| Because of mass media's rising campaign on beauty | | | | social and physical. Physical side effects may come |
| products and weight-loss products, people have been | | | | as a result from lack of nutrition from very little food |
| given the idea that they need to be | | | | intake, this may put serious strain on a lot of the body's |
| appearance-conscious to get noticed. And with a lot | | | | major organs. Anorexia may also cause |
| of skinny celebrities and models in the media spotlight, it | | | | psychological side effects, changing the way a person |
| gives people a misconception that being skinny is | | | | thinks, giving anorexics a distorted view on things. |
| synonymous to being beautiful. And because of this | | | | Physical side effects: |
| misconception that a lot of women become obsessed | | | | Fatigue and loss of energy |
| in losing weight, by any means necessary, be it | | | | Hypotension (low blood pressure) |
| naturally or not. | | | | Dizziness due to low blood pressure |
| An alarming emergence in eating disorders | | | | Fine hair growth on body (lanugo hair) |
| Eating disorders have become increasingly prevalent in | | | | Hair loss |
| western countries because of a drastic change in the | | | | Pins and needles (parathesia due to changes in the |
| feminine body ideal towards thinness. An estimated | | | | peripheral changes in the nervous system) |
| five to ten percent of girls and women, an | | | | Brittle nails and fragile bones due to low calcium |
| approximated five to ten million people, and a million | | | | Increased vulnerability to osteoporosis |
| boys and men suffer from eating disorders. Among | | | | Anaemia and pale skin due to low iron levels |
| these eating disorders are anorexia, bulimia, binge | | | | Easy bruising |
| eating, and other dietary conditions. An estimated | | | | Cramps |
| fifteen percent of young women adopt unhealthy | | | | Ulcers |
| eating habits and behaviours about food. | | | | Susceptibility to cold due to loss of insulation |
| Anorexia Nervosa | | | | Edema (tissue swelling from water) due to electrolyte |
| Anorexia is the second most common eating | | | | imbalances |
| disorder. Anorexia and bulimia nervosa are common | | | | Cessation of menstruation |
| in terms of having an intense fear of becoming fat or | | | | Strain on most of the bodies organs |
| even just to be perceived as fat. However anorexia | | | | Thyroid dysfunction |
| differs in the sense that anorexic people starve | | | | Irregularity in the secretion of growth hormone |
| themselves to lose weight, on the other hand people | | | | Potential kidney failure |
| with bulimia eat to their hearts content and then purge | | | | Urinary tract infections |
| by forcing themselves to vomit. | | | | Chronic indigestion |
| Anorexia and other eating disorders usually start during | | | | Potential liver failure |
| early adolescence. People with anorexia nervosa | | | | Osteoporosis |
| often do a good job at hiding their eating disorder until | | | | Psychological side effects: |
| the side effects have become prominent. And | | | | Low self esteem and loss of confidence |
| anorexic people also have a tendency to deny that | | | | Feelings of being ineffective and powerless |
| something is wrong with them, that they're already | | | | Fear of losing control |
| finished eating, or that they're not hungry at the | | | | Mood swings |
| moment. They also keep insisting that they need to | | | | Irritability |
| lose more weight. | | | | Anxiety and depression |
| Anorexia and other eating disorders may have | | | | Loneliness |
| stemmed from a misunderstanding of a wide range of | | | | Feelings of being worthless |
| social influences that dictate for women to be skinny | | | | Now that you understand what anorexia is all about, it |
| and imitate supermodel looks. Or sometimes it may | | | | will be easier to look out for tell-tale signs of the |
| be self-inflicted as a way of refusing to enter | | | | disease. Of course the best way to prevent this |
| puberty. Some experts relate having low | | | | condition is to educate your kids early of proper |
| self-esteem, loneliness, a history of abuse, peer | | | | nutrition and showing them a healthy attitude towards |
| pressure, inferiority complex, and perfectionism as | | | | food. Of course, the best way to educate is to lead |
| triggers of such conditions. | | | | by being an example to your children. After all, if your |
| Side effects | | | | kids see you eating healthy, what are the chances that |
| Side effects are mainly classified into psychological, | | | | they would develop an unhealthy eating habit? |