Symptoms And Features Of Anorexia Flashcards
What is anorexia?
-an eating disorder manifested when a person refuses to eat an adequate amount of food or is unable to maintain the minimal weight for a person’s body mass index
What are some of the features of anorexia?
-40/100,000 10 to 14 year olds are diagnosed with eating disorders including anorexia
-anorexia is more common in western cultures (19% of British girls are anorexic)
-approximately 90-95% of anorexic patients are female, with approximately 1 in 10 being male, but this is rising
-The National Eating Disorders Association estimated that 5-20% of those who have untreated anorexia will die
What are some of the physical symptoms of anorexia?
-Sever weight loss
-fatigue
-hair loss
-loss of period
-low body temperature
-dizziness
What are some of the behavioural symptoms of anorexia?
-quieter then normal
-over exercising
-skipping meals
-self induced vomiting
-constant weighing
-calorie counting
What are some of the emotional symptoms of anorexia?
-low self esteem
-depression
-drastic shifts in mood
-anxiety about eating/ in front of others
What are some of the cognitive symptoms of anorexia?
-insatiable
-perfectionist
-distorted perception of body shape
-difficulty concentrating
What are some of the possible complications and more severe health effects on someone suffering with anorexia?
-osteoporosis
-weak bones and muscles
-fertility problems
-loss of sex drive
-problems with brain and nerves
-problems with heart and blood vessels
-anemia
According to the DSM-V, a diagnosis for anorexia requires which 3 symptoms?
1) restriction of energy intake = limiting what they eat to such an extent that they have significantly low body weight
2) fear of weight gain = person feels an ‘intense fear of gaining weight or becoming fat’. They may engage in behaviours that prevent them gaining weight
3) disturbed experience of body weight+shape = the cognitive element of an AN diagnosis. Has a disproportionate influence on the persons self-evaluation, and may fail to recognise how seriously low their body weight is