Conditions Anorexia nervosa A person with anorexia nervosa typically has very low body weight and an intense fear of gaining weight. It is also characterised by a distorted body image, which leads to self-induced weight loss through food avoidance. This can include use of appetite suppressants, vomiting, laxatives, and excessive exercise (206). Although a young person may be seriously underweight, they will see it as a success rather than a health issue and as such have limited motivation to change. The course of anorexia nervosa is variable. The longer a young person has anorexia nervosa, the less complete recovery is likely. Relapse is common, with the highest risk being during the first year after discharge. Because anorexia nervosa involves self-starvation, the body no longer receives essential nutrients necessary to functioning as usual. As a result, it slows down all its processes to conserve energy, which can have serious impacts on physical health. These can include an abnormally slow heart rate, low blood pressure, lack of calcium, lack of vitamin D, severe dehydration leading to kidney failure, hair loss, and absence of periods in adolescent girls/loss of sexual interest in adolescent boys (or a delay in puberty altogether). Mortality rates for disordered eating are the highest of all mental health conditions with the most common causes of death being cardiac complications, severe infection, and suicide (207). Anorexia athletica is a sub-type of anorexia. It references a compulsive obsession with exercise alongside restricting food intake. Bulimia Nervosa Bulimia nervosa involves episodes of excessive eating (food binges) followed by behaviour which aims to prevent subsequent weight gain, known as purging (e.g. vomiting, abuse of laxatives,
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