According to the Society of Nutritional Medicine and Dietetics, before anorexia nervosa manifests, eating behavior can give loved ones a crucial clue about the evil to come. Anorectics eat almost 400 kilocalories less – an average of 230 kcal daily – two years before the onset of the disease. The chances of successful therapy are better the earlier the disease is detected.
Sharing lunch promotes family and eating culture
The common lunch table in the circle of the family is less cultivated today than in the past, mainly due to time constraints. Eating together is an expression of a family culture with the function of communication and information exchange among family members.
By attentive observation at the common dining table, conspicuous eating behavior could be recognized and the person concerned could be helped at an early stage before physical and mental health is endangered.
What behavior is conspicuous?
If adolescents pay scrupulous attention to the fat content of foods, eat remarkably slowly and constantly monitor their food intake, alarm bells should ring in parents and friends.
In most cases, those affected are under 25 years old. They are often particularly introverted, reliable, conscientious and helpful young people with high intelligence and excellent school performance. Anorexia usually develops during puberty. Therefore, it is believed that those affected have difficulty finding their gender identity and thus becoming adults.
For many patients, trying to exert control over their body weight seems to provide a sense of security. Body weight becomes an important source of self-esteem.
Being slim as an ideal of beauty
Another factor is the social ideal of beauty. In Western societies, a very slim body has been considered attractive since about the 1960s. The social pressure to be thin is undoubtedly imposed by the media. Women’s magazines, television and advertising encourage the creation of questionable idols and force conformity in the areas of fashion, beauty and eroticism.
Young women go through physical changes during puberty, possibly becoming “fuller” and more feminine. While they must first develop a sense of their “new” body, they can be greatly insecure by this exaggerated ideal of slimness.
Lack of awareness of disease complicates therapy
Anorectics lack any awareness of illness, which makes therapeutic intervention difficult. Consequences of malnutrition include endocrinologic and physical complications. The metabolism, heart and circulation, and kidneys may be impaired in their functions; in addition, disturbances in the water and electrolyte balance and in the blood count, along with general weakness, are the sequelae of anorexia.
The therapy of anorexic patients includes, in addition to psychotherapeutic treatment, the achievement of normal eating behavior and the normalization of body weight.
