Many individuals, men and women alike, are afflicted with anorexia nervosa. They are afraid of gaining weight so they restrict their caloric intake, sometimes foregoing food altogether. I used to be one of these individuals. I know that anorexia nervosa is a physical manifestation of a psychological or mental problem. You might not understand it completely but controlling food intake, and thus losing weight, is very rewarding for an anorexic person. However, what they don’t, and I didn’t, realize is that the illness has negative and sometimes fatal effects on the body. I know that you wouldn’t want to have anorexia. You wouldn’t wish it on anybody you know and love. But if you need convincing, here are 13 reasons you wouldn’t want to have anorexia nervosa.
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How can you explain to people around you why you don’t eat at all? And if you find a way, you wonder if they will understand. So you stay away from your family and friends. You keep to yourself and sink into a world of emotional and physical pain. You can be beautiful all by yourself.
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Malnutrition happens when the body is deprived of needed calories and essential nutrients. Anorexia makes a person malnourished because of the constant food restriction. When you are malnourished, your body will not function properly and you can be prone to different illnesses and diseases.
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Mild dehydration causes you to have dry skin, weakness, chills, and head rushes. When the dehydration becomes more severe, you will have increased heart rate and respiration. You may experience chest and abdominal pains, difficulty in breathing, seizures, and even unconsciousness. You can even go into cardiac arrest. You may have lost all that water weight, but you are also losing your physical self.
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It is common knowledge that if you want to grow out your hair, you need to make sure that they are getting enough nutrients. With anorexia, you are not getting the needed nutrients. Don’t be surprised if your hair starts falling out more and more each day. One day, your hair will stop growing. In the worst case scenario, you will become bald.
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Despite the hair loss, you notice the small fine hairs growing on your face, back, neck, and other parts of your body. Those fine hairs are called lanugo. When you fail to eat food and retain enough fat for insulation, your body temperature drops. Lanugo is the body’s way of compensating for the loss of insulation. Lanugo is like animal fur. Lanugo will keep you warm. You can now be an attractive hairy woman.
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If you have anorexia long enough, you will start to notice that your skin complexion is starting to change. You are turning yellow. No, it’s not hepatitis. You’re just losing nutrients to keep that pink, healthy, glowing skin. Your skin will also lose its plumpness and you will start looking gaunt, and dry.
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Because of the loss of nutrients, your finger and toe nails will become brittle. They will be prone to breaking. Don’t even bother growing them out. Just cut them short from now on.
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The extreme loss of body fat will cause your body to stop producing the necessary hormones to stimulate ovulation. You will no longer have your periods. You might think this is a good thing; you are finally rid of the need for pads or tampons. But no, if you keep this up, you will become infertile.
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It’s not really a big surprise. To get pregnant, you need to have body fat so that you can menstruate. But remember, you no longer have your period? Say goodbye to having a child of your own. If you don’t gain back that weight and fat, there’s almost no possibility of conceiving and giving birth.
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The malnutrition and dehydration will cause you to be weak, constantly fatigued, and dizzy. Sleep is your friend. You will only want to do simple tasks. Forget about exercising; you can’t do that when you are so weak and tired. Being dizzy doesn’t help things either. It’s dangerous to be walking around when your world is spinning.
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The malnutrition and dehydration will cause your bones to become weak and prone to breakage. You have to extra careful at this point. Don’t do anything that might cause bone breakage and bruising. But then again, you won’t have the energy to walk at this point.
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Your heart will take a lot of damage due to your eating disorder. You will have an irregular heartbeat. You can’t drink anything with caffeine. You can’t exercise. Your heart muscle will atrophy and waste away. How will you live without your heart?
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Your body is tired. It is hungry and thirsty but you won’t give it food and water. How can you if doing so will make you fat and ugly? You have to maintain control. But don’t you see and feel the damage your body is taking to satisfy your desire for control and perfection? I’m sorry, my friend. It’s either your organs shut down or you become consumed by the desperation that weighs in your mind. I’m sorry but this is the end of the line.
I know I painted a bleak picture of anorexia nervosa. But that’s the harsh reality of an eating disorder. I was addicted to control and perfection, but now I am in recovery. I share the reality of anorexia with all of you because I want you to know what all those men and women are going through. If you are getting obsessive about your body and weight, I want you to know what you are getting into; what you could fall into. Love your body! It’s the only one you will ever have. If you fear you may be suffering from anorexia, get professional help, soon.
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