5 Myths About Anorexia

Anorexia Nervosa is one of the life-threatening eating disorders, which is often difficult to recognize, given the fact that most women, and sometimes even men prefer being on the lighter side of the weighing scale. We have been conditioned to think that thin is in and other body-types need correction, hence it gets difficult at times to ascertain whether a person is actually suffering with Anorexia or are we just perpetrating the myths related to it. Check out our list of myth-busters to know the facts about this painful disorder.

Myth 1: Anorexia nervosa is an excuse to fish for complements

Reality: The last time you heard an anorexic person saying ‘’ I feel fat’’ was not because he wanted you to reassure her or him about his or her sleek body type. As a matter of fact, anorexia patients have a distorted view about their body-image. Their illness makes them think of their bodies as a faulty thing which needs immediate correction, hence the desperate efforts such as starving, purging etc. Often seen as as staring at a "fun-house mirror," people with this disorder have an inaccurate perception about their body and weight.

Myth 2: Anorexia patients do not indulge in binge-eating

Reality: When pangs of hunger go beyond control, people with anorexia may sometimes give into binge eating. But such incidents are often followed by guilt and vigorous attempts to throw up what has been eaten through the use of laxatives, purgative substances, vomiting, or excessive exercise.

Myth 3: If a person eats thrice a day, there’s no anorexia

Reality: Doing away with food or surviving on a liquid-diet are not the only signs of anorexia. Sometimes a person restricts herself or himself from eating certain types of foods or reduces the amount of food consumed. For instance, a person may take his or her regular diet for several days and then follows it with severe calorie restriction. Another common misconception is that anorexic people do not eat junk-food. This is not necessarily true as sometimes they eat foods with high sugar, in order to spike their energy levels up.

Myth 4: Dieting is the reason behind anorexia

Reality: Contrary to common perception, dieting does not cause anorexia. Those who are more likely to catch this order also include people who attach their self-esteem to the way they look. Dieting could be one of the reasons or an outcome of anorexia, but on the whole it is more of a psychological disorder rather than something induced because of a person’s diet regimen.

Myth5: All thin people are anorexic

Reality: According to experts at eatfed.com.au, a premier clinic for anorexia treatment in Australia, anorexia is not the only reason if someone has a skinny body frame. Other factors such as genes, addiction to drugs, illness or over-exercising are equally responsible if a person is underweight or bony.

So, if you know someone who has been starving himself or herself, take him to a competent psychiatrist or a psychologist and make them undergo an effective treatment for anorexia. It is to be noted that women are more prone to getting this disorder as they face an added pressure to abide by the ‘slim is beautiful’ notion, which is prevalent in most of the European and Asian societies. How can we eliminate such rigid and narrow-minded notions about body-types? Isn’t there a need for a little more acceptance towards different body types? Share your views with us in the comment box below.

I am Kea Jones a Content Curator, New York based columnist who love to write about various buzz and current affairs in business world. Besides that I am also writting reviews for various new local business houses, products and services.