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Anorexia nervosa information
Introduction
There are many conditions in Western industrialised societies today that were unheard of, or at least very rare, just a century ago. The same conditions are still unheard of in primitive peoples who do not have the 'benefits' of our knowledge. There is a very good reason for this: They eat what Nature intended; we don't. The diseases caused by our incorrect and unnatural diets are those featured on these pages.
Dietary causes:
Bran; soya; strict vegetarian diet; low intake of red meatWhat Is Anorexia nervosa?
Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder where people, usually young girls, have such an intense fear of becoming fat that starve themselves. This tendency usually begins to manifest itself around the onset of puberty. Anorexics can have extreme weight loss and, despite becoming extremely and dangerously underweight, anorexics still perceive themselves as overweight.
Symptoms of anorexia nervosa
There are many symptoms of anorexia; the main, noticeable, ones are:
- Body weight that is inconsistent with age, build and height (usually 15% or more below normal weight).
- Being obsessive about calorie intake
- Being reticent or refusing to eat in public
- Preparing meals for others but refusing to eat any of it themselves
- General weakness
- Shortness of breath
- Anxiety
- Having brittle skin
- Missing at least 3 consecutive menstrual periods (in women).
- Excessive use of laxatives
- Low self esteem
Medical consequences
There are many medical risks associated with anorexia nervosa. As anorexia nervosa results in an insufficiency of the proteins, essential amino acids and essential fatty acids needed for healthy growth and life, the medical consequences are many and varied, including:
- Permanent failure of normal growth
- Shrunken and weak bones
- Development of osteoporosis and osteomalacia
- Low body temperature
- Irregular heartbeat
- Inability to conceive
- Miscarriage
Causes of anorexia nervosa
While current stresses on slimness as portrayed by catwalk models probably have a great influence on how girls perceive their bodies, anorexia nervosa is not a modern phenomenon. In the 18th and 19th centuries, women had "the vapours" and would become faint or have to lie down to rest. This is thought to have been as a result of anorexia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is a disease rather than a state of mind. While it is possible that similar 'slim' ideals were present in former centuries, they were not as idealised as they are today.
Today there is another cause of anorexia nervosa. And that is incorrect diet.
Anorexia nervosa has been shown to be associated with deficiencies of zinc and of iron. And this could be the result of current "healthy eating" recommendations.
The absorption of both those minerals is inhibited by the phytic acid in the cereal fibre (bran) found in wholemeal bread, bran flakes and similar products, and in soya products such as soya milk and soya flours added to bread and many processed meat products.
Iron and zinc deficiency is also exacerbated by the current unfounded 'healthy' obsession against red meat.
Thus, the reason that anorexia nervosa is on the increase now could well be the result, not just of ideas about slimness, but because of the so-called "healthy" way we have been coerced to eat.
References
Meadows N, et al. Zinc and small babies. Lancet 1981; ii: 1135.
Lifshitz F, et al. Nutritional dwarfing in adolescents. Semin Adolesc Med 1987; 3: 255-66.
Lozoff B, Jimenez E, Wolf AW. Long-term developmental outcome of infants with iron deficiency. N Eng J Med 1991; 325: 687-94.
Addy D. Happiness is: iron. BMJ 1986; 292: 969
Bindra GS, Gibson RS. Iron status of predominantly lacto-ovo-vegetarian East Indian immigrants to Canada: a model approach. Am J Clin Nutr 1986; 44: 643.
Hughes RE, Johns E. Apparent relation between dietary fibre and reproductive function in the female. Ann Hum Biol. 1985; 12: 325.
Hughes RE. A new look at dietary fibre. Hum Nutr Clin Nutr 1986; 40c: 81.
Last updated 1 August 2008
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