In pursuit of the thin-is-beautiful ideal peddled by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, most of us have -- at one time or another -- counted calories, embarked on a crash diet, sworn off sweets, or had periods of extreme gym rat-itis.
But let's be clear: There is a big difference between dieting and suffering from an eating disorder.
Eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are not crash diets; they are serious medical illnesses with underlying psychological issues. Anorexics, for example, have an intense fear of fat and of gaining weight. In addition to severely restricting their food intake, they may exercise obsessively; abuse diet pills, laxatives and diuretics; and/or self-induce vomiting.
And, bulimics, like anorexics, may have distorted body images and a pre-occupation with food. But bulimia is often characterized by repeated cycles of bingeing and purging: Sufferers will eat large amounts of food in a short period of time and then seek to somehow "undo" the damage of the binge, either through vomiting, laxatives or diuretics.
Researchers believe that there are myriad biological, psychological and societal factors that may trigger and shape eating disorders and that they often go hand-in-hand with other psychiatric ailments, such as depression or anxiety. And, while eating disorders are treatable, like any other severe illness, they take a toll on the body.
How prevalent a concern is this? According to the National Eating Disorders Association, in the United States alone, nearly 10 million women (and one million men) are battling an eating disorder. The damage that these eating disorders can inflict will scare you. At least we hope it will.
If you're ready to see what happens to the human body -- inside and out -- when it is denied the nutrients it needs, read on.
Malnutrition and dehydration, the hatchet men of eating disorders, ravage the inside of your body, and their impact is reflected on the outside. How? Let's start with hair.
Hair is made of a protein called keratin. In order to sustain hair growth, the body needs protein. As the body of a person with an eating disorder is deprived of nutrients, it is forced to prioritize survival and, guess what, a beautiful head of hair doesn't quite make that list. Consequently, a diet that is deficient in protein will result -- in as little as four to six weeks -- in dry/brittle hair, thinning hair and even hair loss.
But while hair may be lost from their heads, anorexics can expect to grow new hair on their face and bodies. Lanugo, a soft, downy hair that grows largely on the face, back and arms, is nature's defense against periods of starvation and malnutrition -- it is the body's attempt to keep itself warm � to survive.
Next: How eating disorders affect skin and nails
Photo 3/6
Skin and Nails
Those of us who read (and write) about beauty know what a powerful impact the "super foods" and eating well can have on our appearance. It should come as no surprise, then, that those who deprive themselves of even the most basic nutrition, have dry, scaly skin that appears very pale, yellow or even grey. If self-induced vomiting is in the mix, the face and cheeks can look swollen. (Vomiting can also cause the tiny blood vessels in the whites of the eyes to rupture, leaving a perma-bloodshot look.)
Like hair, nails need keratin to stay strong and healthy, so those of an anorexic or bulimic will be dry and brittle and the fingers and nail beds may appear slightly blue (due to poor circulation). In addition, the hands of those who engage in self-induced vomiting often have telltale calluses or bruises on them (from rubbing against the person's teeth).
Next: How eating disorders affect the look of the body
Photo 4/6
Body
A distorted body-image is intrinsic to anorexia and bulimia. But what does the mirror really reflect back at a body that is malnourished?
Dehydration, laxative and diuretic abuse, and low protein levels are all triggers for edema -- swelling of the soft tissues -- in the ankles, feet and/or belly (which, tragically, can be perceived by the mind of a person with an eating disorder as fat).
A body that is denied nutrients for an extended period of time will also experience a decrease of muscle mass (particularly in the upper arms and legs) as a result of the body literally feeding off of itself.
And because anorexics refuse to maintain even a minimally normal body weight, they have infrequent (or no) menstrual cycles (a condition called amenorrhea), and subsequently risk a delay in, or regression of, the development of secondary sexual characteristics (like their breasts).
Next: How eating disorders affect teeth
Photo 5/6
Teeth
In case you've missed the point so far, here's something to drive home the fact that eating disorders offer nothing to smile about.
Repeated self-induced vomiting takes a particularly tough toll on one's teeth. According to the American Dental Association, "when strong stomach acid repeatedly flows over teeth, the tooth's outer covering (enamel) can be lost to the point that the teeth change in color, shape and length. The edges of teeth become thin and break off easily."
Tooth decay can also result from malnutrition. Even if spared the onslaught of stomach acid, the teeth of a malnourished person may begin to look stained, become brittle and even fall out. And the gums will also show signs of infection by bleeding or releasing pus.
Gum disease may itself open the door to bigger secondary problems, as infections in the mouth can spread and could exacerbate existing heart conditions or cause other health problems.
Next: What's happening inside?
In pursuit of the thin-is-beautiful ideal peddled by Hollywood and Madison Avenue, most of us have -- at one time or another -- counted calories, embarked on a crash diet, sworn off sweets, or had periods of extreme gym rat-itis.
But let's be clear: There is a big difference between dieting and suffering from an eating disorder.
Eating disorders, like anorexia nervosa and bulimia, are not crash diets; they are serious medical illnesses with underlying psychological issues. Anorexics, for example, have an intense fear of fat and of gaining weight. In addition to severely restricting their food intake, they may exercise obsessively; abuse diet pills, laxatives and diuretics; and/or self-induce vomiting.
And, bulimics, like anorexics, may have distorted body images and a pre-occupation with food. But bulimia is often characterized by repeated cycles of bingeing and purging: Sufferers will eat large amounts of food in a short period of time and then seek to somehow "undo" the damage of the binge, either through vomiting, laxatives or diuretics.
Researchers believe that there are myriad biological, psychological and societal factors that may trigger and shape eating disorders and that they often go hand-in-hand with other psychiatric ailments, such as depression or anxiety. And, while eating disorders are treatable, like any other severe illness, they take a toll on the body.
How prevalent a concern is this? According to the National Eating Disorders Association, in the United States alone, nearly 10 million women (and one million men) are battling an eating disorder. The damage that these eating disorders can inflict will scare you. At least we hope it will.
If you're ready to see what happens to the human body -- inside and out -- when it is denied the nutrients it needs, read on.
