Teens Meet Outreach

Hello dear!

Do you care to know why you suffer eating disorders, constipation and difficulty in digestion?

Tired of eating much food, yet it is not compensating your body mass?

Here are answers to your questions.

Anorexia refers to self starvation and lack of appetite that makes you find it difficult to eat well prepared meals. In such cases, you might find yourself avoiding some foods and opting for something light.

A better definition: it is an eating disorder that makes people obsessed about their weight and what they eat.

Two major types of Anorexia include:

1. Binge/purge type:

The individual who suffers this, purges after eating. It could be due to feeling guilty or being overwhelmed by the meal, then vomiting, or engaging in excessive exercise after eating.

Example: Linda is tempted to slim down her curves, because of peer pressure. She was advised to avoid starchy foods, live on ketogenic products and deprive herself from foods she had always eaten.

Today is Linda’s parent wedding anniversary, lots of goodies and loads of fun. Linda has resisted the urge to not tasting any of the meals, until later hours when her cousins served her some pancakes. Few hours after, the party is over, Linda is found in the toilet vomiting.

2. Restrictive

The individual limits the quantity of food consumed. He/she slowly starves himself, taking minimal below their body calorie needs.

Anorexia and Teenagers

Eating disorders go a long way than eating only a few calories, purposely starving yourself. It boils down to the psychological needs of the teenager. You’ve probably wished you had nicer curves, a flatter tummy or even not as fat you are. I understand how you feel.

Signs of Adolescent eating disorders.

Girls are more likely to have eating disorders, based on hormonal changes caused by ovulation and menstruation, although boys are also susceptible. Some signs to look out for include:

• Eating in secret
• Preoccupation with food
• Fear of becoming fat
• Purging
• Food phobia or avoidance

Causes

Some causes of anorexia include:

1. Peer pressure

As a teenager, you have friends- peer groups. You are likely to be pressurized to starve yourself, so you could trim a little. A career, talent, or job can make you more susceptible to eating disorders.

2. Heath issues

Have you ever noticed that when you fall sick, you avoid different foods, at times you get nauseous at the taste of any food or lack appetite to eat. Yeah! Situations like this causes eating disorder.

3. Irregular hormonal functions

I mentioned earlier that girls are likely to have eating disorders than boys due to a regular change in hormones.

Treatment

Treatment for teenage anorexia is based on causes. We have psychological approach of treating anorexia and the medical approach.

If you suffered anorexia based on peer pressures or fantasizing a baby image you never had, you need to start recovering by loving yourself.

You are beautiful the way you are!  Trust me, you look beautiful! Look into the mirror, turn around and tell yourself you are beautiful.

Learn to be happy with yourself.

Love your curves, and shape as a girl, love your face without beards and chummy cheeks as a boy.

However, one primary thing to note is that your physical fitness is very important. If you have to workout and curb what you eat, to stay in shape and be healthy, then accept that you are doing it for your own benefit and not because you were pressured to do it.

Medical Approach

There are no specific medications for this but nutritional supplements may be needed and antidepressants may be taken if prescribed by the physician.

The individual may be hospitalized (admitted) if malnourished and complications are seen.

Complications of Anorexia

1. Blood problems

There is a high risk of developing leukopenia (low white blood cell count)  and anemia, (a low red blood cell count).

2. Gastrointestinal problems or obstructions

3. Kidney problems

Lower fluid levels can cause dehydration. Dehydration can lead to highly concentrated urine and more urine production.

4. Cardiovascular problems

This includes low heart rate, low blood pressure and damage to the heart muscle.

I hope you learnt lessons on what anorexia is all about. If you have any question on diet and dieting, you can drop your questions in the comments below and it will be attended to.

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