• Question: why are so many people anerexic

    Asked by bechope to Mariam, Leo, Jo, Iain on 23 Jun 2010 in Categories: .
    • Photo: Iain Moal

      Iain Moal answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      You should really ask a psychologist. I don’t really know. I think its because our culture dictates that being thin is synonymous with female beautiful. Personally, I think women who are too thin just look unhealthy, certainly not pretty. I don’t get how they can stop eating like that either. Food for me is not just for sustinance, but also a great pleasure.

    • Photo: Leo Garcia

      Leo Garcia answered on 23 Jun 2010:

      Anorexia is an eating disorder which entails a distorted body image, which can lead to starvation to maintain an unhealthy (and often unachievably low) body weight. In terms of why people get it, many think that changes in the relationship between the nervous system and the endocrine system (which is a system of glands which control some hormone levels in the body) can cause it – and so it is something which is always within that person, but it might take something to trigger for it to show as anorexic behaviour. One of the triggers could be weight loss due to dieting, or unintended weight loss from surgery or illness.

      Studies have shown a genetic inheritance of anorexia:

      http://adam.about.com/reports/000049_2.htm

      And many other physiological causes:

      http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa#Signs_and_symptoms

      As such, it is a myth that anorexics have chosen to act in that way – and, if you know anyone suffering with anorexia, you should try to act in an understanding and thoughtful way towards them. There are lots of organisations out there for people with anorexia to go to:

      http://www.b-eat.co.uk/Home
      http://www.justbewell.com/help-stop-anorexia.html
      http://www.anorexiabulimiacare.co.uk/

      Hopefully those links will also provide some more information to help answer your question, too.

Comments