Anorexia-You'Ll Be Dead Before You'Re Thin Enough.

Anorexia is more than just a disease of the body, but an infection of the mind. It is not something that can be treated, and then easily given up. It tears away at ones soul as well as destroys organs. The symptoms are many, and often hard to detect. It is not gender, race, or age discriminative, but can strike anyone at anytime. There is no way of knowing whether it is genetic or not, but anorexia often troubles those whose parents or close relative has had it also. Although anorexia occurs more in young women then men that is not to say that it doesn't occur in the male race at all. Ten percent of all anorectics are men. Between one and two percent of all women suffer from anorexia, and the ratio from women to men is ten to one. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anorexia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm#Anorexia_symptoms_signs) It is most common to people within the ages of ten to twenty-five. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anorexia_nervosa#Behavioral) Although a study done did conclude that Caucasians are more prone to eating disorders than African-Americans, it was not by much. (http://www.sciencentral.com/articles/view.php3?article_id=218392017) Anorexia can strike anyone, at anytime.

The physical symptoms of anorexia are numerous. Drastic weight loss of fifteen or more percent body weight, aversion to social activities where there might be food present and excessive exercise are the most common (http://parentingteens.about.com/cs/anorexianervosa/a/anorexianervosa.htm). People with anorexia become obsessed with their intake of food and begin to harvest a terrifying fear getting fat. They begin to weigh their food, keep food journals of what is going in and coming out of their body, and count calories fanatically. They begin to starve themselves, constantly saying that they are fat and could lose more weight. When in reality, they look emaciated and sick. Severe anorectic's skin takes on a yellowish tint from lack of vitamins and minerals, something similar to the look of jaundice. Fine, downy hair also starts to grow on the person's face, arms, back and neck. Also, nails often become brittle. (http://www.medicinenet.com/anorexia_nervosa/page4.htm)

Internally, anorexia destroys its prey. Women often stop they're menstrual cycle and men can become infertile. It destroys one's heart, causing one to have low blood pressure, slow heart rate, and heart failure. It can also lead to anemia, kidney stones, infections, constipation, and a tendency to be sensitive to cold. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anorexia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm) But the worst drawback to anorexia is death. Between five and twenty percent of people with anorexia die from either the anorexia itself, or the side effects from it. Even those who survive repeatedly have problems with they're bodies physically down the road. For the longer you have it, the worse your body gets, and the more likely you are to die from it. (http://www.webmd.com/content/article/109/109378.htm)

Psychologically, anorexia nervosa takes a huge toll on its victim. Many become severely depressed and quick-tempered. Sleep also is disturbed, and they are often fatigued during the normal waking hours. (http://www.medicinenet.com/anorexia_nervosa/page3.htm) Anorectics often deny being hungry, when actually, they just no longer feel the hunger pains, or train themselves to ignore them. They weigh themselves constantly, and fixate on a pound or two gained. (http://www.helpguide.org/mental/anorexia_signs_symptoms_causes_treatment.htm#Anorexia_symptoms_signs)

One often becomes very body-conscious, and constantly talks about how fat they are, and how they feel like a failure. This is the anorexia speaking. The sufferer of this dreaded disease is blinded