Anorexia
Professional guidance to overcome anorexia
Anorexia
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What is anorexia nervosa?
The literal definition of anorexia nervosa is ‘a lack of appetite caused by a psychological reason.’
However, at The Grange, we don’t entirely agree with this definition. People with anorexia do experience hunger but suppress it intentionally. There is an obsession with everything related to weight, body size, and food. If you suffer from this eating disorder, you eat extremely little, leading to significant weight loss, often resulting in underweight and severe malnutrition.
People with anorexia often have a negative self-image and low self-esteem. Even after losing a significant amount of weight, they continue to perceive themselves as overweight. Contrary to popular belief, anorexia nervosa occurs in both men and women. When left untreated, anorexia can have very serious physical and psychological consequences.
Researchers from Nature Genetics discovered that people with anorexia have DNA mutations that cause changes in digestion, particularly in relation to blood sugar levels and body fat. This research provides initial evidence that anorexia also has a biological basis. Once the disorder manifests, however, it is often mental factors that maintain the condition and hinder recovery.
What Is the Background of Anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa was first identified in Mary, Queen of Scots, who was born in 1542. Despite the fact that anorexia has existed for centuries and has been extensively researched, no single cause can be pinpointed. Why does someone develop this eating disorder?
As with bulimia, BED, and other specified feeding or eating disorders, various factors influence people with anorexia. These may include:
- Genetics
- Upbringing
- Life events
- Culture
- (Social) media
In most cases, anorexia manifests after a significant life event. While people often search for one clear explanation for anorexia, such an explanation simply doesn’t exist. However, experts agree that the main contributing factors are biological, psychological, and environmental.
Difference Between Anorexia and Bulimia
Anorexia nervosa and bulimia are two common eating disorders that share many similarities. However, there are clear differences between the two.
Anorexia
People with anorexia go to great lengths to consume as little food as possible. This isn’t because they don’t feel hunger, but because the fear of gaining weight is even greater.
Bulimia
The difference with bulimia is that individuals with this disorder also experience frequent episodes of uncontrollable binge eating, which they then feel compelled to compensate for in various ways.
Do I Have Anorexia?
In the early stages, the symptoms of anorexia nervosa may seem relatively harmless. You think you’re too fat and decide to lose weight. However, this goal of losing weight can quickly turn into an obsession. People with anorexia experience an overwhelming fear of gaining weight. Their dieting becomes increasingly unhealthy; instead of making healthy choices, they strive to restrict and control their food intake as much as possible. Every bite they take is accompanied by panic as they count the calories consumed, which they desperately try to burn off through excessive exercise and physical activity.
Compulsive Exercise
With anorexia nervosa, the urge to move intensifies, especially after eating. You may weigh yourself daily or measure your body constantly. When you look in the mirror, you see yourself as heavier than you actually are. Despite comments from those around you that you’re too thin and should stop losing weight, you remain unsatisfied. People with anorexia always believe they need to be thinner. You might idealize (overly) thin models and compensate for food intake by vomiting and/or using laxatives. At this point, your body weight has dropped to an unhealthy level. Because you’re not consuming enough nutrients, your immune system is weakened, leading to various physical health problems. Your mental health also suffers significantly due to your eating disorder.
While anorexia may begin with an innocent desire to lose weight, it can develop into a serious obsession for some—a disorder with severe consequences.
Can I Overcome Anorexia?
Yes, anorexia nervosa can be overcome.
Once you reach a healthy weight again, your body will gradually recover. Your hair will grow thicker, and menstruation often returns over time. Most physical complaints will disappear.
Timely Professional Treatment
However, after a prolonged period of severe underweight, there is a risk of permanent infertility in women and impotence in men. Chronic bowel problems may arise after extended laxative use. Additionally, there is a risk of osteoporosis and irreversible damage to tooth enamel. This is why timely and professional treatment is crucial for individuals with anorexia.
“I found a strength in myself that was so powerful”
“Permanent recovery from anorexia is possible. We are convinced of that. To achieve this, our approach may be different from what you’re used to. This is the first pattern we break. It’s time to take the helm with both hands and regain control over your life. With professional help for anorexia and an individualized approach, we help you overcome anorexia. Take the first step towards true recovery.”Help with Anorexia
Grange Treatment
The Grange Treatment Center offers professional treatment for various eating disorders through inpatient care. They use their expertise to identify and treat your eating disorder and the underlying issues. A large portion of our specialists are also experienced professionals who know exactly what you’re going through, and they use all their professional skills to support your sustainable recovery from the eating disorder.
Frequently Asked Questions
Anorexia-related issues can raise many uncertainties. Below, we answer some frequently asked questions regarding anorexia.What is anorexia?
Anorexia is an abbreviation of anorexia nervosa, which literally translates to ‘lack of appetite’.
However, this is actually an incorrect term for the disorder, as someone with anorexia doesn’t necessarily have a lack of appetite. Anorexia is often associated with an intense fear of gaining weight and becoming fat. It involves constantly thinking about (not) eating and restricting food intake, even when already very slim. Anorexia is characterized by unhealthy methods of losing weight, such as excessive exercise, taking diet pills or laxatives, and fasting.
Controlling your food intake and starving yourself is often (consciously or unconsciously) a way to feel like you have more control over your life.
What Causes Anorexia?
There is no specific cause for why someone develops anorexia. The following factors may influence its onset:
Biological factors. Research has shown that eating disorders often run in families; genetic vulnerability may also be linked to a specific personality type or a general susceptibility to psychiatric disorders.
Developmental factors. In many cases, anorexia occurs during the teenage years; some scientists believe that the causes are related to developmental issues.
Family-related factors. Children who grow up in a dysfunctional family or an unsafe home environment (e.g., due to abuse by a family member) are at greater risk of developing an eating disorder such as anorexia.
Sociocultural factors. Adolescents, especially young women, tend to idealize actresses, singers, and models. These celebrities are portrayed by the media as the epitome of perfection, often enhanced by special effects to appear thinner and more attractive than they really are. This leads adolescents to strive for an unrealistic appearance. Additionally, hurtful comments from peers about appearance or weight can trigger anorexia.
How do I know if I have anorexia?
Anorexia nervosa is most often accompanied by the following symptoms:
- An intense fear of gaining weight
- A distorted self-image (you believe you’re overweight when, in reality, you’re not)
- Underweight
- Inability to maintain a healthy weight
- Starving yourself
- Excessive exercising
- Using diet pills or laxatives
- Putting your finger down your throat to induce vomiting
- Obsessively counting calories or weighing food
- Lying about your eating habits
Anorexia has very serious consequences, which can potentially lead to a fatal outcome. If you recognize yourself in the symptoms, feel free to contact us. We would be happy to discuss how we can help you.
What treatment methods are effective for anorexia?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is often used to address irrational thoughts about weight and self-image. Under the guidance of a nutritionist, the goal is to help you reach a healthy weight in a responsible manner.
Depending on factors such as how much underweight you have and the severity of the physical and mental health issues caused by anorexia, inpatient care may sometimes be necessary. There, therapy and nutritional rehabilitation are combined with behavioral monitoring.
Such programs have proven to be very effective for patients who are unable to gain weight or who experience rapid relapse in outpatient treatment programs.
Can men also develop anorexia?
Eating disorders do not discriminate. Anyone can develop an eating disorder such as anorexia. Although anorexia is more common in young girls, there are also older women and men who have been diagnosed. It is estimated that about 10 percent of people with anorexia nervosa are male.
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