Anorexia

What Is Anorexia?

     Anorexia is an eating disorder where people starve themselves, sometimes to the point of dying.  It typically affects girls in their teenage years, but can affect men as well as woman at any age.  People who have this disease see themselves as fat no matter how skinny they really are.  They become obsessed with their weight, and develop unusual eating habits.  It is a psychological illness because victims of this disease see their bodies only as being fat.  Nothing else matters in their world except for dieting, exercising, binging, purging and obsessing over new ways to lose more weight.  This is a life-threatening disease.

How Anorexics Lose Weight

• Binge Eating- Eating large amounts of food over a short period of time then throwing it up
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• Laxative Abuse- Using laxatives to make yourself always go to the restroom {addictive}
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• Excessive Exercise-  Exercising to a point where instead of making your body fit, it makes you sick
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• Purging Disorder- A person who is purging, purges food but does not necessarily binge eat
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• Bulimia- Episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate methods of weight control{purging}

Recovery

     Since anorexia is a psychological illness, victims first need professional help so they can see their bodies as they really are.  They first have to admit to themselves that they have a problem, and then have to learn how to eat normally.  There are places for people to go to seek help, but the hardest part is admitting there is a problem.  It can take years of counseling to get someone back on the right track and time for the body to get use to eating normal foods again.

Picture Time!

http://i49.photobucket.com/albums/f285/MyPreciouisAshleys/Skinny%20Girls/anorexic.jpg

http://www.lifedynamix.com/articles/files/Anorexia.jpg

Recovery Tips

• Get rid of negative influences
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• Look at your body from head to toe and say positive things about yourself 
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• If your morning starts off bad, it doesn't mean that the rest of the day will be bad
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•  Focus on things other than food
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• There is NO cure for anorexia
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• Fat is not a feeling
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• Join a support group
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• Take things day by day 

Symptoms of Anorexia

• Follows a severely restricted diet
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• Weight loss
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• Bone loss
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• Extra sensitivity to the cold
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• A bloated stomach after eating
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• Yellow skinned
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• Thinning hair
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• Refusal to eat with others
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• Hatred of foods that use to be favorites
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• Major increase in exercise
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• Blacks out a lot

How Anorexia Happens

     Anorexia is a terrible disease.  It doesn't happen from bacteria or anything that gets you sick.  It all happens mentally.  It can start from someone saying that you look fat or you can just look in the mirror and think that you look disgusting when you are beautiful.  Anorexics are very sensitive and anything that gets said about their weight they will take to a whole new level.  When I say a whole new level, I am not just saying they will cry.  They will go to the gym everyday, eat a whole bunch of food and throw it all up, or worst of all they won't eat anything at all.  Anorexia just happens.  There is not a whole bunch that people can do about it except try their hardest to support victims of anorexia in any way they can by offering love, support and guidance to make sure that help is found.     

Video Time!

www.youtube.com/watch

www.youtube.com/watch

Interview Time

          I asked some questions to a 22 year old girl who works with my mom who has been fighting anorexia for over 12 years. 

               Why did you become anorexic?

          When my parents got divorced, I had no control over it. So becoming anorexic made me feel like I had control over my body weight.

            When did you become anorexic?

          I was only 10 years old when it happened because my mom told me I was getting chubby.

            What do you do to control your weight?

          I eat anything that I want and as much as I want, then go home to throw it all up.

            How are you trying to overcome your disease?

          I try not to listen to what other people say and I eat healthier now.  I still over eat at times but not nearly as much as I used to.  I focus on self-recovery and look in the mirror and say that I look good even if I think I don't.  I try to only surround myself with people who are supportive of me and my disease.  

Link Gallery

• Anorexia Help   February 19, 2009
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• Anorexia Wikipedia   February 19, 2009 
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• Anorexia   February 19, 2009 
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• Bulimia   February 19, 2009 

         Anorexia is a disease that may have no cure but there is help out there.  The first step is admitting that you have a problem, and once you admit to that you can never ever give up.  Always believe in yourself because you are worth it and never lose hope.