Sasha was a seventeen year old girl living the good life. She was an A-student, captain of the volleyball team and cheer-leading squad at her college.Sasha was a little on the thick side but it never made her uncomfortable as a matter of fact she stood out more as being thick was the norm at the time. She came from a decent household and was off to the top university in Connecticut, Yale University on a full scholarship. Everything was perfect until Sasha’s boyfriend Chad dumped her for an older, slimmer girl. She didn’t see it coming, she was wrapped in her fantasy and was totally crushed at the news. A few days passed and Sasha was so distressed that she couldn’t get up from her bed much less make it to school. Her family and friends began to worry but thought she would shake it off in due time. More days passed and Sasha was observed to have developed a pattern, a new cycle, what seemed to be a never-ending cycle. Before we knew it Sasha moved from her normal weight of 140 lbs to 110 lbs in less than a month. Sasha developed ANOREXIA NERVOSA.
According to NEDA, “ Anorexia nervosa is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder characterized by self-starvation and excessive weight loss.”
Each member of her family tried speaking to her, to advise her that the way she’s dealing with the Chad situation is not right. Sasha was adamant that Chad would want her again if she was thinner than the new girl.
She experienced both physical and emotional/behavioral symptoms including:
v Physical: Extreme weight loss, Thin appearance, Fatigue, Insomnia, Dizziness or fainting, Hair that thins, breaks or falls out, Absence of menstruation, Constipation, Dry or yellowish skin, Intolerance of cold, Irregular heart rhythms, Low blood pressure, Dehydration, Osteoporosis
v Emotional/Behavioral: Severely restricting food intake through dieting or fasting and may include excessive exercise, Bingeing and self-induced vomiting to get rid of the food, Refusal to eat, Denial of hunger, Fear of gaining weight, Lying about how much food has been eaten, Flat mood (lack of emotion), Social withdrawal, Reduced interest in sex, Depressed mood, Thoughts of suicide
Sasha was definitely determined to get her man back but at what cost would she realize that sacrificing herself in such a way just wasn’t worth it..?
When anorexic, you become approximately less than eighty-five percent of your expected body weight. As a result of Anorexia Nervosa (lack of nutrition), the body reacts by trying to conserve energy as much as possible. Through changes in hormone levels, only the most important functions of the body continue, while ones less important for survival shut off. The basic metabolic response to starvation is to conserve body tissues and energy. However, since the body will start to use its own tissue, muscle, and organs the body will have no more food.
Now I bet you’re all saying to yourselves that Sasha is in need of some serious help and with all your right, because this disorder poses vast threats than what catches the eye. According to discoveries made by scientists, this disorder does not only affect the digestive and muscular systems but can also affect the proper functioning of the endocrine, circulatory and other systems.
The endocrine system is the body’s second greatest controlling mechanism after the nervous system. The endocrine system refers to the network of glands that secrete chemicals called hormones to help your body function properly. Hormones are chemical signals that coordinate a range of bodily functions. The endocrine system helps control growth and development, homeostasis, metabolism, reproduction and response to stimuli.
When one starves him/herself or purges like Sasha did the thyroid gland becomes affected. Normally, the thyroid synthesizes and produces the hormone T4 which is changed to the hormone T3, the active hormone when moving throughout the body. Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) produced in the pituitary gland which is located in the brain stimulates the thyroid to produce T4 demanded by the body. Anorexia prohibits the hormone T4 from converting to T3, therefore a decrease in the production of the active hormone. This then results in the slowing down of the heart and metabolism as well as a gradual decrease in temperature of the human body. If Sasha’s anorexic behavior worsens, in addition to a low T3, the T4 and TSH may decrease in production.
Secondly, Sasha can suffer from amenorrhea which is a complete cease of menstruation as well as from infertility. The critically low intake of calories sends a signal to the hypothalamus which is a small portion of the brain that controls many other endocrine glands. This signal leads to fewer hormones leaving the pituitary gland in the brain, which would normally cause a woman to ovulate and menstruate each month. This is because the body under such harsh conditions knows that it is incapable of supporting a healthy baby. In addition, without sufficient fats due to the low food intake when anorexic, the body will not be able to produce oestrogen hence Sasha’s sex drive will slowly begin to deplete and if occurring in men, then they will produce less and less testosterone resulting in very low sex drives as well.
Lastly, more studies are beginning to show that anorexia and heart failure are fairly compatible. The cardiac muscle (heart muscle) is easily damaged and can become very thin and flabby due to nutritional deficiency. Weak cardiac muscle will not pump with as much vigor as nutrient-rich muscle hence an irregular or slow heart rate will begin to develop. One can expect that with anorexia, the lack of calories and protein can have such a negative impact on the heart and the body’s chemical may fall so far off balance that heart failure occurs.This will most likely lead to a decrease in blood flow throughout the body. Not only does this mean that nutrients will not be transported efficiently but the endocrine system as well will be inhibited as hormones are transported to different parts of the body via the blood.
If you happen to have a friend like Sasha please get her the help she needs and let her know that if a guy doesn’t love you for who you are, size and all then he’s not worth it.
References
Anorexia Nervosa: An Endocrine Problem? | Empoweryourhealth.org. (2017). Empoweryourhealth.org. Retrieved 23 February 2017, from http://www.empoweryourhealth.org/magazine/vol3_issue3/Anorexia-Nervosa-An-Endocrine-Problem
Anorexia: Overview and Statistics. (2017). National Eating Disorders Association. Retrieved 23 February 2017, from https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/anorexia-nervosa
Consequences of Eating Disorders - The Eating Problems Service. (2017). Eatingproblems.org. Retrieved 23 February 2017, from http://www.eatingproblems.org/epseffect.html
I was able to overcome senile dementia via a complete naturopathic process.
ReplyDeleteAbout two years ago, when I was 56, I started feeling foggy and had occasional memory lapses. My wife, Mary, started to notice it, too, but I also have hearing issues so she thought that was the problem. My memory worsened very gradually over the years, and we lived with it, compensating as needed. I became less social. After some months thereafter, it got to the point where we couldn’t keep making excuses or ignoring it. I had gone from doing our grocery shopping without a list to going with a list, to having the list but not buying what was on it.
Mary went online to do some research, and it was during this process we had been fortunate enough to come across Dr. Utu Herbal Cure: an African herbalist and witch doctor whose professional works had majored on the eradication of certain viral conditions, especially dementia, ( improving the memory capacity positively), via a traditional, naturopathic process and distinguished diet plan. It was by the administration of this herbal specialist that I had been able to improve my condition for better. So to say, the encounter with the above-mentioned herbal practitioner was the first time we ever heard there was something that possibly can be done to improve my memory functionality.
By the existence of such an encounter, I was able to learn of the new approach by which this herbalist successfully treated dementia conditions, which included a distinguished herbal therapy and lifestyle changes of which I had undergone to a tremendous, positive effect.
It was after the completion of the herbal therapy I had started to experience a great deal of cognitive improvement when it came to rational decision making.
In brief, I was able to go through the dreadful hollows of senile dementia without any further hazardous damage to my health condition, and within a short period. Had it not been for the support of my wife, of whom had encouraged me to undergo the above-mentioned therapy and that of the herbal practitioner of whom now happens to be benefactor - I would have been long exposed to the further perils of this condition and of which had been apt to result to a calamitous end.
I would also wish for the same positiveness upon patients who may happen to be suffering from this debilitating disease, and would warmly beseech them to find a confidant like this herbal specialist with whose professional service I stood able to attain a divine recovery.
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