Anorexia Facts
Anorexia is a major eating disorder defined as the obsessive desire to lose weight. Sufferers continue eating as little as possible even when they are extremely thin. Anorexia is observed mostly in teenage girls from the age of 12 until early 20s, affecting up to 2% of the general population.
What are the symptoms of anorexia ?
- Being fearful of ‘fat’ or losing control of one’s weight.
- A significant weight loss over 15 % of the initial weight or a BMI of less than 18 (*BMI explained below).
- A distorted body image where they still see themselves as overweight.
- A big loss of appetite, or rather a drastic reduction in daily caloric intake (with cognitive restraint).
- The end of menstruation after several months of being on diet.
- A physical hyperactivity.
Who are most at risk?
Girls between the age of 14 and 18 that do well at school. They play sports to avoid getting fat, avoid lovers and friends and any kind of conflict, particularly in the family.
If your teenage daughter frequently complains about how big her thighs are, how round her buttocks have become or how wide her hips are, she needs to be reassured that there is nothing wrong and all is fine. At puberty, her body changes over time and it will take time for her to gain her ideal shape. You need to make sure that she does not go into dangerous diets to lose weight.
They need to be explained that her weight gain will be at its maximum when they are 15-16 years old as a result of hormonal changes. When she has a balanced diet a few years later, she will lose weight easily. She does need to know that these changes are only temporary.
How to prevent anorexia ?
- Eat foods high in nutrition from different groups of nutrients- No diet plans for a while!
- Do not skip meals.
- Rely on the signals from your body- eat when really hungry and stop when full.
- Try and get pleasure from eating- focus more on the fun aspect of it.
- Try and think better of yourself, have more self-esteem and in peace with yourself no matter what you look like.
- Keep away from the kind of fashion and advertising statements and messages that tell you to be skinny.
- People close to anorexia sufferers should avoid making comments on their physical appearance or weight.
Body Mass Index is the square root of weight in kgs over height in meters. If your daughter’s weight is 53kgs and her height is 1.71m, her BMI is 53 / (1.71 x 1.71) = 18.13. So her weight is slightly below what it should be (BMI should be between 18.5 and 25) and you need to check if she is eating normally from different nutrient groups: Vegetables, fruits, dairy, protein and starch.
Make sure your children eat with you at the table at fixed times of breakfast, lunch and dinner. Encourage them to lead a healthy family life, teach them to accept themselves as they are. You should never tell them they’ve put on weight and they need to lose it, but focus on their strong points: Your hair looks nice, you have nice legs or a beautiful face etc.
What are the treatments for anorexia ?
The earlier anorexia is diagnosed, the sooner the person will heal. About half of anorexics are cured permanently. About a third of anorexia cases become chronic with alternating bulimia – anorexia. The treatment involves individual or group therapy, nutritional counselling, medical care and sometimes the administration of estrogen, calcium and vitamin D.
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