Anorexia nervosa | Causes | Foods avoided | Foods included | Diet | Signs | Symptoms |
A complex psychiatric disorder involving abnormal fear of food and distorted self image of being fat which is mostly in adolescent girls or young women. They start to adopt restrictive diet or obsessive dieting and excessive exercising.
CAUSES:
- A combination of hormonal, social and psychological factors.
- Harassed by someone for their weight.
- Too much weight consciousness
FOODS TO BE AVOIDED:
- Diet soft drinks
- Low calorie diet foods
- Appetite suppressants
- Diuretics
FOODS TO BE INCLUDED :
- A variety of nutritious foods in small amounts.
- Calorie enriched liquid supplements
- Multivitamin supplement
SIGNS OF ANOREXIA:
- Fatigue
- Nervousness
- Hyperactivity
- Dry skin
- Hair loss
- Intolerance to cold
Some serious consequences include
- Cardiac arrhythmias
- Loss of bone mass
- Kidney failure
SYMPTOMS:
- Self induced vomiting
- Overusing of laxatives
- Excessive exercise
- Starvation
DIETARY STRATEGIES AND TREATMENT :
- Start with small portions of nutritious And easily digestible food like eggs, custards, soups and milkshakes.
- Portion sizes can be increased gradually including variety of foods in the diet to achieve a steady weight gain.
- Protein rich foods should be included for rebuilding the last lean tissue.
- A moderate amount of fat should be included for exact calories.
The best therapy to help with is counseling and family support