Most individuals tend to ignore eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, what they do not know is that these types of disorders can also be as deadly as those cardiac and pulmonary cases as well.

Among the eating disorders, anorexia nervosa is considered to be the most serious. Generally, individuals having eating disorders have this pathologic fear of gaining too much weight or being obese from aberrant eating habits. However, there is one distinct difference between anorexia and bulimia. Anorexia refers to restraining food consumption while on the other hand; bulimia is characterized by binge-eating and followed by compensatory demeanor like vomiting or overusing of laxatives. Unfortunately, 50% of people with anorexia have also bulimia at the same time.

According to surveys, females are more susceptible from having anorexia compared to males wherein more than 90% of those sufferers are women. To narrow it down, anorexia is more prevalent among female teenagers belonging in the upper and middle classes. Furthermore, among the western nations, approximately 3% of females will be having anorexia nervosa throughout their life.

Individuals with anorexia have a certain type of obsession of becoming slim and maintaining it that way. Moreover, they still believe that they are having a fat figure considering that they are already skinny. They would not even care about starvation and this can surely kill them.

The discovery of the reason of why anorexia exists has not yet been found. However, some people believe that is has something to do with emotional issues. Heredity can also be causative agent. Nonetheless, peer pressure and other social issues may play a colossal role in the existence of anorexia since being slim nowadays is more craved than the individuals compared to being fat. Furthermore, it has also been assessed that anorexics are known to be perfectionists with high level of intelligence.

With regards to the manifestations of individuals who have anorexia, commonly, they are more than 10% below their normal weight. Their vital signs are also below the normal range. They tend to have dry skin and there is a generalized growth of fine hair. Some anorexics may even acquire edema and women experience amenorrhea or the cessation of menstruation.

If anorexia nervosa does continue, complications may ensue. Usually, those complications are almost congruent to what malnutrition can do, hence, affecting multiple organs in the body. If the severity is high, hazardous aftermaths will occur such as fluid and electrolyte imbalance, irregular heartbeats and can even lead to heart malfunctioning. About 10% to 15% of anorexics die either from these complications or from suicide since anorexia may also lead to depression. So far, anorexia nervosa remained to be the highest mortality rate among psychiatric disorders.

The course of anorexia nervosa is volatile. There are instances wherein the severity is only minimal and usually ephemeral. This condition can still be reversed completely. Nevertheless, it could also be a reverting demeanor and there are even situations that this disorder is prolonged and can end it a detrimental outcome.

With regards to its treatment, restoring the body weight is the first task to accomplish. If it cannot be done by the anorexic individual alone, he or she may be admitted to a hospital where this person is bolstered to eat. Inserting a nasogastric tube or an intravenous line may be plausible should the patient still cannot consume the foods. As the weight is restored or has reached the normal range, psychotherapy will then be implemented. Furthermore, prescribed medications may be given to obviate repetition of the disorder.