In the modern world, one of the most dangerous diseases is anorexia. Due to the ideals of beauty, which are dictated by the media, advertising and fashion magazines, many deliberately bring themselves to starvation.
Disease background
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder. 95% of patients are girls and women aged thirteen to nineteen. Unfortunately, this pathology is difficult to treat. It entails not only mental, but also physical disorders: diseases of the heart, liver, kidneys, stomach, and so on. Irreversible processes lead to death (from 15 to 25% of anorexics die). What causes this disease? First of all, excessive fixation on their own appearance, which, moreover, is heated by TV shows, magazines and social networks, which openly promote thinness, as well as means to reduce weight, advertise deadly diets that are dangerous to health and life.
A factor stimulating the development of eating disorders can be excessive sensibility, vulnerability and sensitivity of character. A girl who is sensitive to any statements from her peers or relatives may begin to severely limit herself in food if she was either jokingly or reproachfully told that she is fat. Anorexia can also cause problems in the family (the patient does not receive warmth and care, and for some psychological reasons does not want to grow up or wants to attract attention).
Stages of the disease. Its consequences
The development of pathology is slow, at the initial stage it is sometimes difficult to recognize. The first stage of the disease is characterized by excessive enthusiasm for diet, obsessive thoughts and talking about the need to lose weight at all costs.
At the second stage, patients even more strictly limit themselves in nutrition. They can use deadly diets that are dangerous to health and life, artificially induce vomiting or take laxatives. At the last stage of the disease, extreme exhaustion and impaired body functions are observed. Women suffer from gynecological problems: their periods disappear, difficulties with conception appear.
Unfortunately, men are also subject to anorexia, however, they have this disease less often. Usually, young people under twenty-five years of age, but sometimes older people, become victims of this pathology. For the stronger sex, severe dietary restrictions are the causes of hormonal and sexual dysfunctions.
Terrible experiments on your own body
There are a number of nutrition systems that have been actively used to combat obesity, until they became the cause of serious illnesses and even the deaths of many people. They even have a name for them - deadly diets, and now they are notorious. Among such nutritional systems that threaten health and, in some cases, even life, the following can be listed:
- Low fat diet. Although this nutrition system guarantees rapid weight loss (up to three kilograms per week), it leads to exhaustion, problems with blood vessels, and badly affects the condition of the skin and hair.
- Fasting days. Eating only one product for a long time has a bad effect on the state of the body. For example, apples and kefir in excess cause an ulcer, buckwheat - problems with blood vessels.
- High protein diet. Such a nutrition system leads to rapid weight loss.But at the same time, health, for example, the condition of the kidneys and liver, is no less rapidly deteriorating.
Personal characteristics of patients
According to psychological characteristics, all anorexics can be divided into two groups:
- Persons with hysterical traits, high conceit, loving to be in the spotlight.
- People of anxious and suspicious warehouse with low self-esteem, shy.
Almost all patients are characterized by such features as excessive diligence, the desire for ideal in everything, excessive perseverance and pathological dependence on the opinions of parents. Many anorexics were full in childhood and were often subjected to jokes and ridicule because of this. During puberty, they become obsessed with their imaginary physical disability, as well as the idea of how important it is to get rid of it.
Patients try various nutrition systems, ignoring those who convince them to leave deadly diets, which can lead to disastrous consequences. Most often, excessive enthusiasm for your figure and weight loss causes misunderstanding, disapproval of others. Therefore, anorexics are often in conflict with family and peers, experiencing negative emotions and loneliness. A popular work about the fatal diet of Anna Nikolayenko and Elena Romanova touches on the topic of not only physical, but also mental problems of such patients.
Media anorexia
The media have been discussing this issue for several years now, which seems to be becoming more and more menacing.
This disease, for example, is devoted to the issue of “Deadly Diet”, “We Speak and Show” on the NTV channel. This TV show tells the story of a recently deceased girl. Seventeen-year-old Victoria brought herself to exhaustion. She weighed only thirty-six kilograms, felt very ill, and realized that she needed medical attention. Vika went to the famous clinic in Moscow, where she was supposed to undergo a course of treatment. But, unfortunately, on the way to the capital, she felt extremely ill, was taken to intensive care and soon died. The program also tells about another girl, fifteen-year-old Lisa, who also brought herself to exhaustion, and she was sent for treatment to the clinic instead of the deceased Vika. The “Fatal Diet” is a program designed to show adolescents and their parents the seriousness of this problem.
Relatives should be extremely careful about the first signs of the disease in order to start treatment in a timely manner and save the life of a loved one.
Medical and psychological assistance
Anorexia is a serious disease, but, fortunately, with timely and adequate therapy, it is still possible to help patients. First of all, anorexics should be observed and advised by doctors of various profiles. If fatal diets have already led to diseases of any organs and systems, specialists should prescribe medications. It is necessary to visit a psychotherapist, if necessary, take antidepressants. Work on a person, self-esteem, relationships with people is an integral part of treatment.
Fatal diets, anorexia are actual problems of modern society. It must be remembered that the ideals of beauty are inconsistent, and health is the most important value for all time.