Many of us are obsessed with our image and worry about our appearance. It’s normal. Anorexia nervosa is a severe eating disorder that affects eating patterns, thoughts, and behavior.
Anorexia can lead to dangerous and unhealthy weight loss. The desire to lose weight can be more important than any other goal. It is possible to lose your ability to see yourself for who you are. Anorexia is more common in adolescent girls but can also affect men and women of all ages. It is characterized by an unwillingness to lose weight, intense fear of getting fat, and distorted body images.
Trying to lose weight through extreme exercise, starvation, and laxatives is possible. Thoughts about food, diet, or your body may consume your day. This can leave little time for family and friends and the other things you enjoy. It becomes a constant pursuit of being thin and intensely losing weight. It doesn’t matter how light you get; it won’t be enough.
Eating and dining out can be stressful when you are worried about gaining weight or feeling disgusted with your body. Yet, food and what you can eat are all that you think about. There is hope, no matter how deeply ingrained this self-destructive pattern may seem. You can overcome the adverse effects of anorexia on your body, regain self-confidence, and get support.
Anorexia symptoms and signs
Anorexia sufferers may have different behaviors, but one thing is constant: living with anorexia means that you are constantly hiding your bad habits. Friends and family may find it challenging to recognize warning signs at first. You might attempt to justify your disordered eating or dismiss any concerns. As anorexia develops, your friends and family will not be able to deny that there is something wrong. You don’t need to wait for your weight or eating disorder to control your life before you seek help.
You can’t eat well if you are thin—a strict diet. Only eat low-calorie foods. You are eliminating “bad” foods like carbohydrates and fats.
Obsession with nutrition, calories, and fat grams. You can read food labels and weigh portions.
I was falsely claiming to eat or pretending to eat. You can throw it away to avoid eating, hiding, or playing with food. Exercising to prevent eating (“I had a big lunch” or “My stomach doesn’t feel good.”
Food obsession. I am constantly thinking about food and making meal plans, cooking for others, and reading food magazines.
Strange or mysterious food habits. Refusing to eat in public or around others. Refusing to eat in a rigid and ritualistic manner (e.g., Cutting food in a precise way, chewing food, and then spitting it out using a particular plate.
