Anorexia Nervosa - How To Track It?

People suffering from anorexia nervosa usually experience one of the sub-types of anorexia, mainly, binge/purge and restrictive eating. In binge/purge anorexia, people engage in purging following a meal to assuage their fears regarding gaining weight. These types of individuals also engage in extreme exercises, vomiting and usage of laxatives to offset the calories that they have consumed.

Anorexia nervosa is defined as an eating disorder where a person's low body weight is associated with the person's low self-image. Doctors generally measure BMI which generally ranges from 15 to 17 for an anorexia patient. An adult whose BMI is below 17.5 is diagnosed with anorexia. A severe case of anorexia would be a BMI between 15-15.99. A BMI below 15 can lead to fatal complications.

There is no standard treatment for anexoria nervosa as there are no medications for the illness. Treatment is often holistic in approach that not only addresses the low body weight of the individual but also their mental health. It has been seen and reported that anexoria nervosa is a psychological disorder that affects a person's body image.

Anexoria nervosa is not only a psychological disorder, it also has adverse effect on one's physical condition. Once an individual starts developing anexoria, he or she may observe dry skin and hair, bluish fingertips and an emaciated body frame. Owing to lesser nutrients, the brain starts to shrink and the individual also develops osteopenia and osteoporosis. Simultaneous physical illness and organ failure ultimately lead to death. People also commit suicide from this disorder, as it is associated with extreme cases depression and anxiety.