"It's Not About Being Skinny It's About Being Healthy"
Anorexia Can Affect People Of Any Size
- A myth many people think is that you can tell someone is anorexic if they are beyond skinny or you can see their ribs and bones. While this is partially right in some cases, there are still many people that someone would describe as chubby or fat that are suffering with this exact same issue. It is a stigma that has to be broken because these people are constantly looked over, ignored and fat-shamed.If someone is bigger than what you think is "healthy" it is not a reason to tell them to lose weight, to eat less or that they're not healthy. People carry weight differently it depends on your height, genetics, bone structure and skinny is not healthy. Healthy is where you feel energetic, strong and light.
What Is Anorexia?
- Anorexia can be categorized by being severely underweight or restricting your food intake. Anorexic people usually have a huge fear of gaining weight because they feel fat and overweight even if they're not. This can also be connected to body dysmorphia where people pick over the smallest flaws and continue to overthink them and have anxiety because of it and how other people might see them. Many may also make themselves vomit after they eat, chew gum, eat ice or small foods with little calories not feel hungry, and worry over the amount of calories in food.
9 out of 10 people who are anorexic usually tend to be women and 1% of U.S women between ages 10-25 are anorexic Typically people with anorexia have low self-esteem, think they aren't good enough or are plagued with a negative thoughts about themselves and their body. This is especially peak during puberty when anorexia is usually developed as their body is changing and it can be a very confusing time for many kids.
What Causes It?
- Environmental Factors: These factors include influence from external forces like other people, experiences, places, words, etc
Physical or sexual abuse can incite anorexia as it's a way for the victim to feel in control or because they hate their body because of the traumatic experience they went through
Bullying about body weight or shape causes many people to resent themselves, become insecure about minimal things, and many want to become thinner because they think that way people wouldn't make fun of them anymore.
Stress can become very overwhelming for many people and even destructive. When people don't know how to turn that stress into something productive they tend to turn to bad habits and many either restrict or go overboard with eating food. Stress can affect and worsen eating disorders but eating disorders can also cause very high levels of stress, anxiety, depression and is an endless cycle if not coped with effectively.
-Psychological Factors:
Many people who suffer from anorexia tend to have what people call " obsessive-compulsive personality traits" that is described as being a perfectionist, extreme attention to detail, excessive devotion to work or relationships,or rigid mannerisms. While that is just a few exmaples the main point is when people have these traits if one little thing goes wrong or if they do something wrong it impairs their ability to actually function and it overwhelms them. These traits make it easier to be on a very strict diet and they often they tend to develop an eating disorder because since they strive for perfection they feel the need to be thinner. Other factors could include depression, anxiety, etc ( page 2).
Health Risks
Anorexia is something that should not be taken lightly in any case. The death toll for this is around 10,200 each year or one death every 52 minutes.Many go medically undiagnosed and only 1 in 10 actually undergo treatment. With anorexia there are many factors that not only threaten your mental health but also your physical. The most common signs that your health is deteriorating are hair falling out,finger or toe nails falling off, dry skin, excessive body hair growth,lack of menstraution, and eroding teeth. Anorexia often leads to malnutrition and this can cause many of your organs to begin failing over time which can cause you to die. Your heart can also begin to struggle as it becomes weaker and weaker with the rest of your body and this makes it more difficult to circulate blood at a healthy rate.
