Anorexia nervosa: when losing weight becomes a problem
For many young people it seems almost mandatory to have certain size to wear a dress. Or stay at a few weight indexes to be considered "attractive", canons that end up affecting the self-esteem of many young people. This causes in them a dissatisfied with his body They try to remedy with extreme solutions such as stop eating or practice excessive exercise in order to respond to those imposed stereotypes.
An attitude that is really a danger since this worry about the weight It reduces the amount of food that is taken, leading to a serious health problem. Pediatricians refer to these cases as "anorexia nervosa", a disorder that must be attended to immediately and prevent it from going further because of the complications it can bring to those who suffer from it.
How is anorexia nervosa manifested?
The first symptom that should alarm parents is seeing their children They stop eating the same amounts as before without any apparent health problems. When asked why he does not eat, the adolescent responds that he does not feel like it simply and even gets upset when his parents suggest he take something else. It can also happen that teenagers opt for the products with fewer calories From the market. It may happen that these young people choose to perform too much exercise in order to reduce their weight. In extreme cases they get to take diuretic or laxative products.
Causes that determine the appearance of anorexia
The causes that produce anorexy they are multiple according to the pediatricians. exist biological factors As regulators of appetite that make the teenager do not feel the need to eat. In other cases, personal history of overweight in childhood, or family history of mood disorders or eating behavior, causes anorexia nervosa to appear. People with low self-esteem, tendency to perfectionism, affective instability, or insecurity are more likely to develop anorexia nervosa.
There are other causes that trigger the disorder in people predisposed as for example the beginning of a diet low in calories in the search of the current beauty canon marked by extreme thinness and that is often seen in many media and internet ads. A conflict of partners or between members of a group of friends can also trigger the disorder.
There are some factors that perpetuate disease and that prevent recovery. The Social isolation, the denial of the disease and the distortion of the body image are some of them. Others of a biological nature such as changes in the digestive system, which hinder the process of feedback, and peptides that regulate appetite make it difficult to overcome anorexia nervosa.
Anorexia nervosa: learn and never accuse
If any of these behaviors have been detected in the youngest ones, the first thing is to inform oneself. Acquire information on how to treat those affected in the best way since many parents do not understand the seriousness of these disorders. On the other hand, this attitude should never be reproached to young people who suffer from it, since they are not responsible for acting like that.
The most advisable thing is to make them understand that they will have the support of their parents always and that when they need someone with whom to vent, they will have it. Neither do you have to press for them to eat more or act as if it were only a passing whim. To solve the problem we will have to find a specialist both at a nutritional level to return good eating habits to the adolescent and at a psychological level to deepen this problem.
Damián Montero
