Eating Disorders: Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is defined as a prolonged disorder of eating due to loss of appetite. Most people with this disorder suffer from distorted body image, low self esteem, depression, mood swings, and an intense fear of becoming overweight. There are many heath problems associated with this disease, including slow heart rate, low blood pressure, loss of bone mass, dehydration, and fainting. These short term health problems can also lead to long term; more severe health problems such as heart failure, heart attack, kidney failure, osteoporosis, and even death.

Anorexia nervosa typically appears in early-to-mid adolescents, affecting approximately one percent of all teenage girls. As with any eating disorder, anorexia is easier to manage the sooner treatment is received. Unfortunately, only one-quarter of sufferers make a full recovery and 30-50% require re-hospitalization within one year of discharge. Tragically, anorexia nervosa also has the highest mortality rate of any mental health condition and eating disorder, with 5-20% of suffers dying.

Bulimia nervosa is defined as a serious eating disorder that is characterized by compulsive overeating, and usually followed by self-induced vomiting. Bulimia is often accompanied by guilt and depression. Like anorexics, bulimics may also suffer from distorted body image, low self esteem, and depression. Health problems evolving from this disease include insomnia, extremely high or low blood pressure, teeth erosion, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalance, and damaging of the voice. More severe health issues resulting from bulimia are heart failure, rupturing of the esophagus, and death.

Bulimia nervosa also typically appears in early-to-mid adolescents, affecting two-to-three percent of teenage girls. Shockingly, most people dealing with bulimia nervosa appear to be an average weight, and also seem to understand that their actions and behaviors are dangerous. Unfortunately, since bulimia nervosa is so easy to hide, getting treatment as quickly as needed to cure this disease is rarely possible. Only half of the sufferers of this disease make a full recovery. Sadly, the mortality rate for bulimia nervosa is higher than cancer.

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Merriam-Webster. Retrieved: March 1, 2007 from: http://www.m-w.com
NEDA: National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved: February 25, 2007 from: http://www.neda.org
Walsh BT, Kaplan AS, Attia E et al. (2006). Eating Disorders. Current Medical Literature: Psychiatry, 17 (4), 111-113.
Wikipedia. Retrieved: February 26, 2007 from: http://www.wikipedia.org