The Psychology of Eating: From Healthy to Disordered Behavior

220 Eating Disorders

still fat on my stomach, a handful above the navel and a roll below. I pinched
it hard several times an hour to remind myself that it was there, that nothing
mattered more than getting rid of it.” She also stated that “one day I will be
thin enough. Just the bones, no disfiguring flesh, just the pure, clear shape
of me.” The meaning of self-starvation has been explored using qualitative
interviews. For example, Nordbø et al. (2006) interviewed 18 women diag-
nosed with AN about their eating behavior and concluded that starvation
was associated with a number of meanings, including “security,” “mental
strength,” “self confidence,” “identity,” “care,” and “communication.” Many
of these meanings are reflected in theories of AN which are described below.
Anorexia therefore involves a complex set of behaviors designed to reduce
food intake and weight. This has many negative consequences.

What Are the Consequences of Anorexia Nervosa?

Only about 50 percent of those diagnosed with anorexia attain normal body
weight and reestablish their periods (Hsu, 1990). All anorexics suffer a range
of problems resulting from their condition. The problems associated with
anorexia nervosa can be understood in terms of physical and psychological
complications, and are illustrated in figure 10.2.

Death

suicide

heart attacks

infection

GI complications

Reproduction

infertility

small babies

unhealthy children

Skeleton/teeth

stunted growth

osteoporosis

tooth erosion

Cardiovascular

irregular heartbeats

heart attacks

collapse of heart valves

Nervous system

possible deficits in

learning

memory

visuo-spatial analysis

Anorexia

nervosa

Psychological

depression

anxiety

Figure 10.2 Possible consequences of anorexia nervosa.