The harms of eating disorders. Seminar
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Eating disorders, anorexia (in primis), can cause serious damage to health. An in-depth analysis is offered by the Academy of Medicine of Turin with a scientific session entitled 'Nutritional deficiency in adolescents: risks for bones, cardiovascular system and brain'.
The event is open to all, in person or online, on Friday 27 June at 21 pm.
After the introduction by Patrizia Presbitero, Senior Consultant Interventional Radiology at Humanitas Research Hospital and member of the Academy of Medicine, Carlo Campagnoli, Past President of the Anorexia Prevention Association of Turin (Pr.A.To.) and Giovanni Abbate Daga, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at the Department of Neuroscience at the University of Turin, will speak.
The consequences of eating disorders
La nutritional deficiency It is a growing problem that affects many teens between the 11 and with “weight-reducing behaviors” (food restriction and/or excessive physical activity).
The association between stress and malnutrition can lead to a suspension of function of the ovaries, resulting in “Hypothalamic Amenorrhea”, which represents more than 50% of amenorrhea in adolescents, and affects at least 1 in 10 girls.
Two types of amenorrhea
On a clinical level the amenorrhea are distinguished in
– psychogenic, from relative excess of physical activity and
– from anorexia, a situation characterized by extreme nutritional deficiency and nervous tension, in which the negative consequences for health are very significant.
Bone damage
The most significant damage is at bone level since the energy deficit, in addition to blocking ovarian function with estrogen deficiency, inhibits the production of insulin-like growth factor, the most important stimulus for bone formation.
This results in a loss that can not only cause permanent osteopenia (precondition for postmenopausal osteoporosis), but also osteoporosis with risk of fractures already in his youth.
Cardiovascular risks
Cardiovascular problems are also significant, characterised by cardiac rhythm disturbances and endothelial dysfunction present in at least 1/3 of girls with Hypothalamic Amenorrhea and even more when there is Anorexia.
Brain suffering
Qualitative and quantitative food deprivation also leads to significant brain suffering with volumetric reduction of brain areas, disruption of the neurohormonal system, activation of the circuits of theanxiety and manifestation of psychic symptoms (insecurity, depression, obsessions and compulsions, perfectionism), which sometimes remain even after recovery.
How to follow the event
The meeting can be followed both by accessing the Aula Magna of the Academy of Medicine of Turin, in via Po 18, or live on the web at the link reported on the website www.accademiadimedicina.unito.it.
As usual, the recording of the meeting will be published on the website.
Refusal of food
Eating disorders are the symptom of a profound discomfort that increasingly affects young women, and to a lesser extent young men.
This condition is well described by ABA, Bulimia Anorexia Association, founded by Fabiola De Clercq.
'Anorexia manifests itself with the refusal of food: the intent is to control one's image, to control everything. In reality the image reflected in the mirror does not reflect reality: the anorexic person never sees himself as thin enough even if he is close to death.
Usually it starts with a slimming diet: all you want, apparently, is to improve your appearance. The anorexic person never feels thin enough. Among the symptoms, hunger is denied, you fall into obsessive calorie counting and spasmodic weight control. We delude ourselves that by changing our body we can also change our life, change others, change reality..
This type of disorder manifests itself in a very evident way: the body, gaunt and malnourished, becomes a canvas on which to paint the image of an inner pain, a discomfort that words cannot express.
Anorexia can lead to very serious damage to health such as kidney failure, hair and tooth loss, cardiac arrest. The cessation of menstrual cycle for more than a trimester is the first indicator of anorexia and can lead to severe forms of osteoporosis.
In 75% of cases today, anorexia is accompanied by bulimia. The subject gives in to the survival instinct, loses control, eats everything he finds and induces vomiting. It can be said that anorexia is a desperate maneuver to cover up bulimia.
Bulimia is the craving for everything. Anorexia is a drastic attempt to cover up bulimia.
Often anorexia and bulimia alternate cyclically: the anorexic person, who can no longer control hunger, gives in to instinct and punishes himself with self-induced vomiting'.
The Invisible Women
"Anorexia is the tip of the iceberg, the symptom of a suffering that has psychological causes. For this reason it cannot be attacked: it is necessary instead to look for the causes without losing sight of the seriousness of the implications that can put life at risk.
The symptom is not suppressed but dilutes until it disappears only when the person no longer feels the need to adopt the behaviors that he had to seek and use as a solution, when he is able to express and live his feelings, when despite the difficulties he finds within himself the tools to cope with life and the suffering that is part of it.” (Fabiola De Clercq, 1995, Invisible Women, Bompiani).
Marta Strinati
