Anorexia and Dieting

With the way beauty is being defined and portrayed on TV, paper, radio and internet, it's not a surprise that a huge number of girls especially the teenagers do everything they can to become thin. This has led to many obsessive weight loss routines such as extreme dieting and extended hours of exercising. These behaviors may even lead to a more serious called anorexia nervosa.

Anorexia nervosa also known simply as anorexia is an eating disorder characterized by an exaggerated desire to maintain a weight that is way too far below the normal weight for her age and built. It is also considered a psychological disorder. This is because it could result as a copings mechanism for those who have emotional problems and for those who associate their self worth with being thin.

One challenge with this disorder is detecting it immediately. It is often not easy to know if someone has it because those who have it would go to lengths to deny and hide what they are going through. Some telltale signs that often give away a woman with this disorder are skipping meals, repeatedly weighing, and frequently complaining about being fat and making excuses for not eating. Also, when it has been going on for a long time, those who have it who show very obvious signs of weight loss and slimming down.

When left untreated, this disorder can cause serious problems. With weight loss, there are risks of having a declining health status. Among the health problems that could result from this is anemia or low red blood cell, difficulty in sleeping, having brittle nails, falling hair, constipation and irregular heart rhythm among others. The situation can be worsened with irritability, social withdrawal, depressed mood and lack of emotion.

As anorexics as very obsessed over losing weight, they might even seek for some diet regimens that would help them achieve their desired weight. However, as their condition in itself is already harmful, following any diet plans would further deprive them of the nutrients they need and would lead to more severe health problems. It is important for them to know this but the chances that they will comply would be slim. Therefore, people or organizations offering diet plans also have the responsibility to screen for the people they accept into their program or at least inform the public about the contraindications of their program. There are many diet plans that are contraindicated for anorexics or those who had anorexia and an example is the Cambridge diet plan.