Will Starving yourself only for awhile hurt you?

Long Term Effects
The long-term effects of anorexia on the body and mind can be alarming and severe. Women with anorexia tend to find it more difficult to become pregnant, and there is the possibility of developing osteoporosis later in life. Fortunately, many of these effects can be reversed - once the body receives proper and regular nourishment.

Once the person is on the path to recovery, it can take some weeks or months for the body and mind to re-adjust. Eating and drinking regularly can cause their body to become bloated temporarily. Personality and mood swings may also take a while to settle, depending on the emotional difficulties associated with anorexia. Anorexia and the family Anorexia not only affects the person with the disorder - the whole family is affected. Each family is different but some common trends have been identified.
What is Anorexia Nervosa?

'Anorexia nervosa' means 'loss of appetite for nervous reasons' but this is misleading because the person has, in fact, lost the ability to allow themselves to satisfy their appetite. They restrict the amount they eat and drink, sometimes to a dangerous level. They focus on food in an attempt to cope with life, rather than to starve to death. It is a way of demonstrating that they are in control of their body weight and shape. Ultimately, however, the illness itself takes control and the chemical changes in the body affect the brain and distort thinking, making it impossible for the person to make rational decisions about food. As the illness progresses, many people will suffer from the exhaustion of starvation. It is very rare, but occasionally people die from the effects of anorexia.

Anorexia has a lot of short term symptoms. Symptoms are mental as well as physical.

Physical symptoms include:

*Stunted growth

*Halting of puberty

*Menstrual cycle stops

*Dry brittle hair

*Dry skin

*Hair loss

*A fine hair grows all over the body in attempts to keep itself warm when there isn't enough fat to do so

*Sensitivity to cold

*Joint pain

*Sleep disturbances

*Weakness

*Difficulty walking & sitting

*fatigue

Mental symptoms include:

*Depression

*Anxiety

*Obsession with food/Fear of Food

*May eat alone more and more

*Feeling irritable

*Isolation

*compulsive behavior

*fighting with family

*Low self-esteem

*Apathy

*Diminished Capacity to think

*Mood swings

There are long term effects, such as women not being able to have children someday, the heart and other organs are weakened and there may be life long aches and pains and illnesses.

The body works hard and needs fat and nutrients to survive. The body is like a car. It needs fuel and oil, which translates as food, (a healthy diet) and water and vitamins, to run smoothly. The body needs fat to protect itself, keep itself warm, to protect a baby inside the mom's stomach. It protects joints and gives the body energy. Makes it less painful to run around, or sit. and as people who suffer from anorexia get worse and worse, thinner and thinner, it may be hard to live a normal life.

Anorexia can kill you. It can bring on devastating consequences. It might make you thinner but your quality of life will not be good. Think twice about adopting this type of "life-style." It might shorten your chance to live any life at all.