Anorexia Symptoms

Anorexia, or anorexia nervosa, is a serious eating disorder that can ultimately lead to death. Anorexia symptoms are sometimes hard to spot because an anorexic person is typically very adept to hiding their condition, or may not even realize (or at least admit) that they have a problem in the first place.

The anorexic person has a distorted view of their body and of their body weight, believing that they are fat or overweight, even when they are dangerously too thin.

Recovering from anorexia is possible with the proper treatment and lifestyle changes, although the self-destructive behaviors of the anorexic can have lifelong implications on their overall health. Women are not the only sufferers of anorexia – more and more men have been found to be anorexic than ever before, likely because it was never considered a “disease” that a man could have. It is very rare that an anorexic person will reach out for help themselves but rather must be confronted and convinced to seek treatment – much like an “intervention”.

Difference between Anorexia Symptoms and Simple Dieting

It is important to note that lots of people diet, especially women. Anorexia is different from dieting in many ways, although attempting to lose a few pounds is often the start of the journey into anorexia by many anorexia sufferers. Dieting differs from anorexia in that diet is viewed as a way to improve a person’s health and their physical appearance, but the anorexic takes dieting to a new level – relying on weight loss in order to be happy and basing their self-esteem on the numbers they see on the scale – not by the image in the mirror. People who are dieting are opting to lose weight in a healthy, natural manner; symptoms of anorexia point to the fact that becoming thin is all that matters to the anorexic – and the anorexic has no concern for their own health. A person suffering from anorexia may make themselves vomit in order to rid themselves of the food that they do eat, which is called purging.

Behavioral Symptoms of Anorexia

As mentioned above, the anorexic can become quite skilled at hiding their eating disorder, which makes it tough for family and friends to discover that the person actually has a problem at all. Although signs and symptoms of anorexia may differ, there are some commonalities that will be found with anorexia, regardless of the sex of the sufferer. When confronted with accusations that they might have a problem, the anorexic is always quick to explain their strange behaviors and eating patterns. However, as the symptoms of anorexia progress, the condition becomes much more obvious and is then difficult to deny. The common symptoms of anorexia include:

• Following a restricted diet that allows only a few low calorie food options and that bans all foods that contain fats or carbohydrates, even though the person is already thin.
• Obsession with fat grams and calories; the anorexic will often study food labels, weigh their food on a kitchen scale, measure their portions precisely, read books on dieting and keep a journal of their caloric intake.
• Preoccupation with food although the person eats very little; the anorexic is so absorbed by food that they may constantly think of food and as a result may collect cookbooks and recipes, cook for others, plan meals, read food magazines, and watch cooking shows.
• Pretending to eat or falsifying their eating habits; a classic symptom of anorexia is the person who plays with their food, hides their food, or throws food away to avoid having to eat. Anorexics will make excuses in order to avoid eating, such as stating that they had a huge breakfast or that they have a stomach problem, stomach ache, or diarrhea.
• Undergoes strange food “rituals” or secretly eats when no one is watching. Many anorexics refuse to eat when others are around, or to eat out in public restaurants. They may also eat in a ritualistic way, such as cutting their food a specific way, making sure that foods do not touch each other on the plate, or eating from one specific plate only.

Symptoms of Anorexia by Appearance

The appearance of the anorexic also provides valuable clues about their condition. The following are symptoms of anorexia that can be seen by observing the person’s body image and appearance.

• Dramatic weight loss without being sick or having a medical reason for the loss.
• Complaining of being fat – and oftentimes specifying a particular area that is too fat, like the thighs, butt, hips, or stomach.
• An apparent fixation on body image – including their body shape and the clothing size that they wear. An anorexic will likely make several trips to the bathroom scales each day – and may even have scales in their bedroom. A tiny ounce of weight gained will be cause for alarm in the anorexic.
• Denies being too thin and may make attempts to conceal the fact that they are too thin by drinking gallons of water before being weighed by a doctor.

Treatment for Anorexia Symptoms

The treatment for anorexia nervosa is hampered by the psychological denial of the anorexic that a problem is present – but treatment should begin as early as possible for the best outcome. Treatment goals for anorexia symptoms include restoring the person to a normal body weight, treating the psychological issues that have caused the disorder, and reducing the thoughts that lead to relapsing.