PrognosisIsanorexiadangerous?TreatmentHowdoyoutreatanorexia?CenterWhatDoesItMeantoBeAnorexic?CenterAnorexiaisaneatingdisorderinwhichaperson'sdistortedbodyimageleadsthemtostarvethemselvestostaythin.Anorexiaisaneatingdisorderthatleadstomarkedlyreducedappetiteoracompleteaversiontofood.Peoplewithanorexiaconstantlytrytokeeptheirweightaslowastheycanbynoteatingenoughfood. Thecondition,dubbedanorexianervosa, goeswellbeyondthelimitsofhealthydieting.Besideextremedieting,apersonwithanorexiamayalsodoalotofexercise,wellbeyondtherecommendedlevels.Thismaymakethemextremelyweakandstarved. Thisisdifferentthanapersonwithsimpleanorexia,whichjustdescribesthesymptomoffoodaversion.Thismaybecausedbymedicalproblemsormedication.Apersonwithanorexianervosa,however, hasadistortedbodyimagemakingthembelievethattheyarefatevenwhentheyareunderweight.Anorexiamayaffectpeopleofanyageorgender; however, itmostcommonlyaffectsyoungwomen. Inatypicalcaseofanorexia,thesymptomsusuallystartinthemid-teenswhenthedrivetobecomethinnermaybeduetoconcernsaboutcontrolandfearsrelatingtoaperson’sbody.Thedesiretostaythinprogressesasanendlesscycleofrestrictiveeating,oftenpushingthesuffererclosetostarvation.Weightreductionbecomesanobsession,justlikeadrugaddiction,thatmayeventuallybecomealife-threateningcondition.Isanorexiadangerous?Long-term(chronic)untreatedanorexiacanleadtoserioushealthproblems.Excessivelyrestrictiveeatingdeprivesthebodyofvariousnutrientsandelectrolytes.Someoftherisksofbeinganorexicare: Weakmuscles  Boneconditionssuchasosteoporosis(weakbones),osteopenia(poorcalciumstoresinbone)andfrequentfractures.ProblemwithdevelopmentinchildrenandyoungadultsFertilityissuesDecreasedofsexdriveHeartproblemssuchasirregularheartbeat(arrhythmia)andheartfailureElectrolyteimbalanceandseveredehydrationcancausekidneyproblems.LowbloodpressureSwellingoverthebody(edema)SeizuresorfitsDecreasedfocusorattentionPoormemoryTinglingandnumbnessinthebody,duetonerveproblemsBowelproblemssuchashyperacidity,chronicconstipation,vomitingLowimmunit