Does Troian Bellisario Weight Loss Link To Anorexia? Before And After Photo

What are the signs and symptoms of anorexia?

You cannot tell if a person has anorexia just by their appearance because anorexia also involves mental and behavioral components — not just physical. A person does not need to be underweight to have anorexia. Larger-bodied individuals can also have anorexia. However, they may be less likely to be diagnosed due to cultural stigma against fat and obesity. In addition, someone can be underweight without having anorexia. Remember, anorexia also includes psychological and behavioral components as well as physical.

There are several emotional, behavioral and physical signs and symptoms of anorexia. If you or someone you know experiences the signs and symptoms of anorexia below, it’s important to seek help.

Emotional and mental signs of anorexia

Emotional and mental signs of anorexia include:

• Having an intense fear of gaining weight.
• Being unable to realistically assess your body weight and shape (having a distorted self-image).
• Having an obsessive interest in food, calories and dieting.
• Feeling overweight or “fat,” even if you’re underweight.
• Fear of certain foods or food groups.
• Being very self-critical.
• Denying the seriousness of your low body weight and/or food restriction.
• Feeling a strong desire to be in control.
• Feeling irritable and/or depressed.
• Experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide.

Behavioral signs of anorexia

Behavioral signs of anorexia include:

• Changes in eating habits or routines, such as eating foods in a certain order or rearranging foods on a plate.
• A sudden change in dietary preferences, such as eliminating certain food types or food groups.
• Making frequent comments about feeling “fat” or overweight despite weight loss.
• Purging through intentional vomiting and/or misusing laxatives or diuretics
• Going to the bathroom right after eating.
• Using diet pills or appetite suppressants.
• Compulsive and excessive exercising or extreme physical training.
• Continuing to diet even when your weight is low for your sex, height and stature.
• Making meals for others but not yourself.
• Wearing loose clothing and/or wearing layers to hide weight loss and stay warm.
• Withdrawing from friends and social events.

Physical signs and symptoms of anorexia

The most well-known physical sign of anorexia is low body weight for a person’s height, sex and stature. However, it’s important to remember that someone can have anorexia without being underweight. In addition to weight-related signs of anorexia, there are also physical symptoms that are actually side effects of starvation and malnutrition.

Physical signs of anorexia include:

• Significant weight loss over several weeks or months.
• Not maintaining an appropriate body weight based on your height, age, sex, stature and physical health.
• Unexplained change in growth curve or body mass index (BMI) in children and still growing adolescents.

Physical symptoms of anorexia that are side effects of starvation and malnutrition include:

• Dizziness and/or fainting.
• Feeling tired.
• Slow heartbeat (bradycardia) or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia).
• Low blood pressure (hypotension).
• Poor concentration and focus.
• Feeling cold all the time.
• Absent periods (amenorrhea) or irregular menstrual periods.
• Shortness of breath.
• Bloating and/or abdominal pain.
• Muscle weakness and loss of muscle mass.
• Dry skin, brittle nails and/or thinning hair.
• Poor wound healing and frequent illness.
• Bluish or purple coloring of the hands and feet.

What causes anorexia?

Anorexia and all eating disorders are complex conditions. For this reason, the exact cause of anorexia is unknown, but research suggests that a combination of certain genetic factors, psychological traits and environmental factors, especially sociocultural factors, might be responsible.

Factors that may be involved in developing anorexia include:

• Genetics: Research suggests that approximately 50% to 80% of the risk of developing an eating disorder is genetic. People with first-degree relatives (siblings or parents) with an eating disorder are 10 times more likely to develop an eating disorder, which suggests a genetic link. Changes in brain chemistry may also play a role, particularly changes to the brain reward system and neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which can affect appetite, mood and impulse regulation.
• Trauma: Many experts believe that eating disorders, including anorexia, are caused by people attempting to cope with overwhelming feelings and painful emotions by limiting food. Physical abuse or sexual assault, for example, can contribute to some people developing an eating disorder.
• Environment and culture: Cultures that idealize a particular body type — usually “thin” bodies — can place unnecessary pressure on people to achieve unrealistic body standards. Popular culture and images in media and advertising often link thinness to popularity, success, beauty and happiness. This may contribute to someone developing anorexia.
• Peer pressure: Particularly for children and adolescents, peer pressure can be a very powerful force. Experiencing teasing, bullying or ridiculing because of appearance or weight can contribute to the development of anorexia.
• Emotional health: Perfectionism, impulsive behavior and difficult relationships can all play a role in lowering a person’s self-esteem and perceived self-worth. This can make them vulnerable to developing anorexia.

It’s important to note that there’s no single path to an eating disorder or anorexia. For many people, irregular eating behaviors (also called “disordered eating”) represent an inappropriate coping strategy that becomes permanent over time. This pathway to disordered eating is true for some, but not all, who develop anorexia.

How is anorexia diagnosed?

A healthcare provider can diagnose a person with anorexia based on the criteria for anorexia nervosa listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) published by the American Psychiatric Association. The three criteria for anorexia nervosa under the DSM-5 include:

• Restriction of calorie consumption leading to weight loss or a failure to gain weight resulting in a significantly low body weight based on that person’s age, sex, height and stage of growth.
• Intense fear of gaining weight or becoming “fat.”
• Having a distorted view of themselves and their condition. In other words, the individual is unable to realistically assess their body weight and shape believes their appearance has a strong influence on their self-worth and denies the medical seriousness of their current low body weight and/or food restriction.

Even if all of the DSM-5 criteria for anorexia aren’t met, a person can still have a serious eating disorder. DSM-5 criteria classifies the severity of anorexia according to body mass index (BMI). Individuals who meet the criteria for anorexia but who aren’t underweight despite significant weight loss have what’s known as atypical anorexia.

Diagnostic guidelines in the DSM-5 also allow healthcare providers to determine if a person is in partial remission (recovery) or full remission as well as to specify the current severity of the condition based on body mass index (BMI).

If signs and symptoms of anorexia are present, a healthcare provider will begin an evaluation by performing a complete medical history and physical examination. The provider or a mental health professional will likely ask questions about the following topics:

• Dietary history (attitudes about food, dietary restriction).
• Exercise history.
• Psychological history.
• Body image (this includes behaviors such as how often you weigh yourself).
• Bingeing and purging frequency and elimination habits (use of diet pills, laxatives and supplements).
• Family history of eating disorders.
• Menstrual status (if your periods are regular or irregular).
• Medication history.
• Prior treatment.

It’s important to remember that a person with anorexia or any eating disorder will have the best recovery outcome if they receive an early diagnosis. If you or someone you know is experiencing signs and symptoms of anorexia, be sure to talk to a healthcare provider as soon as possible.