There is without a doubt, many pressures, especially on young women to be thin. Whether this comes from Hollywood stars and their trendy diets or parents and other family members, the idea that being thin is equivalent to being beautiful and successful is out there. There are even professions that demand thinness such as ballet or gymnastics. All of these influences can lead to eating disorders such as anorexia.

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by very little food intake. There is an extreme fear of becoming overweight despite the fact the person is already dangerously thin. For those suffering from anorexia, looking in a mirror is like looking in a fun house mirror, no matter how thin they get, they still feel heavy, as they have a severely distorted bodily image. Anorexia is an extremely dangerous illness and it can have brutal side effects on the body as well as the mind.

There are many side effects on the body that are caused by not eating. The body can literally shut down because it is not getting the nutrients it needs to maintain itself and its vital functions. During the early stages, a girl may stop menstruating regularly; this is also a sign that the body is not functioning properly. A person suffering from anorexia will often feel weak and extremely tired; fainting is very common because the body is not given anything it can use for energy.

The side effects of anorexia on the body can be very dangerous. The body of an anorexic may become so thin that there is no way it can keep itself warm; in this case, the body will grow a thin layer of hair over the face and arms in an attempt to stay warm. Nails may become brittle, hair may start falling out and the skin will become very pale. These are just some of the side effects of anorexia, but the list goes on.

There are also psychological side effects of anorexia. The illness can greatly affect the personality of the person suffering. Someone who was once very outgoing and social may become depressed and introverted. Food and eating become the center of their thoughts and many times, it will be all they can think about. Those dealing with anorexia have very low self-esteem and feel a sense of worthlessness so anorexia often leads to depression and even suicide.

Some of the more serious, long term side effects include liver damage, osteoporosis, difficulty carrying a pregnancy and even death. Anorexia is a very complicated disease and there are many more side effects. Eating disorders are not something that should be taken lightly because they can have serious consequences. Anyone suffering from these side effects of anorexia should have treatment as soon as possible, as it could end up saving their life.


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Bulimia is a seriously dangerous illness that is becoming increasingly popular among young women. With the added pressures of society and even family members telling young girls the way to be successful and beautiful is to be thin, many turn to extreme diets such as bulimia that can have severe effects on their mental and bodily health. Bulimia is characterized by binging and purging and the side effects of this behavior can be devastating.

Many of these side effects are not obvious in the beginning stages of the illness. Many people will just have stomachaches, but this typically does not alarm anyone because of how common they are. However, as time goes on, the side effects of bulimia get worse. After forced vomiting only a few times, the person may see blood and have increasing stomach pains, and this is only the beginning

One of the most common side effects of bulimia is discoloration of teeth or tooth decay. Since the stomach contains acid, constant vomiting can cause many dental problems caused by teeth coming into contact with the acid. Stomach acid can also affect the esophagus, causing it to bleed. Those who vomit excessively may also tear their esophagus and need immediate medical attention. Frequent vomiting can have serious effects on the body. Stomach contents also have the potential to enter the sinus cavities or lungs and cause infection.

There are many physical side effects of bulimia such as organ problems, irregular heartbeat, malnutrition due to continuous vomiting as well as weak bones and overall feeling of weakness. Of course, these side effects of bulimia are awful, but the side effects do not stop there and honestly, the physical side effects are not the worst of them. Those who suffer from bulimia also suffer from severe psychological damage.

Feelings that are out of control often accompany bulimia. People may also feel anxious or depressed, as bulimia can often be caused a chemical imbalance in the brain. Bulimia is not only an illness, but also something that takes control over the sufferer's life. Although it may seem as though they hate food, it is still constantly on their mind. Bulimics also may not be able to eat in front of others or avoid people all together.

Often, bulimia is an eating disorder that is taken lightly. It may be difficult to see some of the side effects of a person suffering from the illness. However, if these symptoms are left alone, they will lead to death. Bulimia is a terrifying disease that has claimed the lives of thousands of teens already so, it is important to notice the symptoms so there is no chance of these side effects occurring.



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Treatment for severe anorexia should start from hospitalization to restore the person's body weight. The duration of hospitalization can be different and depends on how fast the anorexic gains their weight. In average many experts believe that 10-12 weeks with full nutritional support are required to restore weight in case of anorexia.

Weight gain goals should be set by a doctor according to person's BMI (body mass index). But in average 1-2 pounds a week is a good goal to strive for and it is what normally happens in hospitals.

Calorie consumption can vary but severely malnourished people need to begin with as little as 1500 calories per day (to avoid stomach pain and vomiting) and then progress to higher calorie consumption over time.

People who are unable to eat have to be fed through tube or intravenously. Tube feeding has many disadvantages and some professionals believe that this method discourages people from normal eating in the future. Nevertheless for some patients it can be the only way to gain weight.

Intravenous feeding is when a tube gets inserted into a vein and nutritional substances go into a blood stream. This way of feeding can also create some biochemical imbalances for patients and is only used in extremely severe cases of anorexia.

Severe anorexia patients also can have complications and organ failures due to long starvation and malnourishment. This has to be corrected while the person stays in the hospital. Kidney failure, heart failure, electrolyte imbalances, early osteoporosis are common complaints for severe anorexics.

The second stage of treatment begins after a person reached an acceptable body weight. This stage is the longest and the most difficult one because many anorexics relapse at this stage and go back to their old habits (losing all the weight they have just gained).

This happens because they still continue to see themselves as overweight in a mirror and feel that they need to lose weight instead of maintaining it or gaining more. They still continue to focus on their body image and forgetting about all other things in their life.

At this stage they do it subconsciously and their perception becomes their reality. The main issue that has to be addressed here is changing their perception by affecting their subconscious mind (the part of human mind responsible for feelings, internal believes and perception).

Failing to change the subconscious mind of the sufferer causes the symptoms of anorexia to come back all the time and doesn't matter how long she/he stayed in hospital, they relapse. Our subconscious is formed at a very young age and if any subconscious blockages that do occur they are formed with "child logic" and continue to impact on the sufferer in adulthood.

Anorexics have many subconscious blockages about body image and food. However because they exist at the subconscious level they are neither aware of them nor able to judge whether or not they are logical.

To conclude, the major step to curing severe anorexia lies not just in reaching and maintaining a certain amount of weight. It lies in identifying and eliminating the subconscious blockages from the anorexic mind and changing the person's focus from weight and food to other useful things in life.




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