If you are a female with anorexia, one anorexic symptom is that your menstrual period could be interrupted by this eating disorder. You may still get an irregular period but either losing or irregularity is not good for your body. If you plan to have a child later on, you will probably have problems with fertility because you have starved your body for a while.
If you are at the beginning stages of this condition, then your anorexia symptoms could be showing up in your bones. This is tragic because your body is probably still growing. Now is when you really need proper nutrition. If you do not give your body proper nutrition then you could have decreased bone growth and osteoporosis. This is when your bones will become brittle and frail. You should know that if you do not allow your bones to properly develop then they will never be as strong as they should be.
This is not the most damaging of the anorexia symptoms though. The most damaging effects are done to the heart. The heart of an anorexic decrease in size because it is a muscle. This will cause the heart to grow increasingly weaker. As such your pulse will slow and your blood pressure will sink. This will cause you to have an irregular heartbeat, which is life threatening.
Studies show that 5 to 20% of anorexics will die because of these anorexia symptoms. If you do manage to recover completely, you will face significant health problems. This is because the damage that anorexia does to your body is permanent.
Of course, your mental health will also suffer. This is because you are so obsessed with the way that you look. As such, you will be depressed and have low self-esteem. You may even feel so isolated and alone with your struggle that you feel tempted to commit suicide.
You probably did not realize until now all of the consequences of your eating disorder. Alternatively, if you know someone who is anorexic you should be there for him or her. They need your support, compassion and kindness. This is what will help them through their recovery process.
