or even underweight. And while the disease most commonly appears during one’s adolescence, specialists are now diagnosing more and more children and older adults with anorexia.
What are the Risks Associated with Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa can come with a host of different risks. Some may include:
- Kidney failure
- Heart issues, such as cardiac abnormalities and sudden cardiac arrest
- Menstrual irregularities or halting
- Having a compromised immune system, leaving someone susceptible to illness
- An increased risk of infertility in both men and women
- Gastrointestinal issues, such as constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain
- Anemia, or iron deficiency
- Osteoporosis, or a weakening of the bones that leaves them prone to breaks and fractures
Anorexia can also take someone’s life, highlighting the importance of early intervention and accessing the appropriate treatment route.
Getting Help
Help is out there. One such way to find guidance is through reaching out to an eating disorder hotline. Eating Disorder Hope boasts an interactive map that can help you locate eating disorder treatment in any state, offering up to several resources for each one. If you find yourself or a loved one in a crisis, you can text “NEDA” to 741-741 to be put in touch with a properly trained individual at any time. We are also here to help you here at Eating Disorder Recovery Specialists. You can reach us via phone (866-525-2766), email, or by filling out our contact form.
