Dieting Illnesses

Two common illnesses from dieting are anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is usually referred only as anorexia while bulimia nervosa as bulimia. Wikipedia puts them as, “Anorexia nervosa is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes an eating disorder characterized by low body weight and body image distortion with an obsessive fear of gaining weight” and “Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder and psychological condition in which the subject engages in recurrent binge eating followed by feelings of guilt, depression, and self-condemnation and intentional purging to compensate for the excessive eating, usually to prevent weight gain”.

It was estimated that about 2.5 million people in US are suffering from one of these eating disorders. These diseases are more probable in girls and women but nevertheless there are men suffering from eating disorders as well.

The problem of anorexia is becoming more common in adolescents. It is also more common for girls from the middle and upper class. It is not so common for males. Anorexia sufferers have great fear of gaining weight. Induced weight loss could cause hormonal disturbances in women and girls, which eventually cause a number of health problems such as irregular menstruation.

It has been believed that the causes of anorexia could derive from nutritional, biological and psychological problems. Other social and environmental stress including puberty, family stress, and death in the family or other related tension could lead to this illness.

Doctors have not found an efficient treatment for Anorexia. However, medical treatments are usually the use of indirect application of medication for other problem associated to anorexia. It is important to have psychological support from the family to overcome the illness.

As for bulimia nervosa, patient tends to have an impulse to eat. People who suffer from bulimia are very scared of obesity and they will go to any length to induce vomiting to take out the food after eating it. There are patients who will even try to use laxatives, fasting and medication to reduce weight. Bulimia’s patients also tend to make strenuous physical exercises which could be harmful to the heart and kidney.

Anorexia and bulimia are more often in girls than boys. At least there are still men who suffer from the disorders. Just like anorexia, the cause of bulimia could not be determined. There are no effective treatment for both anorexia and bulimia.

Drugs to treat depression and stress are sometime used to treat both anorexia and bulimia. Both anorexia and bulimia are life threatening illnesses. Please seek medical aid immediately.