Just a day ago, on Monday, an 18-year-old girl from Kannur died due to continued starvation after following extreme diets she had seen on online platforms.
For the past couple of months, she had taken food served at home to her room and discarded it later. The only thing she consumed was hot water.
When admitted to hospital, she weighed just 24kg. Her sugar, sodium, and blood pressure levels were extremely low. According to doctors who treated her, she might have been suffering from anorexia nervosa.
“People who have anorexia often have a strong fear of gaining weight and may think they’re overweight, even when they are thin,” notes a Mayo Clinic explainer.
“To prevent weight gain or continue to lose weight, people with anorexia often limit the amount or type of food they eat. They place a high value on controlling their weight and shape and use extreme efforts that can greatly harm their lives.”
The report adds that, in extreme cases, “people with anorexia are at high risk of serious physical harm or death”.
Anorexia has the second-highest death rate of any mental illness, surpassed only by opioid overdoses, it notes. “Most deaths related to anorexia stem from heart conditions and suicide.”
One of the reasons triggering anorexia could be severe fear about gaining weight, says wellness guru Rajiv Ambat, founder of NuvoVivo Center for Obesity, Lifestyle Disorders & Research.
“Even if they are dangerously thin, they might feel they are obese. This could be part of the social conditioning, society’s extreme ideation of a certain type of body figure,” he adds.
“This could be one reason why this condition is mostly seen among women and girls. More studies are required to form a conclusive argument.”
According to Dr C J John, senior psychiatrist at Medical Trust Hospital, anorexia can also cause changes to the brain due to a lack of nutrition.
The condition, he adds, needs to be treated with a multi-disciplinary approach. “A team of doctors and experts needs to provide well-structured care,” he says.
“A psychiatrist, a paediatrician in case the patient is underage, a nutritionist, a behavioural therapist, an endocrinologist, a general physician, and a team of nurses are among those part of the treatment.”
Experts note that anorexia, once more visible in Western countries, is now being reported in Kerala, especially in urban areas, with increasing frequency.
“A decade ago, I saw hardly one case every three years. Now at least four to six patients approach me in just a month,” says Dr Vivek Ullathil, consultant psychiatrist at Renai Medicity.
“Anorexia is mostly seen among those between 14 and 25 years of age. Social conditioning and the unhealthy practice of popularising thin bodies can be one reason for its rise among them. However, it is also part of the obsessive-compulsive spectrum and is associated with borderline personality disorders, too.”
Mood swings, stress, anxiety, extreme sensitivity and irritability when discussing food, self-harm, etc., are symptoms of the disorder.
If detected early before the person reaches dangerous levels of weight loss, treatment often provides positive results.
“It is important that parents, relatives, and friends can identify the problem early and seek professional help,” says Dr Vivek.
A person suffering from anorexia might constantly reject food, and if forced to eat, might purge it later. “They will also be physically active and extremely regimental about fitness. They might exercise more than two hours a day and strictly measure calorie counts,” says Dr Vivek.
“But not all who follow a strict diet or fitness regimen are anorexic. What we need to understand is that there are many body types, and we need to accept ours. The key point is that we need all the nutrients for a healthy body, which means consuming protein, fibre, carbohydrates, fats, and other components in a healthy way.”